The political atmosphere is heating up in the country with many speculating that the Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell will announce a date shortly for the General Election.
The Political Boss of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has even given strong hints that the date is imminent.
This is very much different from the timeframe given at the NDC rally a few months ago at the Morne Rouge Playing Field when he said that there will be no change of government in the next election and its life will begin in 2027.
At last Sunday’s “Mini Rally” of Congress, he told supporters that he sees that they are ready to go to the polls and that he too is ready.
The party also brought onto the stage Senator Quinc Britton from St Mark to blow “the Conch Shell” and the Prime Minister again hinted that the real “Conch Shell” blow will be in short order.
It is well-known that the NDC has only one more Candidate to select for the rural St Andrew North-east seat held by opposition Member of Parliament Kate Lewis of the New National Party (NNP).
Our best bet is that the period given for official campaigning will be short and that the election will be held no later than mid-November.
The NDC supporters are on a high and the longer the Prime Minister takes to call the election he runs the risk of seeing the party reaching a peak and then it is downhill until it hits the bottom.
The logical thing is to set a date to coincide with the party reaching the mountain top at the right time before the NNP can do so.
Congress has many things going in its favour at the moment.
It is the first time since the formation of the party in 1987 that it is seeking a second term in office without any open infighting among the top brass of its leadership.
There is no Francis Alexis vs George Brizan rivalry of 1995 as well as the Peter David-Nazim Burke-Tillman Thomas friction within the party that led to the massive defeat at the polls in 2013.
The NNP is going into an election for the first time since 1990 without its longstanding and dominant Political Leader Keith Mitchell at the helm.
The successor Emmalin Pierre cannot fit into his boots.
In addition, she is no match to the intellect of the current Prime Minister and cannot do like him go into any of the constituencies on the island and help deliver votes for his candidates.
The former Agriculture Minister Peter David, with the NNP support base at his disposal, was the better candidate to take the fight to Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell on Election Day.
However, Mrs Pierre should not be totally written off as she was regarded as the most politically organised of the NNP Candidates in the 2022 poll that NDC won 9-6 although she won by less than 250 votes.
The new NNP political Leader has a battle on her hands to keep out the Minister of Education Senator David Andrew who has done a lot of work in the Constituency.
The critics have cited the many shortcomings in her three terms as MP for the area – the rebuilding of the Anglican Primary School in Grenville which started under her rival Sen. Andrew, as well as many neglected roads especially in the key Telescope village.
In addition, the female NNP Political Leader was a senior member of the NNP government that failed in the implementation of too many critical projects on the island.
The list is very long – the millions in Grant funding from the British government to do the water project from Concord in St John to Point Salines in the South, the Restoration of Fort George and the relocation of the headquarters of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) from the Fort to the former Lime Building on the Carenage.
Perhaps the most vexing issue that cost NNP the last election was Pension payment for Public Officers and after the change of government in 2022, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell was able to address the long-outstanding complaint affecting Police Officer – an adjustment in their Pay and Grade which saw some Constables and Corporals among other taking home an additional $700 plus on their salaries.
Emmalin Pierre was also a key player in the Imani programme in which millions were spent without any real Value for Money.
Under the programme, hundreds of persons were literally at home collecting a stipend and no concentration of producing a cadre of workers for a Construction Sector that is now driving a great part of the local economy.
The country is also suspicious that victory at the Polls for Emmalin Pierre will see the re-emergence of Keith Mitchell as the most powerful political figure in the country.
Another problem that the NNP will face in the upcoming general election is the expected defection from its ranks when “the Conch Shell” is blown, of some of its notable persons, to give support to Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell in order to keep Keith Mitchell totally out of power in Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique.