EDITORIAL

It is apparent that Grenada is the only Caribbean island where Labour parties are struggling to get into a serious position to challenge for State power.

The Dominica Labour Party (DLP) of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is in power and most recently the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) of Bruce Golding came to power in the northern Caribbean. Owen Arthur and his Barbados Labour Party (BLP) are in power and another labour party (Democratic Labour Party) of David Thompson is vying for power in the upcoming general election in Bridgetown.

And the United Labour Congress/Alliance in Trinidad and Tobago is proving to be a formidable opponent to the governing People's National movement (PNM) of Prime Minister, Patrick Manning in Trinidad and Tobago for the November 5 poll.

The St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) of former Prime Minister, Dr. Kenny Anthony is the main opposition party in Castries, losing power less than a year ago. The history would show that parties which champion the cause of Labour in the Caribbean have been playing a pivotal role in the political landscape of these islands.

However, labour has seemingly been on the decline in Grenada since Maurice Bishop and his band of revolutionary leaders toppled the Grenada United Labour Party (GULP) government of late Prime Minister, Sir Eric Matthew Gairy on March 13, 1979 in a coup d'etat.

The records would show a steady decline for the fortunes of GULP and other labour parties in the Spice Isle since Grenada's return to democratic government in the December 1984 general elections. There has been no labour party representative in the elected House of Representatives since 1999 when the ruling New National Party (NNP) of Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell swept all fifteen seats.

The signs are getting clearer with each and every passing day that labour would be shut out once again from Parliament in the next general elections. Both the GULP and the People's Labour Movement (PLM) have internal problems.

GRENADA TODAY is convinced that the next general elections would be a straight fight between NNP and the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) which already share the 15 seats in Parliament.

And both parties would be looking towards the traditional labour base and the new block of voters to help their cause in the next campaign which would be one of the most brutal and bruising political battles and campaign in the history of Grenada. It could be very reminiscent of 1976 when former Prime Minister Gairy was faced with a most formidable opponent in the Electoral Alliance between the New Jewel Movement (NJM), Grenada National Party (GNP) and United Labour Party (ULP).

The anti-Keith Mitchell forces in the country despite their differences all agree on one thing that it is time for NNP to go to bring an end to corruption, mismanagement, graft, bribery and the need to heel the division among Grenadians brought about NNP's style of governance.

Against this background, it is time for common sense to prevail among all the pretenders to the Labour Throne on the island. If they continue with their current madness history would not be too kind to any of them.

The time would certainly come, and not too far from now when Grenada would once again need to have a credible alternative in the opposition after the next general elections since the losers at the upcoming poll would face almost extinction. If the labour parties fail to take note the harsh reality is that the country would be more inclined to accept a totally new group of politicians offering a new thinking and thought process.

There is no political party in Grenada that has a monopoly on any group of supporters. The collapse of the Grenada Revolution saw its supporters going in a different direction in the 1984 general election.

The failure of the GULP to get back into power in the past 28 years has seen its flock move at one time in the direction of NNP and another time to NDC. The GULP'ites are very sensible people and would vote accordingly in the next general elections in order to improve their livelihood in the society.

It would be foolhardy of those laying claim to GULP or even the PLM to expect labourites to vote them into office if they sense uncertainty and deep division within the fold and the tide not flowing in their direction.

A word to the wise is sufficient. Only time would prove us either right or wrong for labour party politicians in the country.