Grenada's former Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell now the island's Opposition leader has been denied a US visa by the United States Embassy, in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Mitchell was requested by the Tillman Thomas-led administration to return his diplomatic passport held as Prime Minister to the government for a new one which will indicate his rightful position as Opposition Leader.
A government spokesman in St. George's said that Mitchell's request for a new visa was turned down because he failed to complete the requested information of the application form.
Executive member of the opposition, New National Party (NNP), Senator Dwight Horsford told the media at a news conference last week Wednesday that Mitchell's diplomatic passport was withdrawn by the NDC government and that he was not granted another one.
However in quick response to the allegation, the new Grenada government said that the former Prime Minister had been issued with a new diplomatic passport, an automatic entitlement as Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition.
In a news release issued, the NDC government explained that efforts to secure a United States visa on the new diplomatic passport for the Opposition leader "did not materialise as sections of the visa application form, which should have been filled out by the opposition leader, were left blank." The release further stated that "the United States Embassy, in Bridgetown, Barbados, contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting that Dr.
Mitchell provide the additional information required on the application form.
However, when contacted Dr Mitchell requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask the Embassy to return the diplomatic passport to Grenada and as a result the visa was not granted.
"The previous diplomatic passport was canceled because the designation of ŒPrime Minister' was contained in the machine readable scrambled section of the passport. A new diplomatic passport was issued the following day", said the statement.
Well placed sources told GRENADA TODAY that Dr. Mitchell failed to give the place of address where he can be contacted while in the United States.
The NNP spokesman Dwight Horsford maintained that Mitchell's passport as Prime Minister contained active visas and should be returned to him.
However, a government foreign ministry official pointed out that diplomatic passports are the property of the Government of Grenada.
He added that whenever a diplomatic passport in canceled the previous holder cannot attach it to a new one.
Another official questioned the true status of the former Prime Minister when he lived and work in the United States including doing consultancy work for the State Department in Washington.
He said it is about time for Dr. Mitchell to come clean with the Grenadian people on whether he is a U.S citizen or the holder of Permanent Resident status in the United States.
He indicated that if Dr. Mitchell holds any of the two status then he does not require a US entry visa from the Embassy in Bridgetown.
Former Opposition Leader. Michael Baptiste who served in the Mitchell government in the late 90's told this newspaper that he holds Permanent Residence in the U.S and never sought a visa to make trips to the United States.
