As the New National Party (NNP) gets ready for the next general election and with building an even more solid base for future growth and expansion, we salute 2 of our senior members – the Deputy Political Leader and the General Secretary –who have announced that they will not stand for re-election in the upcoming general election.
This exceeding level of statesmanship shown is within the context of refreshing the party’s leadership, and the party has reluctantly, but respectfully, accepted the decision of these 2 senior members.
In recent days our Deputy Political Leader Elvin Nimrod and our General Secretary Roland Bhola have announced their intentions to their respective constituency councils.
As a consequence, the party has begun the process through its internal organisations and structures of exploring possible caretakers for Carriacou and Petite Martinique, and St Andrew’s North East.
The national executive has announced that it will be in a position to announce those caretakers in the next few weeks.
The New National Party has shown that it is serious about both consolidation and continuity. Our party is confident with its position as the most organised, most democratic and most solid political organisation in the country which is poised for a historic return to power when general election is called within the next year.
We are fortunate that Hon Bhola has agreed to our request to become the National Campaign Manager for the upcoming elections. We are confident about his ability and passion to usher us to another victory.
Both Hon Nimrod and Hon Bhola will continue on as MPs until the end of the term; and will also remain as senior members of the Cabinet for the foreseeable future.
Prime Minister and Political Leader Dr Keith Mitchell is set to give his tributes to both men when he addresses the nation this Thursday night.
Special celebrations are also being organised in their honour in their respective constituencies.
“I am very grateful that the party has seen and accepted my vision of the need to transition to the next generation of Grenadian leaders, and I was determined to lead by example,” Hon Nimrod said in a statement. “Now I am very confident that I can now pass the baton, if not to an equally capable individual, perhaps to an even more capable individual,” Hon Bhola said at his constituency meeting at the Tivoli R C School Wednesday night.
“I think that we are in good hands and that there are many good prospects among us for candidacy. If I honestly did not think so, I would not have volunteered to step aside,” he declared.
Bhola said in the future he wants to work full-time with the party to help consolidate all of its structures.
He declared: “It is not every politician that has this special opportunity to transit from one role to the next on his very own terms….. And there is nothing more than that, that a humble boy from La Poterie could have asked.”
The New National Party wishes to thank Hon Nimrod and Hon Bhola for their years of selfless service and the significant contributions made to their respective constituencies and to the nation as a whole. The New National Party looks forward to their continued support and invaluable contributions to the further growth and development of the party and to nation-building.
NNP