PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD: GRENADA'S PRIME MINISTER Dr Keith Mitchell has not bought into the national unity government idea -- but he says he has a better one where the opposition can contribute to the national revival following the hurricane devastation. He has announced he is establishing an Agency for National Reconstruction, to which opposition parties would be invited to nominate members. Mitchell said the agency is being put together to give all Grenadians a voice in the country’s revival, as people from the business community, labor unions, youth organizations and NGO’s would contribute. “We are going to take people from broad sections of civil society,” he said during a press conference here during a short visit Wednesday, “For example, two members from the National Democratic Congress, which is the official opposition, two members from the government, one member from the People’s Liberation Movement and from the Grenada United Labour Party (would be on the agency),” he announced. Mitchell was critical of those who implied relief aid in Grenada was being unfairly distributed during his media brefing. He said that following the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Ivan, the country should unite, and at the moment the best politics would be no politics at all. Mitchell said plans to return life to normal in Grenada were under way as the curfew hours were now reduced to 9 pm to 5 am. Before the curfew, hours were from 6 pm to 6 am. He also dismissed reports of T&T Defence Force troops exchanging food for sex in Grenville. Mitchell said there was no evidence to suggest this was standard practice. Citing figures from a report by regional experts to show the damage done Hurricane Ivan, Mitchell said Grenada had suffered approximately US$1 billion in losses. He said an initiative was under way to repair and rebuild houses. “We have approached several governments and agencies and we have indicated that we will likely succeed in building about 6,000 to 8,000 low-income homes spread around the country on government lands that can provide living services for low-income people who have lost basically all that they own,” Mitchell said. SOURCE: CARIBUPDATE.COM