Grenada’s Prime Minister Tillman Thomas says he will fight what he called the leftist elements in the society again.
Thomas, who was jailed during the reign of the People’s Revolutionary Government, was quoted at a close door party meeting Sunday of telling delegates at a constituency council meeting that his duty is to fight the leftist elements.
Some delegates interpreted to mean that he was referring to a faction within his party, with the Prime Minister beginning to build up an argument that the reported division within the party is along ideological lines.
Asked by reporters afterwards to explain his reported comments, Thomas before being aggressively led away by Minister of Information said suggested he was referring to elements in the wider society and not necessarily in the party.
The Prime Minister hosted a meeting of the South St George Constituency that the group’s Chairman said before-hand was done without officially informing the body.
The area’s MP Glynis Roberts was absent from the session, and the woman identified as the Prime Minister’s preferred candidate Franka Bernadine, came but left early.
Thomas called the gathering “a regular party meeting” that was called to talk about “the values” of the NDC and “the way forward.”
“People are reinforcing their commitment to the values of NDC and trying to get a cohesive team to forge ahead,” he told reporters afterwards.
He denied that the meeting was called to choose a replacement candidate to Roberts. “We more concern about organizing the party; candidates will come afterwards,” he said.
Asked to explain the absence of Roberts, the Prime Minister said: “I spoke to her and she said she had other engagements.”
Pressed to exactly what he meant with his ‘fight them again’ comment, Thomas said: “I am talking about the leftish elements in the society.”
At that point Minister of Information, Glen Noel, with Deputy Leader Nazim Burke watching, hauled him away from the line of questioning.
“You make no further comments on that matter,” Noel told the Prime Minister. “As your Minister of Information I am saying that you make no further comment.”
(Source http://www.spiceislander.com/?p=6662)
