The National Democratic Congress (NDC), led by Dickon Mitchell, has secured a second consecutive term in government following a decisive victory in Thursday’s general election. The party won 14 of Grenada’s 15 constituencies, while the New National Party (NNP), led by Emmalin Pierre, retained the remaining seat in St George North West. Preliminary results released by the Parliamentary Elections Office indicate that the NDC received 37,369 votes, or 61% of the valid ballots cast. The NNP secured 22,567 votes, representing 36.8%. This outcome marks a shift from the 2022 general election, where the NDC held 9 seats and the NNP held 6. The election was the first for the NNP under the leadership of Emmalin Pierre, following the retirement of former leader Dr. Keith Mitchell, who had represented the St George North West constituency for 42 years. The seat was successfully defended by the NNP’s Adrian Joseph, who received 2,052 votes compared to 810 for the NDC’s Nigel DeGale. Eight political parties participated in the election. The Democratic People’s Movement (DPM), led by Peter David, garnered 1,189 votes but did not secure a seat. The remaining five parties collectively received fewer than 200 votes. According to preliminary data, 61,460 ballots were cast by the 97,031 registered voters, resulting in a 63.3% turnout. This figure is lower than the 69.5% turnout recorded during the 2022 general election. The total count includes ballots cast by police officers during a special poll held on November 2. The electoral process was monitored by observation missions from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Organisation of American States (OAS). The 11-member Caricom mission was led by Herman St. Helen, Chief Elections Officer of the St. Lucia Electoral Department, while the OAS mission was headed by Ambassador Sherry Tross. The OAS, which has observed elections in Grenada since 1984, engaged with electoral authorities, political parties, and candidates throughout the process. Caricom is scheduled to present its initial observations during a media briefing on Friday, November 6, at 4 p.m. Both organizations are expected to release formal reports detailing their findings and recommendations.
Article source: NOW Grenada | Image credit: NOW Grenada