Tobias Clement examines his chances in Grenada’s politics
After not being the choice of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to represent the people of St George North East, it is not clear what’s the next move for Opposition Leader Hon Tobias Clement.
Last month, the NDC St George North East constituency branch voted Ron Redhead to contest in the upcoming general elections, just days after Clement appeared in local news stating that he was favoured in an NDC internal poll as the preferred candidate.
As an experienced politician, Clement said in a recent current affairs programmes that when one prepares to contest in a general election, he or she must be prepared to win or lose, as well as the “win” must be “won long before election day.”
He said “in my position where I am now, these are the calculations I am making, going into an election, if I go by myself, if I go independently or if I go with other people. Is there a possibility there for me to win?”
Hon Clement, currently a lecturer at St George’s University, added that in contesting, there is no second place and “winning is one but losing is a son of a gun” explaining that it can leave some people with psychological effects.
Further, the Opposition Leader said that he’s leaving his future in the hands of God saying “what happens to me, God has been good to me, what ever direction his spirit leads me that is where I would go.”
Though the general election is constitutionally due by June of next year but can be called before then, the Hon Clement advised voters to be prepared.
As one who has been involved in politics since the 1980s, Hon Clement noted that politics is a science and must be approached scientifically. Stating that people see winning as “a numbers game” he noted that Prime Minister Dr the Right Hon Keith Mitchell is a mathematician.
He pointed out that the New National Party (NNP) won all 15 seats on three occasions, adding that the question is, why?
When questioned on his future in politics, the Opposition Leader responded, “Where I am, I am very comfortable in my skin. I have served, the people will judge whether or not I served well,” adding that “the people will make the final decision.”
More so, the MP boasted that he can proudly walk through the constituency and “nobody can point fingers at me, so it is a good place to be.”
In the past months, Hon Clement, his opposition senators and the NDC had been in talks to form an opposition alliance but to date the public is not brought up to speed with the status of talks.
On Wednesday’s programme, Hon Clement expressed the view that for “dent to be made in the political landscape in Grenada, the opposition forces must be united,” pointing out that the NNP has been existing since 1984 and has many times.
Referencing the clean sweeps, Hon Clement noted that when there is no opposition in the parliament that is not ideal as “checks and balances” are critical to governance.
In November 2019, Clement ended his over 30-year alliance with the New National Party (NNP), resigned and became the Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition. He has been representing St George North East since 2013.
