Former revolutionary figure Peter David is being watched closely by some of the top leaders in the New National Party (NNP) due to his dress code at Sunday’s party meeting called by the outgoing Political Leader Keith Mitchell.
A high-level party source told THE NEW TODAY that all the major figures with the exception of David were dressed “in something green or close to green” which is the official colour of the party.
She said that the former General Secretary of the now ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) who held the post of Minister of Agriculture in the last NNP government in the 2018-22 period was dressed in a “maroon-looking” short sleeve shirt.
“We are watching him – look how he dressed – most of the others had on something green especially a shirt,” she added.
“Peter is not really one of us – he just wants to become the leader of our party because of his thirst for power,” she added.
During the meeting, David, who is not favoured by Mitchell to replace him as the new party boss, recommitted himself to working with the NNP which is rebuilding for the next general election.
Prior to this, David had told close aides that if he did not emerge at the convention as the new Political Leader of the party, he would quit frontline politics and concentrate on his legal profession.
According to the party source, the Mitchell supporters within the NNP are fully aware of those who are trying to pave the way for David to emerge at the upcoming convention as Political Leader of the party.
She singled out former revolutionary soldier Kennedy Budhlall and former Sergeant of Police Carl Caton who is a former NNP Candidate in the rural St Patrick East constituency as the frontliners for him.
THE NEW TODAY cannot independently confirm reports that David has put a vehicle at the disposal of Budhlall to go around rural Grenada to try and secure voting delegates for the former Agriculture Minister in his bid to win the vote to take over the NNP as its new Political Leader.
“We know he (David) is out there doing a lot of undermining but you are not seeing him on the ground. He has people like KB (Kennedy Budhlall) and Carl (Caton) and a few others working for him on the ground,” she said.
Party stalwarts Dr. Lawrence Joseph and Medical Doctor Bert Brathwaite are believed to be two of the “old guards” who want to see Dr. Mitchell step down as party leader in favour of David.
According to the female NNP political operative, she does not hold out much hope for David in his ambition to succeed Dr. Mitchell as the party boss at the convention.
The source who is close to one of the sitting Members of Parliament on the NNP side in the Lower House disclosed that most of the delegates have already been selected for the convention and the vast majority in pro-Mitchell.
She hinted that it is not the final list of delegates as the Political Leader will have ”to look over it” and might be inclined to make changes if some persons cannot be trusted to vote along a particular line.”
“There is no way Peter (David) can win this thing. He will be badly beaten at the convention if he makes any challenge for the post of Political Leader of the party,” she added.
Speculation is rife that the newlook NNP team will see attorney-at-law Dwight Horsford who is just back home from a stint in Anguilla as Attorney-General, and former Education Minister Emmalin Pierre taking over as Political Leader and Deputy Political Leader of the party respectively.
Although Horsford is not a Member of Parliament he sat at the head table at Sunday’s meeting and was called upon to deliver a brief address to the party supporters.
A pro-David supporter in the NNP confirmed to THE NEW TODAY that their intelligence personnel have spotted Horsford at a number of places on the island which are known to be NNP strongholds.
No date has been set for the NNP Convention but it is expected sometime in December to coincide with the historic December 3 date when the party won Grenada’s first election in 1984 after the brief period of non-elected rule by the Marxist-oriented New Jewel Movement (NJM) of executed Prime Minister Maurice Bishop.
The NNP has been the most dominant political party in Grenada since the island returned to democratic rule of law with victories at the polls under Mitchell’s leadership in 1995, 1999, 2003, 2013 and 2018.
During the 2022 election campaign, Mitchell announced that he will not be putting up himself to contest another national poll on the island.
Several party supporters have told THE NEW TODAY that one of his brothers who has been going around the island is confirming that the ex-Grenadian leader has not had a change of heart.