Who is really in charge of the Electoral Office? Is it Governor-General, Sir Daniel Williams or Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell? GRENADA TODAY is forced to ask these questions in light of the circumstances surrounding the removal of Victor Ashby as Supervisor of Elections and Emmanuel Roberts as his assistant.

There was a strong denial by Executive Member of the ruling New National Party (NNP), attorney-at-law, Dwight Horsford that Prime Minister Mitchell had made statements at a party meeting that he was removing Roberts from his post as part of a clean up of the office.

Under the Grenada Constitution, it is the Governor-General and not the Prime Minister who is charged with the responsibility of appointing the Supervisor of Elections to his post, and his two Assistants.

This newspaper had carried a report two weeks ago in which Emmanuel Roberts confirmed to us that his brother Kennedy who is an executive member of the NNP had forewarned him of the move to dump him from the office.

Kennedy was present at a party meeting when Prime Minister Mitchell made the announcement that he was "well on the way" to accomplish the task that he set out to do with the Electoral Office.

This public revelation prompted Mr. Horsford to issue an official party statement denying that any such meeting was held and made it out that Kennedy Roberts was a liar.

It must have hurt Kennedy to see that his party colleagues had turned on him and were openly and boldly challenging his integrity and labeling him as someone who was telling an untruth about the Prime Minister. The reaction from Mr. Roberts was: "I admit that I told him (Emmanuel Roberts). I have no apologies for that".

Kennedy Roberts stuck to his guns that there was indeed a meeting at which he was present and the Prime Minister had made the pronouncements about the future staffing of the Electoral Office. Mr. Roberts should be congratulated for not bowing to the lies being told by his own party on the issue surrounding the dismissal of brother, Emmanuel Roberts as Assistant Supervisor of Elections.

It took guts and courage for him to stand up and be counted as one with his dignity still intact and not an individual who would stoop low to satisfy the whims and fancies of those masters within the NNP. What is emerging from this entire episode is that clear evidence does exist that the Prime Minister is usurping the authority of the Governor-General on Electoral matters in the country.

Sir Daniel is clearly not in charge and it is the Prime Minister who is calling the shots with appointments and removal of persons from the Electoral Office. No one in the country should be surprised by the Mitchell-Williams connection and co-operation on matters that would be clearly beneficial to the well-being and welfare of the ruling party.

Sir Daniel is a former Deputy Political Leader of NNP under Prime Minister Mitchell and his law firm benefited financially from the operations of the Grenada International Financial Services Authority (GIFSA).

The bookstore owned by his company that operates in the city is the one that benefits financially the most from the government-sponsored Schoolbooks programme for the nation's children. It was not uncommon late last month to see the large lines of parents in need of help who were spotted in and around the bookstore waiting for some goodies from the Mitchell government.

While all this madness with interference with the Electoral Office is happening and unfolding before our very eyes, the Prime Minister is "hiding" in the background and sending out the likes of Dwight Horsford, Terry Forrester and Ronald Straker to be his mouthpiece on issues such as the $50, 000 cash payment that Michael Creft said that he gave to him from illicit funds from the collapsed First Bank.

The people did not elect Horsford and Company into office and the onus is on Dr. Mitchell to face up to his responsibility as occupier of the Office of Prime Minister and explain the First Bank cash payments to him and NNP for the '99 poll.

And this takes us to the not unexpected news that Victor Ashby is already being lined up for a major post at NaDMA after being relieved as Principal of GBSS and Supervisor of Elections. This newspaper saw the recent staff changes at the Electoral Office as aimed primarily at getting rid of Emmanuel Roberts from the Electoral Office for sinister purposes by the NNP and that Mr. Ashby was only thrown in the soup as a decoy.

The NNP has consistently pursued such a policy. Take for instance, the removal of Fitzroy Bedeau as Commissioner of Police for his non-performance during Hurricane Ivan in September 2004. He was soon rewarded for an inept job by landing a more lucrative post as Security Advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister and Ministry of National Security.

Even better things are in store for Bedeau as the NNP has now endorsed the man who failed so miserably three years ago to be its candidate for the St. John's constituency with the hope of him becoming a law-maker in Parliament of all places.

Money is indeed the root of all evil and there are many persons in the Spice Isle who are prepared to dance before politicians who can put a little bread and tea on the table for them to eat and drink and even get drunk and sign all kinds of foolishness under the pretext of being committed to nation building.