“We may have to wait until Nomination Day on June 1st to know who else is running for the seat in South St George. Ah know Norland running but I don’t know if the other one go make the tape.
Ah doh know – ah hearing all kinda things tonight from other people about the police and the police. Ah doh know but ah know Norland running.
I can stand here tonight and vouch for the character of Norland Cox, sisters and brothers”.
These comments were made by Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell on Sunday night at a rally at Morne Rouge playing field in the south of the island.
It was clearly directed at the candidate of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Andy “Hot Spot” Williams” by the Prime Minister.
Was the Grenadian leader sending a subtle message to the rest of the country that he knows that something is happening that can lead to the arrest of the opponent of his candidate to prevent him from taking part in the June 23 general election?
This statement should be seen in a particular context as it is not only coming from the Political Leader of NNP but also the Prime Minister and Minister of National Security who has the Police under his command.
THE NEW TODAY is not taking lightly the statement of the Prime Minister who is known to be very power hungry and is not prepared to lose an election especially one against Dickon Mitchell, a virtual newcomer in the political arena in the Spice Isle.
It should not be construed by anyone that our comment on the issue is suggesting that persons who break the law must not be subjected to the law.
What is troubling is that the Prime Minister of the country chose a political platform of his ruling party to insinuate to the nation that something is in the making and it will coincide with Nomination Day.
Those who might be plotting, scheming and conspiring some kind of mischief in the coming days against Andy Williams should be careful about the timing of whatever is in the making that has been laid bare in front of Grenadians by the Prime Minister.
It is doubtful that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Christopher Nelson who is a most respectable member of the legal profession will be part of any scheme involving the NNP to detain and arrest a candidate in the upcoming general election on the eve of Nomination Day.
Nelson, QC, is not similar in scope and action like the Jamaican Special Prosecutor Hugh Wildman, a very competent lawyer but who was prepared to allow himself to be used as the “legal hitman” by the Prime Minister against his opponents.
Will Commissioner of Police Edvin Martin allow himself to be used at this stage of the intense political climate in the country by the NNP Political Directorate to engage in anything that might be deemed to be suspicious by many Grenadians that is intended to give Prime Minister Mitchell some kind of advantage going into the remaining weeks of the campaign?
The same cannot be said of two other members of the Police High Command with close ties to the NNP regime – Deputy Commissioners of Police, Michael Francois and Tafawa Pierre, the husband of Education Minister, Emmalin Pierre.
THE NEW TODAY is hard-pressed to believe that these two high-ranking members of the force will stoop so low and to allow themselves to be used at this critical stage of the election battle to give the all-clear to arrest a major candidate of the Congress party.
The country is very peaceful at the moment and nothing should be done at this stage to provoke the existing peace.
Prime Minister Mitchell should be held responsible for any breakout of rioting in Grenada if Mr. Andy Williams is arrested to coincide with Nomination Day.
A party that is on the verge of winning all 15 seats again as claimed by Dr. Mitchell will not resort to such tactics to achieve its objective on Polling Day.
Our intelligence seems to suggest that the NNP camp is in disarray for several reasons and the ruling party is not happy with its own performance at this stage of the election campaign.
Information coming out from inside the “Green House” is showing that the newlook NDC team headed by Dickon Mitchell is very much in the race going into the final month of campaigning.
Two credible sources are pointing to a virtual dead heat based on polling figures coming from the NNP with the battleground for the election currently lying with the four seats in St. Andrew.
The NDC is very confident at this stage following its massive rally in River Salle in St Patrick on Sunday that has renewed hope among its supporters that victory at the polls is possible.
THE NEW TODAY is cautioning them that Prime Minister Mitchell is no walk over and is hungry for power in 2022 as he was back in 1995 when he won the first of his five elections.
The situation is different for him today in the sense that he is not only up against a newlook NDC but also a Social Revolution that is taking place in the country against his continued rule of the island.
Even if Dr. Mitchell survives this election, he will still end up as the biggest loser as he is no longer the respected figure that he was once, by a majority of the people who would like to see him depart from the national stage.
The NNP should blame him for any loss at the polls due to his failure to take the necessary steps to allow a much younger leader to emerge and to take the country into a new era.
THE NEW TODAY is inviting Grenadians to look at even communist Cuba where the Castro brothers showed wisdom and leadership by preparing a new generation of leaders to emerge under their wings to take over the country at the right time.