By Staff Writer
ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, Nov 6, CMC – Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell led his ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to an historic electoral victory here on Thursday, with the party winning for the first time a second consecutive term in office since it was founded in 1987.
Mitchell, 49, an attorney, had brought the party into the corridors of power in June 2022, when it won a 9-6 victory, defeating the then-ruling New National Party (NNP), which at the time had commanded all 15 seats in the Parliament.
“Thank you Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique for allowing our National Democratic Congress team to keep serving you,” Mitchell wrote on his Facebook page.
According to the preliminary results, the NDC won 14 of the seats, with the NNP’s lone victory this time coming in the St. George North West, where Tawfiq Adrian Marlan Joseph polled 2,052 to his challengers from the NDC, 89, and the People’s National Party (PNP), 69. The former NNP leader Dr. Keith Mitchell had been representing that seat for 42 years, from his election victory in December 1984 until his retirement earlier this year.
Education Minister David Andrew reversed the 2022 defeat he suffered at the hands of the NNP leader, Emmalin Pierre, who was seeking to become the first woman prime minister in Grenada, Carriaco and Petite Martinique, when he won the St. Andrew South East seat, with Pierre polling 1,849 votes this time around as against 2,011 for Andrew.
Shirley McQueen of the Democratic People’s Movement (DPM) polled 19 votes.
“While the outcome of the elections is not what we had hoped and worked hard for, we must remember that our strength comes not only from the victory we celebrate but from the grace of God that carries us through life challenges,” Pierre said.
“The people of Grenada have spoken, and we respect their decision; democracy demands we accept the verdict of the population with dignity and humility,” she added.
In a brief statement posted on its website, the NNP said: “Our love for you, and commitment to the people of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique remain unwavering”.
Former foreign affairs minister Peter David lost his Town of St. George’s seat, which he first won in 2003, to Attorney General Claudette Joseph, as his newly formed DPM, which fielded nine candidates, failed to make any significant impression on the voters.
Prior to the vote, political commentators had said that David, who had served in both NDC and NNP administrations, would emerge as a kingpin, but he was only able to poll 730 votes as against 1,269 for Joseph nd 536 for the NNP’s candidate.
Apart from the NDC, the NNP and the DPM, the other political parties, including the Grenada United Labour Party (GULP), founded in 1950 by the country’s first prime minister, Sir Eric Gairy, who in March 13, 1979, as overthrown in a coup led by Maurice Bishop, the PNP, Grenada Social Democratic Party, Grenada Renaissance Party, and the Change of Hope for Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique all failed to make any impression on voters.
Addressing the NDC celebration rally at Pearls Airstrip, along the northeast coast during the early hours of Friday, Prime Minister Mitchell said: “This morning is a celebration; the real speech will come later during the day”.
But he thanked all stakeholders who played a role in the elections and, more specifically, in ensuring a victory of the NDC.
“ This is your victory. This is your making of history. This is your belief in yourself, because as Grenadians, we know what we want. We know what we deserve. And we know where we should be going and what type of future we want to create for ourselves.
“So when we framed the campaign, you, me, us, it is because we know that without us, there is no Grenada. Grenada is about its people, not its things. And our job is to educate, uplift, nurture, support, and protect our people at all costs.
“And I can assure you, as the political leader of the National Democratic Congress, that you have our commitment to make sure that over the next five years, we continue to put you, the people of Petite Martinique, Carriacou, and Grenada first.
“We are not about no gimmicks. We are not pretending. We are authentic. We are real,” Mitchell said, adding “it’s important for us to reflect and realise that this election outcome is your choice and reflects your belief in yourself as a Grenadian.”
The Trinidad-based political analyst Derek Ramsamooj told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the Grenadian electorate has demonstrated a willingness to give Prime Minister Mitchell a second term, saying “this reflects an acceptance of new, young, dynamic leadership that can deliver a better quality of life.
“Tonight we have witnessed the end of the political era of the NNP. New leadership is needed if the NNP has to recreate itself as a political alternative to form government in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.
“Dickon Mitchell has demonstrated the capacity to utilise the office of the Prime Minister to deliver to the society. Dickon Mitchell reflects that if leadership is earned, then respect will be given in the form of votes come election day.”
The Barbados-based political scientist, Peter Wickham, said Pierre should consider stepping down and allow the NNP to revamp itself.
Wickham said that the results “reflected in some polling that I did in the early stages.
“But everyone I spoke to in Grenada…was telling me that the NNP had clawed back some level of support. Clearly, that did not happen. So yeah, we have what we call carnage, a political carnage in the NNP.”
Wickham said that Prime Minister Mitchell made history for the second time, first by defeating the greatest political juggernaut in Grenada in former Prime Minister Dr.Keith Mitchell, and “now he’s defeated the party that he created or the party that he left behind again”.
“The NDC has done well. There’s no question about it. But if you objectively look at the campaign, there were several things that were not particularly exciting. It was a pedestrian effort,” he said.
Caribbean leaders were extending congratulations to Mitchell, with St. Lucia’s Prime Minister and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) chairman, Phillip J Pierre, extending “warmest congratulations to my brother and comrade and the National Democratic Congress on receiving a renewed mandate from the people of Grenada.
“This expression of trust is both an honour and a profound responsibility. My brother, as you continue this journey of service, remain steadfast in putting people first,” Pierre added.
Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit also extended “warm congratulations to my friend and colleague” following his “emphatic victory.
“Dickon, I value the close working relationship we have built in service to our people. I look forward to continuing our work together to strengthen the ties between Dominica and Grenada and advance the priorities of our Caribbean region.”
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said Mitchell’s “overwhelming mandate is a powerful expression of trust.
“It brings with it the profound responsibility of honouring that trust through service to every citizen and steady work to fulfil the hopes of the people. Barbados and Grenada share a deep friendship and a common commitment to the progress of our Caribbean.
“I look forward to continuing our close partnership, strengthening the bonds between our countries and advancing the interests of our people within our regional family and beyond,” she added.
St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, who is recovering from a stroke, extended “warm congratulations to my colleague and brother,” adding that he was looking “forward to our continued collaboration as we strengthen the bonds of friendship between our two nations and advance our shared vision for a stronger, more prosperous Caribbean”.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar extended “heartfelt congratulations” to Mitchell on the “NDC’s resounding electoral victory, and to the people of Grenada on the exercise of their democratic rights.
“This decisive mandate reflects the confidence and trust that the people of Grenada have placed in Prime Minister Mitchell’s leadership, his policies and his vision for the future of their nation,” she said, adding that “Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada share deep historical, cultural and economic ties, built upon generations of friendship, mutual respect and cooperation”.
Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali, in extending congratulations, said that Mitchell’s “re-election represents a vote of confidence in his leadership and a mandate of continuity for the policies and vision his government has been pursuing for Grenada.
“I look forward, during his new term, to expanding our close collaboration and working together to advance regional integration,” he added.
According to the preliminary figures released by the Parliamentary Elections Office (PEO), the voter turnout was 63.3 per cent, with 61, 264 valid votes cast.
The NDC received 37,369, while the NNP polled 22,567and the PDM received 1,189.
CMC/pr/ir/2026
