Citizens enjoy a wide range of civil and political rights guaranteed by the constitution. Grenada's constitution provides citizens with the right to change their government peacefully. Citizens exercise this right through periodic, free, and fair elections held on the basis of universal suffrage.
Grenada has two significant political parties, both moderate: the New National Party and the National Democratic Congress. Minor parties include the left-of-center Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement (MBPM, organized by the pro-Bishop survivors of the October 1983 anti-Bishop coup) and the populist GULP of former Prime Minister Gairy.
At the November 2003 election, the NNP government of Prime Minister Keith Mitchell was narrowly re-elected.
Security in Grenada is maintained by the 650 members of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF), which included an 80-member paramilitary special services unit (SSU) and a 30-member coast guard. The U.S. Army and the U.S. Coast Guard provide periodic training and material support for the SSU and the coast guard.
Country name:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Grenada
Data code: GJ
Government type: constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament
Capital: Saint George's
Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petit Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick
Independence: 7 February 1974 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 7 February (1974)
Constitution: 19 December 1973
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Daniel WILLIAMS (since 9 August 1996)
head of government:
Prime Minister Keith Mitchell (since 22 June 1995)
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; prime minister appointed by the governor general from among the members of the House of Assembly
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 13-member body, 10 appointed by the government and three by the leader of the opposition) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections:
last held on 18 January 1999 (next to be held by NA October 2004)
election results:
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NNP 15
Judicial branch: West Indies Associate States Supreme Court (an associate judge resides in Grenada)
Political parties and leaders: Grenada United Labor Party or GULP [Herbert Preudhomme]; Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement or MBPM [Terrence Marryshow]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [George Brizan]; New National Party or NNP [Keith Mitchell]; The Democratic Labor Party or DLP [Francis Alexis]; The National Party or TNP [Ben Jones]
International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Denis G. Antoine
chancery:
1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
[1] (202) 265-2561
consulate(s) general:
New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
the ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Grenada; Charge d'Affairs Lloyd Moss
embassy:
Point Salines, Saint George's
mailing address:
P. O. Box 54, Saint George's, Grenada, West Indies
telephone:
[1] (473) 444-1173 through 1176
FAX:
[1] (473) 444-4820
Flag description: a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top and bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side), with a red border around the flag; there are seven yellow, five-pointed stars with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center of the flag; there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side triangle (Grenada is the world's second-largest producer of nutmeg, after Indonesia); the seven stars represent the seven administrative divisions