Grenada’s legislative branch is set to formally dissolve this Friday, clearing the constitutional path for a national general election that current Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell will announce the date of this coming Sunday. Before the body wraps up its current term, however, lawmakers gathered for an extraordinary sitting Thursday to honor one of the nation’s most consequential political figures: former Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell, who has represented the St. George North-West constituency for an unprecedented 42 years.
First elected to parliament in 1983 following the collapse of Maurice Bishop’s left-wing People’s Revolutionary Government, Dr. Mitchell will step away from his legislative seat at this election, marking the end of one of the longest tenures in Caribbean political history. In what stands as his final address to the chamber as an elected lawmaker, Dr. Mitchell opened up about the emotional weight of the moment, reflecting on decades of public service that included significant triumphs, unforeseen challenges, and evolving connections with the constituents who kept re-electing him by growing margins.
“This is expected to be the last time that I will be officially here as a parliamentarian, having served in this House for the last 42 years. I felt obliged to answer. The record should show them, in fact, the sentiments that I had on the final session of that service,” Dr. Mitchell told the chamber. “I’ve served the people of North West St George for 42 years. I am very emotional when I talk over this, Mr Speaker, because there were tough times.” He recounted how his support among voters grew steadily over his career, peaking when he won more than 90% of the constituency’s vote in the 1999 national election. That consistent backing, he emphasized, came from his relationship with local residents, not his hold on political power.
“When you love people, and you show your relationship and consistency, not just the power and the position title, it means nothing,” he added.
The address blended personal reflection, a retrospective of Grenada’s modern development, and a quiet defense of his political legacy. Dr. Mitchell made history as the first leader of a political party in the English-speaking Caribbean to win every seat in the national legislature, and he served two stints as prime minister spanning a total of nearly 20 years. During his time in office, he oversaw transformative shifts in the country’s physical infrastructure and economic outlook, progress he detailed for his fellow lawmakers Thursday.
He highlighted the rapid expansion of electricity access across Grenada, which jumped from roughly 45% national coverage when he first entered office in 1984 to 98% within just five years. He also oversaw the country’s early transition from an outdated crossbar telephone network to digital telecommunications, a shift that put Grenada ahead of many of its Caribbean neighbors. Infrastructure investment, he argued, was never just about construction projects: major public works including the national stadium, the Ministerial Complex, the upgraded cruise ship port, and the new parliament building delivered tangible quality-of-life improvements, especially for rural residents who benefited from widespread road upgrades.
Dr. Mitchell also did not shy away from discussing the defining crises that shaped his time in office. He pointed to the massive national reconstruction effort after Hurricane Ivan, which caused damages worth more than twice Grenada’s entire annual gross domestic product, the controversial elimination of personal income tax in the 1990s, and the difficult fiscal restructuring he implemented after returning to the prime ministership in 2013. When his administration took office that year, Grenada was grappling with a severe fiscal crisis that pushed public debt to roughly 110% of GDP. His government responded with a debt restructuring program backed by the International Monetary Fund, a painful but necessary step to stabilize the nation’s finances.
Acknowleging that his decades in office were not without missteps, Dr. Mitchell framed his departure as a voluntary choice, not one forced by electoral defeat or political pressure. “We all accept the fact that we are not perfect persons, and we all make mistakes. Who I am today was not the person I was in 1984,” he said. “I am not being pushed out of politics but was doing so willingly… no one voted me out. I expect the next time around I’ll be in the (public) gallery.”
Current Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell offered a bipartisan tribute to his predecessor, honoring the decades of sacrifice Dr. Mitchell made for Grenada and acknowledging the critical role he played in restoring parliamentary democracy after the collapse of the PRG regime. “Regardless of where we may differ politically, we must acknowledge and respect the tremendous commitment required to dedicate decades of one’s life to public service,” the current prime minister said. “Dr The Rt. Honourable Keith Mitchell has served the people of St George North-West and Grenada for many years, and his contribution to our nation and the wider region is part of our history. On behalf of the Government and people of Grenada, I thank him for his service and extend best wishes to him.”
As the country prepares for the upcoming election, Dr. Mitchell’s four-decade legacy stands as a defining chapter of modern Grenadian political history, marking a period of rapid transformation, difficult crisis management, and unprecedented long-term service to the nation’s electorate.