ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada– Eleven days after leading the New National Party (NNP) into defeat, former prime minister Dr. Keith Mitchell was on Monday sworn in as the island’s Opposition Leader.
“It is both an honor and gratitude that I have accepted the mantle to lead the opposition of the parliament in this country for the immediate period, consistent with section 66 of the constitution of this country,” said Dr. Mitchell, giving the assurance that he will not be the NNP political leader after the party holds its convention in 2023.
Mitchell, who had led the NNP to clean sweeps of the 15-member Parliament in the 2013 and 2015 general elections, lost the June 23 poll by a 9-6 margin this year.
“As the current political leader of the New National Party, I do not intend to hold this position beyond the party’s next convention. But, let me add that process of the following way should be orderly and timely, and no one will push the party to do what they want.
“Let it be obvious I will remain committed to representing the people of North West St George’s who have elected me for the last 38 years,” he said following the ceremony held at the Grenada Trade Center.
Mitchell told the audience, including the five other elected opposition legislators, that Grenada was able to hold free and fair elections. In his view, the result reflected the present will of the people.
“The principles of democracy have to remain sacrosanct to the point that an opposition can emerge victorious because of the way the NNP governed this country,” he said.
“In a world where the wings of totalitarianism are blowing, and democratic norms are being systematically undermined, we should not take what we have done in the period where we had absolute power in the Parliament; we must not take it for granted. I am personally satisfied that under our tenure, we have done a lot to promote the institution of democratic activity,” he said.
Mitchell used the opportunity to announce his objection to a statement by Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell that his new administration will be seeking a strategic partner for GRENLEC, the island’s only electricity company, within the next six to 12 months.
Considering Greece as a national security asset, the Opposition Leader believes that diversifying shares is better than privatizing the company.
In an exclusive interview with WPG TV broadcast last Thursday night, Prime Minister Mitchell said it is possible that the strategic partner could be on board within the next six to 12 months and “acquire a significant portion of the shares.
In January last year, the Keith Mitchell government announced it had regained control of GRENLEC by re-purchasing the majority shares owned by the US-based WRB Enterprise, the owner of WRB Energy, a renewable energy development company in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Through a US$63-million settlement, which is US$12 million less than an arbitration award, the government regained control of the 50 percent shareholding sold to WRB Enterprises in 1994. In addition, the government has also acquired 11.6 percent shares in Grenada Private Power Limited – a WRB-affiliated company.
In 2017, WRB initiated legal proceedings following the passage of laws by the Grenada Parliament to liberalize the electricity sector under a World Bank-funded OECS project.
Dr. Mitchell said he was looking forward to contributing to the legislation submitted to Parliament about the sale of the company.
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