Prime offered UN position

Grenada is poised to have a new Ambassador to the United Nations. Authoritative sources told THE NEW TODAY newspaper that Minister for Carriacou & Petite Martinique Affairs, Senator George Prime is tipped to replace Dessima Williams as the country’s new envoy to the world body.

According to a well-placed source, Prime Minister Tillman Thomas has already approached Prime on the issue and was waiting on a response from the senior member of the near three-year old National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
Speculation is rife that Sen. Prime has asked for some time to reflect on the offer on the grounds that he needed to do some serious reflection since his immediate removal might result in him losing pension as a parliamentarian.
“As I understand it, he (Prime) has a few more months to serve in order to qualify for a pension”, he added.
Under the laws of Grenada, parliamentarians qualify for a State pension after serving two terms or a period of eight years in the House of Representatives.
The move is seen in political circles as a clear indication that Sen. Prime will not be considered as a possible candidate for Congress in the next general election due in 2013 for the latest.
The government minister has failed on two occasions – 2003 and 2008 – to take the seat away from the incumbent, Elvin Nimrod of the main opposition, New National Party (NNP).
This newspaper has been informed that two persons within Congress have expressed interest in the constituency.
One is known to be the current Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the party, Vincent Roberts and the other is Bernard Isaac, the current Treasurer.
Isaac is the husband of the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Ann Isaac.
He is also closely related to former Prime Minister and Political Leader of the Congress party, Sir Nicholas Brathwaite.
The NEW TODAY was also reliable informed that the Thomas-led government will soon have to look for a new Ambassador to Caracas.
The contract for the current holder of the post, George Mc Leish has come to an end and the envoy is said to be interested in a new posting especially in New York were his family resides.
A high-level source confided in this newspaper that it is not likely that Mc Leish, now on the island, would get the job of Ambassador to the United Nations but that government is interested in looking “for something for him to do”.
Mc Leish is known to have expressed interest in the past on returning home at some stage to contest the St. George South-east seat currently held by Foreign Affairs Minister, Karl Hood.
The NDC has been using the past week continuing its efforts to put structures in place to prepare the party for the next general election.
The top brass of Congress including Prime Minister, Tillman Thomas, General Secretary, Peter David and Chairman, Senator Glen Noel were in St. David last week to help restructure the constituency branch.
A party release said that a new executive branch was put in place with trade unionist, George Mason, President of the Commercial & Industrial Workers union (CIWU) being elected as the new Chairman.
He replaces Gregory Hagley who has been in the post for the past few years.
St. David is represented in parliament by Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Michael Denis Lett, who has not made any public announcement on whether he intends to seek another term in office despite of his age.
Medical doctor, George Mitchell is considered as the frontrunner to replace Lett if the ageing MP decides to bow out from frontline politics.