The failure of the New National Party (NNP) of Dr. Keith Mitchell to hold a convention to elect a new leader since its defeat in general election nearly two years ago could be heading for the high court.
A well-placed source told THE NEW TODAY that the anti-Mitchell faction within the NNP has been discussing the filing of court papers to force the former Grenadian leader to set a date for the long overdue convention of party delegates.
He said that an approach was already made to a prominent city lawyer with King’s Counsel status to look at the NNP Constitution and its possible breach by the island’s longest serving Prime Minister on the issue of the holding of the convention.
Dr. Mitchell has been insisting over the months that the party needs to be re-organised and put on a sound footing before any convention takes place.
In the weeks leading up to the June 2022 poll, the 77-year old Mitchell had stated publicly that he would bow out from frontline politics and will not be leading the NNP into another general election.
Since the NNP defeat at the hands of Congress, the veteran politician has been battling with his former Agriculture Minister Peter David who has expressed interest in becoming the next party boss.
According to the source, the anti-Mitchell wing in the party is planning to recruit some disgruntled members to file court papers against Dr. Mitchell to force his hands on setting a date for the convention.
“I think some people are contemplating to ask (name of layer withheld) to put him in court, to put the party in court to call a convention – that is being looked at. I think something is being drafted to look at,” he said.
He pointed out that some party officials believe that Dr. Mitchell is in breach of the constitution of the NNP by engaging in action to stall the convention.
According to the source, the proponents of the court action are recruiting party members in good financial standing to move the court to help set a date for the next NNP convention to elect a new political leader.
The impeding court action, he said could also have the effect of embarrassing the veteran leader in the region as one who is anti-democratic.
This development comes against the backdrop of reports that the NNP at a recent Executive meeting took the decision to appoint former Speaker of the House of Representative Michael Pierre to head a new Selection Committee to identify persons to be short-listed as potential party leaders for the convention.
A previous leadership committee, headed by former Education Minister Anthony Boatswain was set up but apparently failed to submit names for consideration to take over the NNP from Dr. Mitchell.
A pro-David ally within the NNP has said that there appears to be no plans by Dr. Mitchell to hold the convention this year based on the list of activities planned by the party for the rest of 2024 to mark the 40th anniversary of its formation.
The NNP is said to be badly divided on the issue of the convention.
Veteran party member Dr. Bert Brathwaite has lost his status as a specially invited guest at Executive meetings of the party following his public utterances on the need for the party to engage in an open and fair process to find Dr. Mitchell’s successor.
Speculation is rife in certain NNP quarters that the veteran leader might be changing his mind about retirement and wants to contest the post once again as party leader at the upcoming convention.
However, sources close to Dr. Mitchell have said that he is planning to set the stage for the defeat of David instead of his choice candidate former Solicitor General Dwight Horsford who is due back home soon from a stint in Anguilla as the Attorney General of the small British dependency and Emmalin Pierre, the former Education Minister.
The NNP has been the most successful political party in Grenada over the years with six victories at the polls since Grenada’s return to democratic rule in 1984 after the collapse of the 1979-83 Grenada Revolution.