Grenada opposition wins election

Keith Mitchell (left), PM-designate Tillman Thomas (right)

A veteran legislator and former political detainee returned his party to power in Grenada on Tuesday after 13 years in opposition, in a stunning defeat of the conservative New National Party of Prime Minister Keith Mitchell.

Tillman Thomas led his National Democratic Congress to victory winning 11 of 15 seats in the island's Parliament. Mitchell's party won the other four. Mitchell had been in office since 1995.

Final official results are expected to be announced Wednesday.

Mitchell's party was hurt by allegations of "autocratic" behaviour. In conceding defeat a stunned party spokesman Terrence Forrester said, "It was a surprise. The party will now engage in deep introspection."

Mitchell was gracious in defeat as he admitted that the results were a surprise. "I think it was very clear that people were voting for change and I think the message of change...I think that's the fundamental factor here," he said. He offered congratulations to Tillman.

The prime minister-designate said his party won because of the "very effective" campaign it conducted. "We were well organized, we got our message over to the people and we had a very good program for the development of the country."

Analysts had predicted a close election, giving Mitchell's party a better chance of returning to office. But the people proved the pundits wrong and voted overwhelmingly for change..

It was an event that prompted spontaneous street parties with opposition supporters dancing to calypso music and honking car horns at impromptu victory celebrations in St. George's.

"I'm feeling happy, very joyous," said local preacher John St. Bernard. "I wish this had happened 10 years ago."

The results mirror a trend of political change across the Caribbean. Last year opposition parties won general elections in Barbados, Belize, The Bahamas and Jamaica and St Lucians changed their government the year before.

The only country that retained its government was Trinidad and Tobago, where Patrick Manning led his People's National Movement to a 26-16 victory against the opposition United National Congress Alliance (UNC-A).

Jack Warner, a UNC-A parliamentarian and deputy leader of the party said, "Manning's time is coming soon."

Thomas has promised to create jobs, lower the cost of living and better manage Grenada's economy.

He was in prison as a political detainee of the government of Maurice Bishop when U.S. forces invaded the country in 1983.

A group of left-wing extremists led by Bishop's senior Cabinet minister Bernard Coard and army general Hudson Austin staged a coup against the government and killed Bishop and some other cabinet ministers.

Read about the murder of Bishop

That led to an invasion of the island by U.S. Marines who restored order and imprisoned the coup leaders. It was the start of a new political direction away from the social democratic model that Bishop had adopted following his coup that toppled Eric Gairy.

Read about the 1979 coup