The Canada-operated firm Dunn Pierre Barnett and Company Canada Ltd is warning the six-month old National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration of Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell against becoming complacent in office.
In its latest finding made available to THE NEW TODAY, the consultancy Group, headed by Justine Pierre who is originally from the St George North-west constituency, urged the NDC to take advantage of the current situation in the country as the defeated New National Party (NNP) in the June 23 general election is virtually without a leader.
“There is no NNP leader at this moment. The longer NNP takes to choose a leader the better for the NDC,” said the Canadian company in its report.
The defeated Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell has indicated that he will not be contesting the post of NNP Political Leader when the party holds its next convention sometime in 2023.
The 45-year old Dickon Mitchell, an attorney-at-law and virtual newcomer to local politics led Congress to a 9-6 victory at the polls to upset the NNP which had swept the polls in 2013 and 2018 winning all fifteen parliamentary seats.
According to the report, the defeated Prime Minister Keith Mitchell no longer has a favourable rating in the country and is trailing new Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell in popularity.
The new Grenadian leader had a 54% rating as opposed to Dr. Keith Mitchell’s 46%.
The Canadian group said among other things:-
*Dr. Keith Mitchell got a low favourable rating (down from 71.3 % on May 29th to 31.6% in the last August 31, 2022 survey).
*The next elections are less than 56 months away.
*NDC must focus on new registration, non-voters and NNP conversion.
*Appointment of positions from temporary to permanent
*NDC has to focus on bridging the gap between the non-voting population such as the Religious community, Rastafarians, Farmers, Fishermen, and the extremely poor
*NDC diaspora is very strong (engage them)
The consultancy group also offered the following recommendations for NDC on going forward into the future:
*NDC need to have a strong presence in the Six NNP/GULP/constituencies voting block
*NDC has to start campaigning
*St. Johns and St. Patrick’s constituencies are battlegrounds
*NDC has to start working on the GULP stronghold
*St. David’s and St. John’s need two constituencies (Election 2027, 17 constituencies)
*NDC has to develop a new strategy for the poor or near poor
The group cited as Risk Factors for NDC:
*The NDC is losing out on the valuable opportunity for voter conversion (1 to six months after the elections).
*NDC has not been able to convert GULP supporters in over 25 years.
*NDC has stopped campaigning
*The Prime Minister must visit the outer parishes more often (especially St. Johns, St. Patrick’s and all of St. Andrews, NNP strongholds).
*Many NNP voters who voted for the NDC however are NNP supporters.
*NDC is once again alienating the extremely poor (those who receive government assistance)
The Dunn group said that in its August 31 survey, it revealed the following:
*Peter David and Emmalin Pierre are potential leaders of NNP
*Akima Paul and Norland Cox were selected as deputy leaders
*3246 NNP supporters voted for the NDC
*Many youth and first time voters voted for the NDC
*Many persons who registered did not vote
*Many NNP supporters voted for their pensions
*NNP supporters are loyal
The Dunn group had predicted a change of government in Grenada from the June 23 general election with NDC taking over from NNP.
It correctly predicted several of the seats that fell into the hands of the newlook NDC under Dickon Mitchell – St David, St John, South St George, Carriacou & Petite Martinique, St Patrick West and St George North-east.