The New National Party is a conservative political party in Grenada. It is led by the Leader of the Opposition, Keith Mitchell.
The party was founded in August 1984 through the merger of the Grenada National Party, led by Herbert Blaize, the National Democratic Party, led by George Brizan, and the Grenada Democratic Movement (GDM), led by Francis Alexis. Led by Blaize, the NNP won 14 out of 15 seats in the December 1984 general election, and Blaize became Prime Minister. Mitchell was elected as leader of the NNP in January 1989, defeating Prime Minister Herbert Blaize. In the 1990 general election, the NNP won two seats and was left in opposition.
The party was victorious in the 1995 general election, winning eight out of 15 seats in the House of Representatives, and Mitchell became Prime Minister. After the NNP lost its majority due to the resignation of Raphael Fletcher, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in November 1998, an early election was called for January 1999, and the NNP won all 15 seats with about 62% of the vote. The NNP narrowly won a third term in power in the November 2003 election, reduced to a one seat parliamentary majority.
In the general election held on 27 November 2003, the party won 48.0% of the popular vote and 8 out of 15 seats. In the July 2008 general election, the party lost to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), winning four seats against 11 for the NDC. NDC leader Tillman Thomas succeeded Mitchell as Prime Minister of Grenada.
Famous quotes containing the words national and/or party:
“A good man will not engage even in a national cause, without examining the justice of it.”
—Samuel Richardson (1689–1761)
“Last night, party at Lansdowne-House. Tonight, party at Lady Charlotte Greville’s—deplorable waste of time, and something of temper. Nothing imparted—nothing acquired—talking without ideas—if any thing like thought in my mind, it was not on the subjects on which we were gabbling. Heigho!—and in this way half London pass what is called life.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)