by Special Correspondent
ST GEORGE’S, GRENADA: GRENADA’S PRIME MINISTER TILLMAN THOMAS seems headed for a clash with his ruling National Democratic Congress as reports surface that conflicting activities have been planned for July 8th.
That will be the fourth anniversary of the NDC victory at the polls in 2008.
Party sources says the NDC Secretariat has organised a day of activities for the anniversary, while Prime Minister Thomas has ordered another self styled Prime Minister’s rally for the same day.
The party is having its activity at La Sagesse on Grenada’s east coast, while the Prime Minister’s activity takes places in Gouyave on the West Coast.
National Mobilization Minister Glen Noel confirmed in an interview Friday that the Prime Minister is holding a meeting, but could not speak to the party’s activity of the same day.
“This activity stretches beyond the narrow confines of party politics,’’ Noel declared about the planned “Prime Minister’s rally’’.
Party sources say the NDC Executive held a meeting Thursday night, which was also attended by the Prime Minister that discussed the two conflicting events.
But Prime Minister Thomas turned down a request that his non-party sanctioned rally be called off.
Calls to the NDC’s PRO Arley Gill for comment on the development were not answered up to news time.
There is also an issue regarding how the Prime Minister’s rally will be funded, since officially it is not being under-written by the ruling party nor through government coffers.
Questioned Friday, Noel himself could not give a clear answer about the funding, saying details will emerge later.
But he said he will expect assistance from the wider community.
“The activity is organized by the government and the Prime Minister who is the leader of the government will be organizing this rally and certainly a committee will be set up,’’ Noel said.
“You have to recognize that the government has a support base….and therefore you’d expect that at various levels, the various support groups and so forth will come in and do what they have to do understanding the current situation,’’ he added about the funding issue.
Noel was however short on the way forward to have the event under-written.
“Any further details and so will be given at a later date,’’ Noel promised.
The July 8th meeting will be the second such dubbed Prime Minister’s Rally.
After Prime Minister Thomas survived a no confidence motion earlier this year, a similar meeting was held in Grenville that also had controversy over its funding and the non participation of some key ruling party officials.
