GCC Head - Dr. Trevor Friday

Medical doctor, Trevor Friday has confirmed that the ruling New National Party (NNP) government of Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell has approached him to contest the rural St. Patrick East seat in the next general election.

Speaking to GRENADA TODAY on Tuesday, Dr. Friday said that he had not given a definite answer on whether he would accept the offer as the replacement candidate for Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Senator Adrian "Spaceman" Mitchell.

He spoke of informing the NNP, which enjoys a slim 8-7 majority in parliament, that he would make a decision on the issue after the Carnival festival in August.

Dr. Friday is the Chairman of the Grenada Carnival Committee - the national body responsible for organising the annual event. The seat is currently held by Opposition Leader, Tillman Thomas who is the current Political Leader of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Thomas upset Sen. Mitchell in the last election held in 2003. Prior to his defeat, the NNP minister had won the seat in the 1995 and 1999 general elections.

Political observers regard the approach to Dr. Friday as further evidence that Prime Minister Mitchell is looking for a new candidate for the constituency. Within the past year, several names have surfaced as possible candidate for the NNP in St. Patrick¹s East.

The last was newly appointed President of the Senate, Kenny Lalsingh, a former M.P for St. Patrick West and past executive member of the Congress party. The NNP is said to have back-tracked on Lalsingh in the face of strong opposition to his candidacy from party supporters in the constituency.

Well-placed sources told this newspaper that the NNP hierarchy believes that the post of GCC Chairman would give a boost to Dr. Friday¹s candidacy in the upcoming national election. In addition, he has a visible presence in the constituency as District Medical Officer (DMO) for the St. Patrick¹s area.

Dr. Friday¹s father, the late Dr. Wellington Friday is a past holder of the St. Patrick East seat for the defunct Grenada National Party (GNP) of late Prime Minister, Herbert Blaize. The late Friday angered many residents in the area when he deflected from the opposition to accept a post of Minister of Education with the then ruling Grenada United Labour Party (GULP) of Eric Gairy.

Prime Minister Mitchell can remain in office until early 2009. The NNP is on the hunt for a number of new faces for the next general election.

The party has managed to attract Senator Emmalin Pierre for the St. Andrew South-east seat held by NDC¹s Kenrick Fullerton and Starlin Romain in St. Andrew North-west against the incumbent, Alleyne Walker of the Congress party.

Speculation is rife that replacement candidates might be considered for two of the losers in the last poll - Tourism Minister Senator Brenda Hood in the Town of St. George and Sen. Ann David-Antoine in South St. George.