Reflections
on release of 'Grenada 17'

SO, FINALLY, the last batch of Grenadians who were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop, some cabinet ministers and leading party colleagues, have been freed and are now back in the society sorting out their lives.

The most controversial of the released prisoners, recalled as an infamous "Grenada 17", Bernard Coard, who was deputy prime minister of the People's Revolutionary Government (PRG), has decided to relocate to Jamaica to help in the caring of his ailing Jamaica-born wife Phyllis, who was released from prison some years ago due to deteriorating health.

The "17" had served varying prison terms, ranging from five to 26, consistent with judicial ruling resulting from legal interventions on their behalf. Coard and most of the convicted military and hardline ideologues of the PRG and its People's Revolutionary Army (PRA), were amongthe longest serving prisoners.

His decision to leave his native homeland to live and work in Jamaica may be as welcome to his known ardent supporters as it would be for those Grenadians who still harbour bitterness over that horrific human tragedy of "bloody October 19" when Bishop, the popular face of the PRG, and close comrades were executed.

Although Grenada has come a long way from when the PRG's "revolution" destroyed itself, even as the United States was by then vigorously pursuing its previously planned military invasion of the Spice Isle, the reality, contrary to thinking in some quarters, is that the final chapter of that unprecedented development in Caribbean history is yet to be written.

Coard had played a positive leadership role while in prison in an education programme for the general prison inmates, according to Grenadian authorities, with current Prime Minister Tilman Thomasas guest speaker at one of the graduation events for successful prison inmates.

Ironically, Thomas, a lawyer, was himself a political prisoner of the PRG under Bishop's leadership. He has been consistent in demonstrating his own commitment to due process and in facilitating reviews of the cases of the so-called "Grenada 17".

It is under Thomas' 13-month old National Democratic Congress administration that the remaining bulkof the original "17" political prisoners has secured their freedom, consistentwith the doctrine of due process.

Thomas has also fulfilled his promise of renaming Grenada's international airport at Point Saline after the slain Bishop.

The airport, under construction with significant Cuban aid at the time of the United States military invasion, was the PRG's most high-profile development project. In naming it after Bishop earlier this year, Thomas said it was done in accordance with his government's policyto foster "a culture of recognition of those who have made significant contributionsto our national development".