A delegation from the parliamentary opposition party in Grenada has ended a trip to New York and Toronto. The National Democratic Congress met with Grenadians living in the two cities as the country prepares for a general election. Opposition leader Tillman Thomas said his party was ready for the election which they expect will be called within the next year. The NDC is "quite confident" it would win the next general election in Grenada, says a top party official. Member of Parliament Nazim Burke, NDC Public Relations Officer, told a gathering of Grenadians in Toronto that winning the election would be the easy part of a series of challenges for the National Democratic Congress. "More difficult is rebuilding the country," Burke said at the launch of an NDC Support Group in Toronto. The launch also was attended by Tillman Thomas, Opposition Leader and head of the NDC; deputy party leader Senator George Prime; NDC General Secretary Peter David; and Senator Ingrid Rush. It was the NDC's first official visit to Canada and it coincided with the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the party. The five NDC officials, who also visited New York, welcomed the formation of the party support group in Canada's largest city. "This is an historic occasion," Thomas said. The NDC has pledged itself to "restoring Grenada to a society we all can be proud of,'' said Thomas. He added that Grenadians overseas were "an integral part'' of the nation, whose challenge to rebuild requires "collective responsibility.'' Thomas's sentiments were echoed by MP Peter David, who said Grenadians in the Diaspora "must play a critical role in the development of Grenada.'' During their stay in Toronto, the NDC delegation met members of the media and hosted a town hall-style meeting, which was attended by Grenadians and other Caribbean nationals. They hammered home on the need for change, saying that after 12 years of rule by the New National Party of Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, "the pride that Grenadians always felt has given way to shame and embarrassment.'' Senator Rush, in comments at the party support group launch, said that "we, in Grenada, are down in the trenches.'' Deputy leader Prime said the only way change can come is to "ensure the NDC is elected.'' The NDC, which describes the current Grenada government as "corrupt, disgraceful, discredited and selfish,'' wants urgent general elections. It is demanding "the Mitchell regime call general elections as soon as it is practicable, but long before the end of this year.'' Senator Prime said the formation of the NDC Support Group in Toronto "couldn't have come at a better time.'' The group is headed by veteran journalist, Lincoln Depradine, as chairman. The seven-member executive says one of the immediate goals of the group is to begin mobilizing financial and other resources to support the NDC in the next general election in Grenada. Reprinted from bbccaribbean.com/caribbeannetnews.com