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Min.
Adrian Mitchell |
A
move is said to be afoot to reinstate Agriculture Minister, Adrian
“Spaceman” Mitchell as the candidate-designate for
the ruling New National Party (NNP) in the rural St. Patrick East
constituency.
Informed sources told GRENADA TODAY that the move is being spearheaded
by an influential group of NNP supporters in New York who are
supportive of the candidacy of Mitchell for the next general election.
Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell has been courting medical doctor,
Trevor Friday for the constituency that is currently held in parliament
by Opposition Leader Tillman Thomas of the National Democratic
Congress (NDC).
Minister Mitchell had won the seat in the 1995 and 1999 poll but
lost it the last time around in 2003. Dr. Friday has conditionally
agreed to run for the seat on an NNP ticket provided that the
Agriculture Minister delivered his support base to him in the
key River Sallee area.
He is said to be confident that with support from the government
minister he could upset Thomas and recapture the seat for the
ruling party. However, a source close to the ruling party said
that there is growing support “on the ground in Sallee”
for Minister Mitchell and not Dr. Friday to contest the seat for
the NNP.
 |
Dr.
Trevor Friday |
The
defeated minister has been rather low-keyed since the defeat and
spends most of his time running his family supermarket in the
constituency. He is rarely seen in the Ministerial Complex except
on Monday’s when he attends weekly Cabinet sittings.
Minister Mitchell is the third unsuccessful candidate of the NNP
from the 2003 poll who is not favoured by Prime Minister Mitchell
to face the electorate once again. The others are former Eduction
Minister Laurina Waldron (St. Andrew’s North-west) and Cuthbert
Mc Queen (St. Andrew South-east.
Within months of the last election, ex-national cricketer Starlin
Romain was selected to take charge in Waldron’s area while
Minister of Youth Affairs, Senator Emmalin Pierre is virtually
assured of replacing Mc Queen. However, NNP insiders have said
that Waldron is playing her “political cards” close
to her chest and still harbouring thoughts of getting the support
of party members in the constituency to be the candidate.
The next poll is due in Grenada in the next 2 years but some political
pundits have not ruled out the possibility of Prime Minister planning
to call elections soon after the 2007 Cricket World Cup to be
held in March/April next year.
