Grenada: Political situation and treatment of opposition parties and their supporters (2004-2006)

Political situation

Grenada's political landscape is presently dominated by two parties: the New National Party (NNP), the governing party led by Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the opposition party headed by Tillman Thomas (US Oct. 2005; Political Parties of the World 2005-2006, 2005, 264-265). According to Political Parties of the World, in Grenada, "[p]olitics tend to be fractious with a history of fluid allegiances and short-lived personality-based political formations" (2005, 264). However, in the country's most recent parliamentary election held in November 2003, the NNP retained power for an unmatched third consecutive term, retaining eight of fifteen seats in parliament (Political Parties of the World 2005, 264; US Oct. 2005; Europa World Year Book 2006 2006, 1979). In contrast with the 1999 election when the NNP swept all fifteen seats, the NDC managed to take seven of fifteen seats and became the official opposition in 2003 (US Oct. 2005; Freedom House 6 July 2005; Political Parties of the World 2005, 264). A number of other parties also ran in the 2003 election, including the Grenada United Labour Party (GULP) led by Gloria Payne Banfield (ibid.; see also Freedom House 6 July 2005), the Grenada Renaissance Party (GRP) (ibid.; Political Handbook of the World 2005-2006, 457), and the Good Ole Democracy (GOD) party (ibid.; Freedom House 6 July 2005).

Treatment of opposition parties and their supporters

In June 2004, Latin American Caribbean & Central America Report noted that NDC leader Thomas had filed a complaint with the Police Commissioner stating that he had been threatened (22 Jun 2004, 6). While the report did not clarify who had threatened Thomas, Hugh Wildman, then Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit later stated that Thomas's complaint was baseless and that his public allegations could be considered libel (Latin American Caribbean & Central America Report 22 Jun 2004, 6).

Although further information about the targeting of opposition members and supporters could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate, there have been reports concerning alleged incidents of political and electoral corruption (Freedom House 6 July 2005; Europa World Year Book 2006 2006, 1979). As well, reports of the targeting of news media sources by government authorities and NNP supporters were found among the sources consulted (Caribbean Net News 25 May 2004; IPI 29 June 2004; see also Caribbean Net News 16 Mar. 2006 and Radio Jamaica 14 Mar. 2006). Regarding electoral corruption, Freedom House noted that even though the 2003 election was deemed "free and fair," incidents of "voter list manipulation and government pandering" were reported (6 July 2005). The Europa World Year Book 2006 further noted that, following the 2003 election, defeated NDC candidate George Prime alleged that there had been a "number of irregularities" in the riding of Carriacou/Petit Martinique and issued a legal challenge (2006, 1979). Subsequently, the NNP countered by challenging the results of two other seats, similarly claiming that irregularities had occurred (Europa World Year Book 2006, 2006, 1979). Information on the results of these complaints could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

In 2004, news media personnel reported that they had been the victims of various acts of harassment and intimidation from NNP supporters and police as a result of their coverage of a political scandal involving the Prime Minister (Caribbean Net News 25 May 2004; IPI 29 June 2004). The journalists alleged that the Prime Minister had received US$500,000 from a German citizen in exchange for a government posting (Caribbean Net News 25 May 2004; see also IPI 29 June 2004). On 29 June 2004, the International Press Institute (IPI) stated that the NNP "has continually harassed journalists." Without providing details, the IPI article claimed that one reporter was detained for questioning and later received "an anonymous death threat on his mobile phone" (29 June 2004).

In March 2006, reports of government harassment of the press resurfaced when George Worme, the editor of the weekly newspaper Grenada Today, was detained by authorities for questioning regarding a February 2006 news article (Radio Jamaica 14 Mar. 2006; Caribbean Net News 16 Mar. 2006). According to Radio Jamaica, Worme was being investigated for "criminal libel matter" pertaining to an article about government efforts to dismiss an opposition Member of Parliament for holding Canadian citizenship and therefore should not have been allowed to run in the 2003 election (14 Mar. 2006). Although Worme's attorneys complained that the incident was an "attack on the freedom of the press," the government's legal advisor Hugh Wildman responded that the press had behaved irresponsibly and was, therefore, subject to "criminal libel laws" (Caribbean Net News 16 Mar. 2006). Following the incident, the NPP issued a press release refuting and criticizing the Media Association of Grenada's accusation that the government was colluding with the Royal Grenada Police Force in the Worme case (17 Mar. 2006).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Caribbean Net News [Cayman Islands]. 16 March 2006. Kishawn Thomas. "Grenada Newspaper Editor Released After Questioning." [Accessed 21 July 2006]
_____. 25 May 2004. Leroy Noel. "Grenada Government Battles the Media." [Accessed 24 July 2006]

The Europa World Year Book 2006. 2006. Vol. 1. "Grenada." London: Routledge.

Freedom House. 6 July 2005. "Grenada." Freedom in the World 2005. [Accessed 25 July 2006]

International Press Institute (IPI). 29 June 2004. "IPI Concerned by Government's Deteriorating Media Relations." [Accessed 24 July 2006]

Latin American Caribbean & Central America Report [London]. 22 June 2004. "Political Scandals But Healthy Economy."

New National Party (NNP). 17 March 2006. "Press Release from the New National Party." [Accessed 24 July 2006]

Political Handbook of the World: 2005-2006. December 2005. Edited by Arthur Banks, Thomas Muller, and William Overstreet. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly.

Political Parties of the World. 2005. 6th Edition. Edited by Bogdan Szajkowski. London: John Harper Publishing.

RadioJamaica.com. 14 March 2006. "Grenada Police Accused of Trying to Intimidate the Press." [Accessed 21 July 2006]

United States (US). October 2005. Department of State, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. "Background Note: Grenada." [Accessed 26 July 2006]

Additional Sources Consulted

Internet sites, including: Amnesty International (AI), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), Factiva, Grenada Today, Human Rights Watch (HRW), United Nations, World News Connection (WNC).