Posted Sunday October 19, 2003

ST. GEORGE ‘S, Grenada: Grenadians will know the date for general elections Sunday when the ruling New National Party culminates its two-day convention with a campaign style rally at Queens Park.

Officials of the NNP say Trinidad’s Prime Minister Patrick Manning, who two months ago had turned down the initial invitation, and senior Jamaica government minister Portia Simpson Miller will address the meeting.

Earlier NNP had said that both Barbados’ Prime Minister Owen Arthur and Jamaica’s P J Patterson were to have attended.

The two leaders were written to by the opposition National Democratic Congress, which then complained that their participation might be seen as an intervention in the politics of Grenada.

Within days Patterson, who had also come under pressure by some members of his own party, opted out – but it was expected all along that Arthur would have attended.

The late withdrawal of Arthur came as a surprise but Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell said he had to pull out because of an urgent last minute appointment. He did not specify what that appointment was.

Arthur himself could not be reached for comment.

Mitchell said he did not think that Arthur bowed to opposition pressure not to come.

Last week, Mitchell also tried to get Guyana’s Bharrat Jagdeo to attend, but the President declined.

A senior member of his People’s Progressive Party and one of his advisors Navin Chanderpual addressed a general council of the opposition National Democratic Congress last week.

It was not immediately clear what caused Manning to reconsider his appearance.

Simpson-Miller, who is seeking to replace Patterson as the leader of Jamaica’s PNP is reported by party sources to be coming without the distinct blessings of her party.

Some in Jamaica believe that her appearance on a Caribbean stage alongside regional leaders will help her image and boost her chances of taking over the PNP.

On the first day of the NNP’s convention Saturday just outside Grenville, Foreign Affairs Minister Elvin Nimrod, replaced Lawrence Joseph, who did not stand for re-election, as the party’s chairman.

Joseph has been a long-standing chairman of the party but has played a very low keyed role in the current re-election campaign.

It was the only major change to the executive, but it is seen here as a major promotion for Nimrod, who some party insiders say has leadership intentions.

Dr Mitchell has suggested that if he wins an unprecedented third term, it might be his last. Nimrod, it is believed is considering positioning himself as the replacement though Gregory Bowen, has been the party’s deputy leader all along.

SOURCE: CARIBUPDATE.COM