Michael Baptiste to lead GULP team in 2013 general election

By Linda Straker

Although it has never won a seat in the Parliament since 1999, Grenada’s oldest political party has confirmed that it will be contesting the 2013 general elections with former Opposition Leader, Michael Baptiste, as its leader.

Baptiste was selected to be the leader of the Grenada United Labour Party (GULP) team that will be contesting the elections last Sunday during a meeting at his home, which was attended by a cross-section of senior members. The GULP was formed by deceased Prime Minister Eric Gairy in 1951.

“We agreed that the Convention will be held after the February 19th General Election and at the same time unanimously selected him to be the leader of the team that will be contesting the election,” said Lennox Andrews, who confirmed that he will not be contesting a constituency seat, but will
be engaging in administrative duties for the GULP.

Andrews said that the party was preparing to hold its National Convention, but the announcement from Prime Minister Tillman Thomas last week that he had asked the Governor General to dissolve the Parliament, required a special meeting to decide the way forward.

“So we selected a team to take us through the election. It will be led by Baptiste and comprise persons who will contest and work from behind the scenes. We are not sure how much seats we will be contesting, but I can confirm that we will be putting up candidates,” he said.

It has already been decided that Baptiste will be contesting the St. Andrew’s South West constituency. He will be going up against Yolande Horsford, the past MP for the area; and immediate past Member of Parliament for the area, Sylvester Quarless.

Baptiste launched his campaign on Monday night with a meeting in Munich. “I was pleasantly surprised by the turnout, so I know that people want me represent them. They are dying for the type of representation I gave to them years ago, they are supportive,” he said.

During the 2008 election campaign, Baptiste spoke from the National Democratic Congress platform and has once again given the assurance that he will cross party lines if the situation requires him to make such a decision again.

“If the situation warrants crossing party lines just for election after I analyse the situation, I will do it again,” said Baptiste, who was fired from the Mitchell administration for engaging in “financial questionable wrongdoings”, following the 1999 elections. The charges were dismissed against him.