A new opinion poll predicts that the results of the July 8 general elections in Grenada are likely to be the same as in 2003, when the ruling New National Party (NNP) won a slender one-seat majority in the 15-member Parliament. “If an election were held now, the NNP would have won overall with either an increased majority of one seat, or with a similar number of seats, if the National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2 percent swing manifested itself in a win in Carriacou and Petit Martinique,” said the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Research Services Inc (CADRES) poll results published earlier this week. “It can therefore be said that this election will be as close as the last one. However, the NNP appears to have a slight advantage even as the campaign is in its early stages,” CADRES added. CADRES said at the national level, 36.4 percent of Grenadians are inclined to support the ruling NNP, while 32.2 percent prefer the NDC. It said support for the Grenada United Labour Party (GULP) was recorded at 1.1 percent while the only other political party mentioned by respondents with a frequency that would allow CADRES to assess a support level was the People’s Labour Movement (PLM) that received just under 1 percent. “Overall, 29.4 percent of respondents refused to answer the political question in the survey. This major finding needs to be viewed against the background of the fact that the margin of error of this and most polls is estimated to be plus or minus 5 percent, which is further complicated by the electoral reality that in the 2003 election, three percentage points separated the two main parties,” CADRES pollsters said. “In this type of political environment, it is important that poll data be carefully analysed since this analysis is more likely to provide an indication of the eventual outcome.” The poll was conducted between June 6 and 9, soon after Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell had announced the date for the general election. CADRES said the survey was only carried out on the main island of Grenada and did not include the islands of Carriacou and Petit Martinique. Reprinted from sunnews.com