National Democratic Congress (Grenada)
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.
National Democratic Congress | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | NDC |
Leader | Dickon Mitchell[1] |
Chairperson | Tevin Andrews |
Founded | 18 October 1987 |
Youth wing | National Democratic Youth Movement |
Ideology | Social democracy Social liberalism Republicanism[2] |
Political position | Centre-left[3] |
International affiliation | Progressive Alliance[4] |
Colors | Red, gold and green |
House of Representatives:[5] | 10 / 15 |
Senate: | 7 / 13 |
Website | |
www | |
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 |
7 | 1st | Minority government |
1995 | George Brizan | 13,372 | 30.6% | 5 / 15 |
2 | 2nd | Opposition |
1999 | 10,396 | 25.1% | 0 / 15 |
5 | 2nd | Extra-parliamentary | |
2003 | Tillman Thomas | 21,445 | 45.4% | 7 / 15 |
7 | 2nd | Opposition |
2008 | 29,007 | 51.2% | 11 / 15 |
4 | 1st | Supermajority government | |
2013 | 22,377 | 40.6% | 0 / 15 |
11 | 2nd | Extra-parliamentary | |
2018 | Nazim Burke | 23,243 | 40.5% | 0 / 15 |
2nd | Extra-parliamentary | |
2022 | Dickon Mitchell | 31,398 | 51.8% | 9 / 15 |
9 | 1st | Majority government |
References
- "National Democratic Congress Signals a Fresh Start with Newly Elected Executive Body". 1 November 2021.
- "Political party in Grenada congratulates Barbados on Republic decision". Loop News. 19 September 2020.
- "Global Elections Round-Up: Last 12 Months". Fitch Solutions. 31 July 2018.
- "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.
- "Delma Thomas declares she will work with government". Now Grenada. 22 May 2023.
- "National Democratic Congress of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- Nohlen, D. (2005). Elections in the Americas: A data handbook. Vol. I. p. 311. ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6.
- "Grenada gets a new Prime Minister". BBC News. 9 July 2008.
- "Grenada opposition wins clean sweep in general election". BBC News. 20 February 2013.
- 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.
- "Suárez visitará Nicaragua y la República Dominicana". El Pais. 19 March 1989. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- "NDC Past Leaders". ndcgrenada.org.