St. George’s, February 16, 2013 – A longtime NDC supporter has publicly withdrawn her support for the party and has endorsed the candidacy of Nickolas Steele of the New National Party. He’s the NNP’s candidate for the Town of St. George.
Since 2003, the Town of St. George seat has been held by Peter David, former general secretary of the National Democratic Congress.
The NDC is fielding Franka Bernadine as a new candidate in place of David, who is not running in Tuesday’s general election.
But, David has not endorsed Bernadine, saying she was “undemocratically imposed’’ on the constituency by the NDC hierarchy.
Neither can Bernadine and the NDC count on an endorsement from veteran supporter, Pamela Steele.
“I have severed my connection with the NDC,’’ Steele, a retired senior public servant, said at a recent NNP meeting on the Carenage.
It was hosted by NNP candidate Steele and attended by party’s leader and former Grenada Prime Minister, Dr Keith Mitchell.
Describing herself as a “spiritual mother’’ to David, Steele said she “suffered’’ because of the “pain Mr David went through’’ in the four-and-a-half years of the NDC administration.
David, who was shuffled between the ministries of foreign affairs and tourism, was also directly and indirectly attacked by colleagues in the NDC and government, until finally resigning in April last year.
Steele said David’s situation has been painful to her, and she has decided that she can no longer back the NDC after more than 20 years.
Steele, who was warmly embraced by Dr Mitchell, told the meeting that she was not appearing on the platform as an NNP member.
However, she believes Nickolas Steele deserves a chance to be elected as MP and has pledged to give him her “full support’’.
In the NDC fallout that has included four resignations from government, one dismissal and the expulsion of 10 senior party activists, several members and supporters have declared their intention to switch their votes to the NNP.
Among the first to declare was former party chairman, Stanford Simon, who said months ago that he would not be voting NDC.
Former NDC MP for St. John, Michael Church, is backing Alvin DaBreo, the NNP candidate for the parish, in Tuesday’s election race.
In the boldest move of ex-NDC members, former Foreign Minister Karl Hood addressed an NNP meeting in St. Andrew, condemning the leadership of the country by Prime Minister Tillman Thomas and his deputy, Nazim Burke.
“The party that I have been a part of has betrayed the goodwill of the people of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique,’’ Hood said. “That’s why I stand here to tonight and endorse the candidature of the New National Party.’’
