Uncertainties in two key constituencies are preventing Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell from calling an early poll in Grenada. According to authoritative sources, the Grenadian leader was thinking of announcing the date for elections by now but is not happy with the feedback being received in the rural St. Andrew North east seat held by Sports Minister, Roland Bhola and the sister Isle of Carriacou and Petite Martinique which belongs to Attorney-General, Elvin Nimrod.

The ruling New National Party (NNP) enjoys a slim 8-7 majority in Parliament over its main rival, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of barrister-at law, Tillman Thomas.

The source said that Prime Minister Mitchell is anxious to seek a new mandate as early as possible in light of negative publicity which the government is currently receiving on a number of issues in the country.

He identified these as the"Briefcase" scandal in which the Grenadian leader is accused of allegedly accepting a bribery payment of US$1 million from imprisoned con-man, Eric Resteiner, a lawsuit that was filed on him earlier in the month in a Brooklyn court, as well as the bribery allegation against his deputy, Gregory Bowen and the oil and gas scandal involving U.S investor, Jack Grynberg.

Former Opposition Leader, Michael Baptiste on Sunday played for the first time in the country the copy of a video-tape in which Timothy Bass, former Chief of Security for Resteiner is quoted as saying that he did the recording of the transfer of funds in Switzerland in June 2000.

The source who spoke on condition that he was not named said that Prime Minister Mitchell is worried that these issues might be"too over-heating" for the government in the long run and could influence the electorate into voting for the opposition.

He stated that the NNP hierarchy is privately admitting that the NNP trails the Congress party 9-6 at the moment and needed to do some more concentrated work in the two constituencies in order to regain the initiative.

He said that an action plan had been drawn up by the ruling party aimed at engaging in "heavy work" in both St. Andrew North-east and Carriacou in order to deal with the imminent threat from the NDC in both constituencies.

"They (government) hope to spend a lot of money in these two constituencies in the coming weeks in order to pull back things in their favour", he added. The NDC work on the sister isle is spearheaded by barrister-at-law, George Prime while Senator Ingrid Rush is  battling with Minister Bhola for the rural St. Andrew seat.

The source pointed out that the NNP activists on the mainland have been sending strong messages to the party hierarchy that Minister Bhola "is not doing too well" in the constituency. In the case of the Attorney-General, the Prime Minister is said to be worried about his showing in the constituency during a recent public meeting held in Hillsborough.

The source said that a motorcade which preceded the meeting was quite revealing in that it was attended mainly by persons from the mainland who came up on two chartered boats to show support for the party.

"Not a lot of people from Carriacou came out on the motorcade. And even when we had the meeting in town most of the people who attended were from the mainland. Nimrod is not doing well in Carriacou at all", he remarked.

The source said that Prime Minister Mitchell is confident of holding onto the St. John seat with a new candidate in the person of former Commissioner of Police, Fitzroy Bedeau. The incumbent, Education Minister Claris Charles has decided not to seek a third term in office.

Mitchell's NNP has been in power since June 1995, winning three consecutive general elections.