GRENVILLE: The “wind of change” in Grenada is picking up steam. Among throngs of flag-waving supporters, one banner said it all: We run things!

The National Democratic Congress buoyed by a massive show of public support on the weekend, and both official and unofficial polls which indicate it can win anything between nine and 12 seats, is confident of victory in the November 27th poll.

NDC staged one of the biggest demonstrations of strength this election campaign on Sunday by attracting what has been described as the biggest crowd ever seen at the Grenville Car Park in a political event.

To say the meeting was at the Grenville Car Park is actually not exactly accurate. The meeting was really, effectively in the entire town of Grenville.

There were people wall-to-wall from by La Qua and Sons on the south side of the town right up to the Grenville Police Station to the north, and then densely packed into the car park.

The overflowing crowd fell into the side streets, and hundreds of people roamed Ben Jones Street simply because they could not get close to the action.

Entering Grenville, transport was parked about a mile out from each major entry point.

Police estimate the crowd about three times the size to the one attracted there a few weeks ago by the incumbent New National Party.

Depends who is counting, the estimates run from 4,000 by the most conservative estimates to 6,000. But whatever the figure is, there was no disputing that it was the biggest showing of the campaign so far.

One longstanding member of the party said it was the biggest crowd at an election rally since the birth of the party.

The meeting was for the most part celebratory as the thousands chanted slogans such as: ‘We Ready Now’ and ‘The House is on Fire, We Doh Need No Water, Let NNP Burn”

For over an hour after it ended and the leadership had left, people danced in the streets to songs of liberation and Grenada’s protest calypsos – particularly Papa Jerry’s ‘Taking Back Me Seat’.

“This is the warm up for the victory celebration. The Grenadian people have awoken to the reality that NNP has not been a government for the people – and now we can change all that,” said Valda Lalite, an 18-year St Andrew’s resident who will be voting for the first time.

“The only thing that stands between us and victory sister and brothers is fraud,” NDC’s Nazim Burke told the crowd.

“We have to be vigilant in the coming next days. We will see the desperation increase and so we have to be on guard, NNP plunderers cannot deny the Grenadian people a victory, no matter how hard they try,” Ann Alexander said.

“They say they one the move and aint nobody going to stop them now. They right. We have opened the door of parliament and we not stopping all of them from going,” Pauline Andrew, a one-time government minister, who has taken a very active party in the campaign told the cheering supporters.

The meeting capped a good week for the NDC whose campaign is said to be peaking at the right time.

It came one day after NDC Leader Tillman Thomas, other members of his executive and supporters of the party staged town-centre walkabouts on Saturday starting in St George’s and culminating in Grenville.

Thomas was mobbed on Saturday morning at the St George’s Market Square, as he was hugged and kissed and congratulated for the job he has done in reviving the party and being the effective “Prime Minister in waiting.”

“I am proud of you; real proud of you. When ah see you on TV ah does be real proud,” an elderly lady said as she greeted him excitedly. “We need a change, we need a change,” another woman dancing in a green top and flowered dress shouted as she ran forward to hug Thomas.

“Dey is wey we strong. Ah feel good today. You see any children in dat? Dat is all big people dat could vote, ah feel real good,” another woman, wearing an apron as she raised her fist in front of her stall. She was referring to reports that hundreds of non-voting children made up a big cross section of the crowd at a recent NNP rally.

In an entire hour and a half of walking around St George’s on Saturday there was only one hostile comment. That contrasted against a five vehicle “motorcade” by current representative, NNP’s Brenda Hood who drove around the town shortly afterwards only to be heckled.

Party officials say they have definitely felt a mood swing in the population in the last seven days that started with the Melville Street meeting.


“It is not over till its over, but this week has been the single most important week of this campaign. When we look back we will remember that this is the week that we pulled away from the pack decisively,” said Peter David, the party’s general secretary and candidate for Town of St. George.

The party’s own polling indicates that may get as many as 11 seats, a remarkable turn around from its 1999 mauling.

“People are eager for change. They are excited about November 27th (election day) because they understand they have the chance to make a statement against corruption and stake a claim again on their government,” Thomas said.

“This is both a pleasing period and a humbling experience for all of us as we move forward to winning and looking ahead to effectively governing for all of the people, not only our people,” he said.

Thomas, who is set to become the victor for the first time in St Patrick’s East since 1984, added: “The people are coming forward and taking charge of the situation. There is a groundswell for change and we are humbled to be the servants of all this.”