Local News

Grenada NNP administration uses NY Consular office for electioneering advantage

July 3, 2008.  A reliable source in New York has confirmed that the New National Party (NNP) has already organized in excess of three chartered planes to fly would-be NNP voters to Grenada in time for the July 8 general elections. As recently as Monday of this week, a plane, packed mostly with Grenadian students in the U.S. on government scholarships, left NYC for Grenada.

Similarly, a plane-load of NNP supporters will be arriving in Grenada on Friday, July 4, while a third flight will be coming down on July 7 and returning to New York on July 9.

The arrangements for these three flights (and there might be others from Canada as well, according to reliable NNP sources) are being coordinated by Consul General Allen McGuire, while on government time. McGuire is coordinating this scheme from the official office of the Grenada Consulate. In order to get on any of these flights, individuals must call and be screened by Mr. McGuire before they can get on the flight.

According to a young female Grenadian, who attempted to get on one of the flights, she was thoroughly questioned by Mr. McGuire on Tuesday, and is awaiting his decision. McGuire knows that her father is a dedicated NDC supporter and so she doubts that she will get on the July 4th or July 7th flights.

Under the laws of Grenada, no government minister or official may use a government office to fund or organize and execute activities on behalf of any particular political party. In the matter at hand, the abuse of the office of the Consul General is being condemned by observers as grossly offensive. “This is totally wrong and violates every diplomatic protocol, since a Consul General should always separate himself from the domestic partisan politics of his home country,” said distinguished Guyanese attorney Colin Moore, who closely monitors Caribbean politics.

“What makes this even more outrageous is the fact that as a result of this abuse, the results of an expected close election may be affected one way or another. Such conduct on the part of the NNP administration in Grenada must be condemned as a blatant affront to the integrity of the democratic process,” Moore added. 

“It seems as though the NNP is trying to engineer the result of the elections in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique,” said an NDC supporter in Brooklyn. This particular individual had intended to travel to Grenada to vote in the upcoming election, but did not do so because he was concerned about not been able to meet the 12-month residency requirement. “I cannot help but wonder how many of these folks that are being flown down could actually prove that they properly obtained their registration cards or that they are in compliance with the residency requirement of the Grenada election laws,” added this concerned Grenadian.

As a response to this partisan abuse of the Grenada Consul General’s office in New York, some concerned Grenadians and others who care about the future of democracy in the region, are discussing plans to stage a protest with placards outside of the Grenada Consul General office on 800 2nd Avenue at the corner of 42nd Street, Manhattan, New York.

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2 Comments

  1. A year and a half later and the NDC is now doing the same thing they accused the NNP of doing.
    Its only a matter of time for the RMC boys to make their move for leadership. We have Derrick James acting as if he is Prime Minister in New York.

  2. Winston Strachan

    I notice earlier in this year the Grenada High Commission in London was dishing out a lot of bias political messages on behalf of the NNP government.

    I strongly protested. Since then, I have not received any further messages of the sort from the Commission however; I may have been taken of their circulation list and not necessary that the Commission has stopped issuing what is platently government propoganda.

    Regards,

    Winston Strachan