1999 Grenadian general election
18 January 1999
All 15 seats in the House of Representatives
8 seats needed for a majority
Turnout56.54%
  First party
 
Leader Keith Mitchell
Party NNP
Last election 32.37%, 8 seats
Seats won 15
Seat change Increase7
Popular vote 25,896
Percentage 62.47%
Swing Increase30.10pp
Winning party by constituency
Prime Minister before election

Keith Mitchell
NNP

 Elected Prime Minister

Keith Mitchell
NNP

General elections were held in Grenada on 18 January 1999.[1] The governing New National Party of Prime Minister Keith Mitchell was re-elected after winning all 15 seats. Voter turnout was 56.5%.[2]

Background

The last election in 1995 saw the then-governing National Democratic Congress defeated by the New National Party, which won 8 of the 15 seats.[3] However, the New National Party lost their majority in late 1998, after the Foreign Minister Raphael Fletcher was one of 2 ministers to quit the party accusing the government of corruption.[4][5] As a result, Parliament was dissolved 18 months before the end of its term on 2 December 1998,[5] and on 14 December the election date of 18 January was announced.[6]

48 candidates stood in the election, including 2 independents, for the 15 seats which were elected by first-past-the-post.[6] Candidates included a full 15 candidates from the New National Party, 12 from the National Democratic Congress and 9 from the Grenada United Labour Party.[6]

Campaign

The governing New National Party of Prime Minister Keith Mitchell campaigned on pledges to preserve stability and bring about economic growth.[7] Mitchell said that his government would create jobs by increased spending on infrastructure and by attracting foreign investment.[6]

Meanwhile, the opposition, comprising a loose alliance between the National Democratic Congress and the Grenada United Labour Party, attacked the government for corruption.[7] They alleged that there had been issues with the awarding of contracts and that the Prime Minister had been involved with foreign investors with shady backgrounds.[7] The opposition also said the government was not doing enough for health care,[6] and they in particular attacked a decision to build a stadium instead of a hospital.[7] However, the opposition suffered divisions, with disagreement between the two opposition parties over who should become Prime Minister if they won the election.[7]

Results

The results saw the governing New National Party re-elected after winning all 15 seats contested.[8] Among the victorious candidates for the governing party was the Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, who won his own seat of St George's Northwest with 89% of the vote.[5] This was only the second time since independence a government had been re-elected in Grenada, and the first since 1976.[6][9]

The government's record in attracting investment and increasing economic growth was seen as having gained support for the New National Party, while the opposition said that the six-week campaign had been too short for them to prepare for the election.[5] Election monitors from the Organisation of American States observed the election and said that it had been "free and fair".[6]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
New National Party25,89662.4715+7
National Democratic Congress10,39625.080–5
GULP–United Labour4,85311.710–2
Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement2600.6300
Good Old Democratic Party120.0300
Independents380.0900
Total41,455100.00150
Valid votes41,45599.51
Invalid/blank votes2030.49
Total votes41,658100.00
Registered voters/turnout73,67356.54
Source: Nohlen

References

  1. ↑ Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p. 307 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
  2. ↑ Nohlen, p. 311
  3. ↑ "Grenada: parliamentary elections House of Representatives, 1995". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  4. ↑ Wren, Christopher S. (4 December 1998). "World Briefing". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Grenada PM wins second term". BBC News. 19 January 1999. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Grenada: parliamentary elections House of Representative, 1999". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Voters cast ballots in Grenada election". Sun Journal. 19 January 1999. p. 2.
  8. ↑ "Grenada's government win landslide victory". BBC News. 19 January 1999. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
  9. ↑ "Grenada PM takes oath". Daily News. 24 January 1999. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
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