Attorney Tillman Thomas has been elected Grenada's new Prime Minister.
His National Democratic Congress (NDC) scored a resounding victory over incumbent Dr Keith Mitchell's New National Party (NNP) in Tuesday's general election.
Preliminary election results show Thomas's NDC winning 11 of the 15 seats in the Grenada parliament.
Thomas is a veteran legislator and former political detainee. He was born on June 13, 1945 in Hermitage, St. Patrick and is the proud Parliamentary Representative for this constituency
According to the NDC Website, despite the fact that he had no Secondary education, he did courses to access tertiary education at Fordham University in New York, earning a Bachelor’s degree in economics, and the University of the West Indies, where he qualified as an Attorney-at-Law graduating from the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad.
Soon after the Eric Gairy government was overthrown in a coup, Thomas was thrown into jail for two years.
"During the 1980s I stood up for free speech and was imprisoned for it. I have subsequently learnt to resist authoritarian rule through established institutions, such as the legislature, the judiciary and an enlightened political party," said Thomas in a published report.
The new prime minister first contested general elections in Grenada in 1984 as a candidate of the National Party headed by the late Prime Minister Herbert Blaize.
For six years, he served as junior minister in the Ministry of Legal Affairs, and was a founding member of the NDC in 1987, serving also as its assistant general secretary between 1987 and 1990.
Thomas lost his St. Patrick East seat in the 1990 general election but was still appointed a junior minister in the Ministry of Labour before becoming a full-fledged minister in the ministries of Works and Tourism.
In 2000 he became NDC leader after the party failed to win a single seat in the 15-seat parliament.
Mr Thomas described the result in yesterday's poll as "a great achievement" for his party.
In the previous election in 2003 the NDC lost by one seat, winning seven seats to the NNP's eight.
Thomas says he has his own vision for Grenada, one that is "free, a land of equal opportunity, a land of tolerance, fair play and prosperity.
"This is our country and we want to make it a place where we can live, work, bring up our children and enjoy the fruits of our labour in peace and harmony," he added.
Reports are that the new prime minister will be sworn in by Governor General Sir Daniel Williams as early as this afternoon.
Valerie unless you are an immigration officer what business it is of yours about countries visa implementation and other countries foreign policies? If you are a grenadian person your business is to make sure you speak out for your people and not about other peoples visa and how much people abuse it or not it is up to the immigration officials. in their own country stop speaking on behalf of others dont go there stay in your own business learn that because ot the end of the day your country don't implement visa restrictions on no one. Do you always make it a point to back up foreign policies on the issues of their own visa business well thank God you don't have to issue me a six months because I am sure as god make morning I will be a deportee if it was up to a person like you but its not mind your own Ps and Q,s a lesson you still have not learned whoever you are its people like you that caus your people to be refused a visa sometimes if your job is dirtying people water keep it up.
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By: concern grenadian 7/26/2008 2:26:38 PM
Valerie you sound like a flippin diplomat lets hope you and your family did not abuse your six months if or when you will get it. whats about all the foriegners that come to Grenada and before you know it they have house land and sea who is putting restrictions on them so we are anybodys and everybodys why can't we stay to if we want don't they come to the islands and help themselves there look at both sides of the coin and not at one and let's hope you are not the kind that like good for yourself and bad for others or else the devil will take your soul dont't play.
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By: Paul 7/26/2008 11:16:05 AM
I agree with valerie and in time i hope more people will stay in their country and grow to love their own country and I also hope mor of us in search of winter should go home where we are from and even volunteer to assis the youths. some of us should even head to south Africa to get some opportunities. We should really come to see Grenada is the best in the west and stop taking it for granted. Calling all sons and Daughters of the soil to return home if you can to cotribute. Calling on the Honourable gentelman PM thomas to make the place a bit more attractive so that those who is accustom to life in the big city to come home to their Island and feel comfortable there. children of the soil go home the dictator is gone now!!
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By: grenadian best 7/26/2008 8:43:11 AM
I would like to congratulate Prime Minister Tilman Thomas of Grenada on his victory. This victory should be for the people and the country. This is a beautiful country with great people. I hope that the new PM will develop this place that I love. The people deserve someone who can develop the Island so that the people can live a prosperous life.
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By: irene mcauliffe 7/22/2008 1:38:28 PM
congrats! to Tilman Thomas. I know you have a big mess to clean-up,but you are not alone.
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