CATEGORY:LEGAL MATTERS
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By Wallace J.A
Inside Grenada correspondent
Wednesday November 01,2006


ST.GEORGE’S, Grenada: Many Grenadians are left bewildered over the claims made by the legal team for Peter David and those made by the legal adviser to cabinet, Hugh Wildman on the recent ruling handed down by the Court of Appeal on the legal fracas surrounding Peter David’s citizenship.. Both parties are claiming that the decision handed down by the court was in their favor.

The legal advisor to the Grenadian Cabinet, Hugh Wildman, has maintained his claim that Peter David, the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Town of St. George and an executive member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), was not a Grenadian citizen at the time he ran for elections and therefore, ought not to be the MP for the constituency that he represents. The matter has been brought before the court and so far, things seem to have worked in favor of Peter David, who should be receiving some EC$12,000 as a consequence of the last two rulings.

In an interview with one of Grenada’s television houses, Dr. Francis Alexis (a member of Mr. David’s legal team), suggested that after a teleconference hearing yesterday morning, the Court of Appeal had ruled in his clients favor. He further suggested that pursuing the matter was like beating a dead horse. Dr. Francis Alexis is one of the regions most prominent constitutional experts.

Mr. Hugh Wildman, however, had a different view on the decision handed down by the Court of Appeal. He is of the opinion that the Grenada Government had won a victory in the legal fight since the road was now clear for them to take further action on the matter. When interviewed by a local media house, he dropped the hint that later on this year, Mr. David and his legal team will have a surprise in store for them.

The Peter David’s citizenship saga, in the meantime, continues to be a subject of conversation among people from all walks of life throughout the country. The sentiments shared by people reflect a form of polarization which seems to be deeply embedded in political partisanship. Many NNP supporters seem to favor the Governments case while their counterparts from the opposition NDC seem rooted in their support for Mr. Peter David and his team.