National Democratic Congress (Grenada)

National Democratic Congress
AbbreviationNDC
LeaderDickon Mitchell[1]
ChairpersonTevin Andrews
Founded18 October 1987; 37 years ago (1987-10-18)
Split fromNew National Party
Youth wingNational Democratic Youth Movement
IdeologySocial democracy
Social liberalism
Republicanism[2]
Progressivism
Political positionCentre-left[3]
ReligionSecular
International affiliationProgressive Alliance[4]
Colors  Red,   gold and green
House of Representatives:[5]
10 / 15
Senate:
7 / 13
Website
www.ndcgrenada.org

The National Democratic Congress (NDC), also known as the National Democratic Congress of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique,[6] is a social democratic and centre-left political party in Grenada. It is the governing party in Grenada, having won a majority in the 2022 general elections. The party is led by current prime minister Dickon Mitchell as of October 2021.

History

The party was founded in 1987 by George Brizan and Francis Alexis, as a party opposed to the New National Party government that came to power in the 1984 elections after the United States invasion of Grenada. It won the 1990 elections,[7] with Nicholas Brathwaite becoming prime minister. It lost power to the NNP in the 1995 elections, which were held shortly after Brathwaite's resignation. The NDC was thereafter in opposition for 13 years. It failed to win any seats in the 1999 elections, but only narrowly lost the 2003 elections, in which it won 45.6% of the popular vote and seven of the 15 seats.

In the July 2008 general election, the NDC won 11 out of 15 seats, and party leader Tillman Thomas became prime minister.[8] Despite a 40% vote share in the 2013 election, the party lost all its seats to the New National Party under Keith Mitchell, which obtained all 15 seats.[9]

The NDC was affiliated to the former Central American liberal organisation FELICA (the Federation of Liberal Parties of Central America and the Caribbean),[10] also known as the Federación de Partidos Liberales de Centroamérica y el Caribe.[11] The party maintains close links with the other center-left political parties in the English-speaking Caribbean such as the Democratic Labour Party in Barbados.

List of leaders of the National Democratic Congress

Leader Took office Left office
George Brizan[12] 1987 1989
Nicholas Brathwaite 1989 4 September 1994
George Brizan 4 September 1994 October 2000
Tillman Thomas 2000 2 February 2014
Nazim Burke 2 February 2014 1 July 2018
Franka Bernardine 3 November 2019 31 October 2021
Dickon Mitchell 31 October 2021 incumbent

Electoral history

House of Representatives elections

Election Party leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Result
1990 Nicholas Brathwaite 13,637 34.5%
7 / 15
 Increase 7 Increase 1st Minority government
1995 George Brizan 13,372 30.6%
5 / 15
 Decrease 2 Decrease 2nd Opposition
1999 10,396 25.1%
0 / 15
 Decrease 5 Steady 2nd Extra-parliamentary
2003 Tillman Thomas 21,445 45.4%
7 / 15
 Increase 7 Steady 2nd Opposition
2008 29,007 51.2%
11 / 15
 Increase 4 Increase 1st Supermajority government
2013 22,377 40.6%
0 / 15
 Decrease 11 Decrease 2nd Opposition[a]
2018 Nazim Burke 23,243 40.5%
0 / 15
 Steady Steady 2nd Extra-parliamentary
2022 Dickon Mitchell 31,398 51.8%
9 / 15
 Increase 9 Increase 1st Majority government
  1. ^ In the 2013 elections the NDC lost all its seats in the House of Representatives. However, the Governor-General considered the NDC to be the main opposition and appointed three of the party defeated candidates (Nazim Burke, Franka Bernardine and George Vincent) to the Senate.[13]

References

  1. ^ "National Democratic Congress Signals a Fresh Start with Newly Elected Executive Body". 1 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Political party in Grenada congratulates Barbados on Republic decision". Loop News. 19 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Global Elections Round-Up: Last 12 Months". Fitch Solutions. 31 July 2018.
  4. ^ "Participants | l'Alliance progressiste" [Participants | The Progressive Alliance]. l’Alliance progressiste (in French). Archived from the original on 2 March 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  5. ^ "Delma Thomas declares she will work with government". Now Grenada. 22 May 2023.
  6. ^ "National Democratic Congress of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  7. ^ Nohlen, D. (2005). Elections in the Americas: A data handbook. Vol. I. p. 311. ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6.
  8. ^ "Grenada gets a new Prime Minister". BBC News. 9 July 2008.
  9. ^ "Grenada opposition wins clean sweep in general election". BBC News. 20 February 2013.
  10. ^ Goodman, Louis W.; LeoGrande, William M.; Forman, Johanna Mendelson, eds. (1992). Political Parties and Democracy in Central America. Boulder: Westview Press. p. 359. ISBN 0813382424. OCLC 1106127682. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  11. ^ "Suárez visitará Nicaragua y la República Dominicana". El País. 19 March 1989. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  12. ^ "NDC Past Leaders". ndcgrenada.org.
  13. ^ NDC leader says party doesn't regret expelling ten members, Now Grenada, 30 September 2013


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