For the second time in Grenada’s history a native of Carriacou & Petite Martinique has received the instruments to become the official Leader of the Opposition in the Houses of Parliament.
Tobias Clement, the Member of Parliament for St. George North-east on Tuesday received the Instruments of Appointment from Governor-General Dame Cecile La Grenade at a brief ceremony at her residence in the south of the island.
Clement is now standing alongside the late Prime Minister Herbert Blaize of Carriacou who was appointed in 1972 as Leader of the Opposition when the Grenada United Labour Party (GULP) of Sir Eric Matthew Gairy won 13 of the 15 seats in general elections.
Blaize was then leader of the now defunct Grenada National Party (GNP).
Clement is without a party at the moment after quitting the ruling New National Party (NNP) of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell.
The newly appointed Opposition Leader will be officially installed into the post at the next sitting of Parliament planned for next week – the first in five months under the NNP regime.
Clement is due to hold a press conference Wednesday in which he would give an insight into the type of role he intends to play as the lone Opposition member in Parliament as the NNP now controls the other 14 seats in the Lower House.
He is expected to tell reporters that the current battle in the country against the deadly coronavirus should not be placed totally “in the hands of a dictatorship”.
I will lay before the House of Parliament new and innovative ways to conduct the nation’s business and move our country forward. This will be opposition as you have not seen before. I will meet with my parliamentary team regularly to discuss our strategy. Between us, we will put forward our plans for the development of this country
According to a well-placed source, the newly appointed Opposition Leader who is currently attending a meeting of the Finance Committee of Parliament, will read from a prepared speech before entertaining questions from reporters.
“We need a broad spectrum of ideas to plot our way forward through the coming weeks. After the government lifts the current state of emergency, we will need strong debate on the rejuvenation of our economy, inclusive of all sectors, and the use of our scarce resources,” he is expected to tell reporters.
“…I will lay before the House of Parliament new and innovative ways to conduct the nation’s business and move our country forward. This will be opposition as you have not seen before. I will meet with my parliamentary team regularly to discuss our strategy. Between us, we will put forward our plans for the development of this country” said a portion of the speech seen by THE NEW TODAY newspaper.