GRENADA-Opposition Leader seeking a meeting with Speaker on governance issues

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Opposition Leader Dr. Keith Mitchell Tuesday said he would seek an audience with the Speaker of Parliament, Leo Cato, indicating that he is becoming increasingly concerned about the state of governance in Grenada, especially in the public service and in the Parliament.

He told a news conference that among the concerns he intends to raise during the meeting is the lack of or inadequate answering to questions submitted by opposition legislators, heckling of the opposition, and government parliamentarians telling opposition members to “shut up” and “sit down.”

“After being in Parliament for more than 40 years, some of the things I see today are becoming more and more shocking. There are several issues that this country is facing that we have not seen in the past,” said Mitchell, one of the longest-serving legislators in the English-speaking Caribbean.

Mitchell, 76, who served as prime minister from 1995 to 2008 and from 2013 to 2022, said he is a “bit worried that some of the decisions taken now are decisions that have far-reaching implications to the country’s future and viability.

“For example, the apparent deterioration of governance within the public service, previous governments, including the NDC (National Democratic Congress) government invested, initiated severe resources for public sector reform and ensuring that we can improve on the management of the public service as it serves the people of the country.

“What we are seeing now is a destruction of what we have worked for and put in place and spent millions on,” he said.

“I have been in Parliament for many years but have never seen this. Some of the decisions that are being taken and some of the initiatives and, of course, the running of the affairs of the Parliament must concern me…

“I am worried about the Parliament, its construct, and what is happening now,” he added.

Mitchell’s New National Party (NNP), which had won all 15 seats in the last two parliaments, was defeated by the NDC by a 9-6 margin in the June 2022 general election.