ST. GEORGE ‘S, Grenada: Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell walked the streets of St. George’s and Grenville on Saturday on the eve of general elections in an attempt to capture the magic that catapulted him to an unprecedented victory five years ago.

With signs that his campaign might be slipping against an unusually buoyant challenge for the National Democratic Congress, Dr Mitchell has resorted to what some observers believe he does better than all the other leaders in the race – connect with the ordinary man on the street once he gets on the ground.

It was the second time in as many days that Dr Mitchell has been walking through the streets of St George’s, following a similar session on Thursday.

The Grenada Informer, which has largely, ran pro-government propaganda in the last few weeks, boldly declared in its front page headline ‘Massive NNP Victory’.

The rival weekly Grenada Today newspaper, which has been hostile to the government, declared in a front page story “NDC Ready” providing extensive coverage highlighting the last days of the opposition campaign.

Despite an NNP sponsored poll which suggests that Mitchell may be returned to power, the feeling here is that Thursday’s poll will not be that straight-forward.

The NNP has much more resources to end the campaign with a bang, but there is a sense that in the last seven days the momentum has been with the NDC.

One other poll, believed to have been conducted by a Trinidad pollster had suggested that the NDC can win as many as 11 seats.

“My own prediction is that I would put the NDC and NNP as both securing six or seven seats. If one gets the six, the other will get seven, and the two seats can go to the GULP,” columnist Lloyd Noel wrote in his Grenadian Voice column this weekend.

“Boy we don’t know what is going top happen in the next few days, but its going to be close, real close,” a senior Cabinet minister told this reporter.

Reporters, who covered both the walkabout of Tillman Thomas in St George’s last week and that of Prime Minister Mitchell Saturday, said the Grenadian leader got a more hostile reception in both towns.

“I thought it was very instructive that there was a lot more hostility out there today against the Prime Minister and it was very open,” a freelance photographer told CARIBUPDATE when asked to give his assessment. “Last week it was much more positive and welcoming for Thomas.”

But an MTV News report said Saturday night described the Prime Minister walkabout as “happy moments.”

In one awkward moment, a protesting man held up a pamphlet being distributed in St George’s Saturday accusing the Prime Minister for forcing a Grenadian into political asylum in New York.

In some instances in Grenville, the Prime Minister came face-to-face with some people waving NDC bandanas.

In a tense moment, opposition leader Michael Baptiste drove through the Prime Minister’s entourage, blasting from a public address system, the local calypso, ‘Satan Ruling the Country.’

A visible upset Prime Minister walked away from the scene.

SOURCE: CARIBUPDATE.COM