OAS NOTES LOW VOTER TURNOUT FOR GRENADA REFERENDUM
The Organization of American States (OAS) said that voter turnout and interest “remained low” in Grenada’s referendum on Thursday to change the island’s constitution that has been in existence since 1974.
Grenadians voted overwhelmingly to reject all seven pieces of legislation that would have resulted in a reform of the Constitution that was obtained when the island attained political independence from Britain.
Among the pieces of legislation rejected were those to replace the London-based Privy Council as the island’s final court, term limits for the head of government, the establishment of an independent Elections and Boundaries Commission, as well as ensuring that there is always an Opposition Leader in Parliament.
Grenadians also voted against measures to rename the island to include Petitte Martinique and Carriacou.
The OAS observer team to the referendum, said it “noticed that voter participation and interest remained low, and that preliminary results indicate that none of the proposed reforms were approved.”
The delegation said it acknowledged “the efforts of the authorities and various stakeholders in advancing the process of constitutional reform,” and praised the Parliamentary Electoral Office “for the professional conduct of the poll and welcomes the peaceful manner in which the people of Grenada exercised their right.
The OAS electoral delegation, headed by the Senior Advisor at the OAS Secretariat for the Strengthening of Democracy, Paul Spencer, also thanked the Keith Mitchell administration “for inviting the OAS and for its support in enabling the delegation to carry out its task”.
Mitchell said that a post mortem examination will be held to determine why voters rejected the bills.
“Definitely we will be reviewing the entire process that led us to this point and making a conclusion which will be told to the people,” he said.
Preliminary figures released by the Parliamentary Elections Office showed that while more than 70,000 people were eligible to vote on Thursday, less than 25,000 did so.
Source: Caribbean News Now
OAS NOTES LOW VOTER TURNOUT FOR GRENADA REFERENDUM
folks this was a referendum and not an election. despite the low turnout it was democracy at its best. congrats to all that voted instead of staying home and letting other do the talking. again i say ndc need to clean house and offer a better alternative to what we currently have.
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By: stallion 12/10/2016 7:59:34 AM
Bro.Stallion,when you say in your post quote that the Ndc needs to Clean House and a better alternative to what we currently have,and are you referring to the corrupted type of governance under our current government with no regards for transparency or accountability and respect for the voters in grenada and her tri-islands.
By: Gabe 12/12/2016 8:04:00 AM
bro gabe yes am referring to the nnp as corrupt. i am not aligned to any party. am for anyone that cares about the people and making good decisions. that all i ask.the last ndc government was on the right track but their leader tillman thomas was too dead and too weak. that why i say they needed fresh blood.
By: stallion 12/12/2016 6:49:46 PM
The outcome of the last election was based strictly on the premise that the people wanted a change in which the country was going.NNP won simply because they presented themselves as the party that could deliver what the people were demanding. However, this did not mean the had any better solutions to what NDC HAD had promised. There's simply no other alternatives. On the referendum : Keith Mitchell's the slave master. The governor general the kitchen slave. SOE is the overseer and poll workers are the field slave enforcer. Had the referendum passed relevant to the the lattere, Keith Mitchell would in co-hoot with African brothers.Furthermore, many did not vote because there were no cash, chicken feet, cow heads, goat feet, bottles of rum to bride the poor folks.
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By: The observer 12/2/2016 8:29:41 PM
When one listen to the Prime Mnister of grenada one comes to the conclusion that this man is a very smart man ,i say this because during and after the last election in grenada his supporters and even his winning team was gloating and bragging about that famour 15 nil victory (democracy working),yes by the same grenadian voters who last thursday was ask to vote on the Referendum Reform Bills and behold these same voters then decided to reject all seven bills (democracy working),some may say that they the voters may have been ill advised but credit should also be given to them for the was in which they applied their common sense and again applied their democratic right in the same way they did at the last election when his party (Nnp) won all fifteen seats and one should applaud the OAS and their findings on the way the people of grenada conducted themselves during and after the vote,so Mr Mitchell it seems that when things is going your way all is well in your camp but when grenadians takes a different view to that of you and your spiteful supporters they are then labelled with name calling and anti-democracy because you did not get your way.
