GRENADA - One of the three opposition senators in the Senate, Kennedy Roberts, has said that he intends to step back from front-line politics for a while. This means that he will be giving up his position as an opposition senator in the nation’s Upper House of Parliament. Kennedy said that the time for his departure has not yet been finalized with Opposition Leader, Dr. Keith Mitchell but it is expected to be sometime soon. Roberts gave the reason for his impending resignation as an opportunity to focus on his academic pursuits. He said that he had started a doctoral program sometime ago and for various reasons, he was unable to continue. He said that he is working in an academic environment where he needs to pursue his studies and that he has been accepted into a doctoral programme which is scheduled to start in the new year, and in order to put emphasis on that, he had decided to take a break from the Senate and other political activities. Sen. Roberts stated that he will still remain a member of the New National Party (NNP) and if it is the wish of the party, he will remain an invited member of the party’s executive, since his resignation from the Senate will affect his status on the executive body of the opposition party. The Opposition Senator, who contested the St. George’s NE seat against the current Minister of Finance, Hon. V Nazim Burke, denies that the reason for his resignation is a major fall-out with Opposition Leader Dr. Keith Mitchell. He said that he is due to complete his doctoral degree by September 2012 which is before the next general election is constitutionally due in Grenada and he thinks that now is the ideal time for him to pursue his university degree. He said that it is still a long time away for the next general elections (which is constitutionally due in 2013), and he cannot make a decision as to whether he will be contesting the St. George’s NE seat, which is a decision for the people in the area to make.