The National Democratic Congress is disappointed and shocked that Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning has chosen to make public remarks alleging that he single-handedly thwarted a coup attempt in Grenada three years ago.

Manning's comment about a planned coup in Grenada in 2005 is an unfortunate statement he repeated in New York this week, that he first made two years ago at a CARICOM Conference in St Lucia, which at the time everybody rightfully dismissed as completely misguided.

That he can repeat it now, may signal his own anxiety, having to fight a re election battle of his own at home.

It was Prime Minister Mitchell himself who first made the claim, even though the security forces in Grenada said the first time they heard about it was in the news.

Up to today they have not had reason to investigate any such matter, nor question any one.

Simply put, the claim has no foundation, and it was from the start an outright lie by the disgraced Mitchell, that strangely has been only believed by one regional leader - Manning of Trinidad and Tobago.

When Mitchell first made his claims, Grenadians had simply dismissed his attempt at political sympathy, as symptomatic of a Prime Minister who abandoned his people after Hurricane Ivan, secluding himself on a ship offshore while people sought food and shelter.

While he ran away from the people in the days after Hurricane Ivan, it was the leaders of the opposition who organised the first wave of assistance to people.

But Mitchell, whose corrupt government has been repeatedly exposed, has long lost credibility with his people at home and indeed around the region.

The Grenadian people are clear in their resolve to change this government through elections that Mitchell and his band are now trying to hold back as long as possible.

Grenadians are getting ready with expectation to vote out the most corrupt government in the history of the country.

The assault on all the institutions of governance has been led by the Mitchell regime in the last 10 years.

Our system of governance has consistently been undermined by the Mitchell regime's interference with the judiciary, public service and police service among others.

Its attempts to control the Electoral Office have suggested an ongoing attempt by the government to pull off its own coup.

The opposition forces in Grenada, led by Honourable Tillman Thomas, a genuine Statesman and democrat, have been the ones that have stood in the vanguard in defense of our institutions.

All of Mitchell's attempt of undermining good governance in Grenada will however eventually fail.

The people would soon have their say. This long dark night will soon be over.

(Submitted by the Opposition National Democratic Congress of Tillman Thomas)