The marriage between two labour political parties on the island has resulted in both of them putting up eleven (11) candidates to contest next week's General Elections.

The country's oldest political party, Grenada United Labour Party (GULP) and the People's Labour Party (PLM) of former Attorney General, Dr. Francis Alexis have teamed up under a labour platform to contest the elections which they are optimistic about winning.

Barrister-at-law, Reynold Benjamin who is the leader of one of the two factions in GULP said that the Combined Labour Platform would be doing their best since it is important for them to Œbe in the mix for this elections."

Benjamin said that in order to achieve economic transformation, if elected into office they would steadfastly ensure that they tap into the natural resources of oil and gas in order to jump start the economy.
He stated that by using the revenue derived from oil and gas this would lead to the transformation of other areas of the country.

"We would use revenue from oil and gas to build small industries based on agriculture. We would be able to finance local industries, local entrepreneurship... because we have tremendous resources from oil and gas," he remarked.

Benjamin spoke of Grenada being able to achieve about US$800 million from exploiting its oil and gas reserves. He said the labour parties have been advised that within three years Grenada could be producing gas under a GULP/PLM accommodation in government.

The GULP/PLM presented its team of candidates which includes one female to the media last week Thursday with a strong determination that they can win the polls.

Alexis who is the campaign leader of the labour platform outlined the strategy that will be used to capture the support of eligible voters. He said the labour platform will be issue-based focussing on the national economy, society, national debt, as well as the challenges of human resource with respect to women and young people.

Alexis who is contesting the election for the Constituency of St. George South East said Labour will also focus on constitutional reform with special emphasis on the limit for prime ministerial term.
In addition, emphasis will also be placed on Local Government geared at empowering the people.

Labour has also identified as critical to its platform a youth charter to
focus on engaging young people who apparently have a loss of direction. According to Alexis, the labour campaign will be void of mud slinging but gave a stern warning that it would react if provoked. "Let no one whosoever think that he or she can attack labour with impunity.

We are committed to a very peaceful campaign, and issue-base campaign and avoiding character assassination", he said. We would not allow ourselves to be dragged down into the gutter.... Our
peacefulness must not be mistaken for weaknesses. Let all concerned be duly warned," he added.

Alexis also commented on a recent opinion poll that was released which showed the incumbent New National Party (NNP) having a 36 percent support of the popular votes and the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) trailing with 32 percent.

He said with the polls showing there is a close fight between the two, it means that NDC is not impacting on the people who are clearly looking for an alternative to both the incumbent and the main opposition political party. "Given all that has been happening in Grenada, any poll should be showing that the NNP is out of office right now, and if they are still in a contest with the NDC it must mean that NDC is not firing the imagination of the people of this country," he remarked.

Alexis, a former Attorney General under the previous 1990-1995 NDC Government, quit the party over a decade ago to chart his own political future.

Over the years, he has been involved in several political parties and
arrangements in the battle to unseat the NNP of Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell.