Grenada election: 45 candidates contesting 15 seats

The full list of candidates stating in the 2018 Grenada general election have been announced.

The two main parties – the ruling New National Party and the National Democratic Congress – are the only ones contesting each of the 15 seats when polls open on 13 March.

The other candidates are from seven minority parties. There are also two independent candidates.

Two were nominated to represent the Grenada Empowerment Movement, three candidates will represent The Progressive Party, five were nominated to represent The Grenada Reconnaissance party, one candidate will represent The Liberal Party, and one each will represent the Grenada Progressive Movement , the Grenada United Patriotic Movement, and the Liberal Party.

The independent candidates are Joslyn Whiteman, a former member of the NNP, and John Fletcher, who will face the electorate in St Andrew South West.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL LIST OF CANDIDATES

‘Missing’ parties

Tuesday’s Nomination Day exercise marks the first time since the 1984 general election that the minority Good Ole Democracy (GOD) will not be contesting the poll as the sole candidate was unable to gather the six registered voters required to sign his nomination form.

“That is not the end of me and my political career because Grenadians will still like to see me as Prime Minister of this country,” said GOD leader Justin “Crow” McBurnie.

He was only able to gather three of six registered voters to sign his nomination form.

Derick Sealey, who heads the newly formed minority Grenada Christian Political Party, also announced that he will not be entering the race as planned, due to the lack of candidates.

He however used the opportunity to call on the public to boycott the elections.

Independent candidate Clint John who was campaigning to representing the constituency of Carriacou and Petite Martinique on Monday announced that he was will not be contesting as the election is occurring during the Lenten period.

“I am Catholic and we are in Lent, and I spoke and listen to my family,” he said.

In the lead up to the general election, 18 political parties along with independent candidates attended awareness sessions with the Parliamentary Elections Office.

In the 2013 general election, the NNP won all 15 seats, defeating the National Democratic Congress government of then prime minister Tillman Thomas.

This will be the second time that a general election will be held on 13 March.

On the first occasion in 1990, the NDC won seven seats and the Grenada United Labour Party four seats.

The NNP won two seats, the same as the National Party.

The date chosen for the election – 13 March – is a significant one in Grenada’s history.

On that day in 1979, members of the New Jewel Movement headed by Maurice Bishop staged the first coup in the English-speaking Caribbean, removing the then-prime minister Sir Eric Gairy from office while he was on a visit to the United States.