by Linda Straker
- Nutmeg with 7 stars in a semicircle is symbol for new political party led by Jonathan La Crette
- People’s National Party announced in social media launch on Sunday, 1 June
- La Crette intends to contest St George North-West constituency
Approximately 3 weeks after Members in the Lower House of Parliament approved the nutmeg with 7 stars in a semicircle as the 38th symbol to be used on the ballot paper for any future election, Jonathan La Crette has disclosed that it is the symbol for the new political party which he is leading.
The Representation of the People (Election Symbols) Regulations mandate that any symbol to be placed on a ballot paper for an election must be approved by the Lower House.
La Crette, who was fired from the Cabinet of Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell on 31 July 2024, announced the formation of the People’s National Party (PNP) in a social media video launch on Sunday, 1 June 2025.
In his 4:33-minute video, the former Minister for Health, Youth and Sports, said his party realises that the current generation of voters and citizens needs a well-structured and functional political organisation with a governance model that is transparent and robust. “This generation stands on the threshold of history, ready to embark on a journey that will reset Grenada for another 51 years and beyond. We must ensure that we build well-structured and functional political organisations with a governance model that is transparent and robust.”
The video displayed footage of well-known landmarks of the country and the Constituency of St George North-West, which he contested in the 2022 General Election as a candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
La Crette, without disclosing other people associated with his political organisation, said, “A PNP-led administration will prioritise national security, education, healthcare, agriculture, youth and sports. The former principal described his political organisation as “a party that is inclusive, a party that listens, a party that will create policies that empower.”
La Crette announced his intention to contest the St George North-West constituency, a political stronghold held by Dr Keith Mitchell for the New National Party (NNP) since the 1984 General Election. Records from the Parliamentary Elections Office (PEO) show that La Crette is the only opposition candidate to capture more than 20% of the votes in that constituency since 1984.
In the 2022 General Election, there were 2,995 voters in the St George North-West constituency. La Crette, as the NDC candidate, received 773 votes (25.80%), while the incumbent, Dr Keith Mitchell of the New National Party, received 2,211 votes (73.82%). For the 2018 and 2013 general elections, Ali Dowden, the then NDC candidate, received 13.80% and 10.68% respectively, while Dr Mitchell received 85.43% and 88.50% respectively.
On 1 August, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell informed the nation during a news conference that he had asked the Governor-General to revoke the appointment of La Crette. No specific reason was given for the termination, except that the Prime Minister stated he had lost trust and confidence in the senator.
“The reason for doing so, that as Prime Minister, sitting in the Cabinet, I formed the view that I had personally lost trust and confidence in Minister La Crette in his capacity as a Minister and in those circumstances, I thought it was appropriate for me to inform him of that fact and to inform his fellow Cabinet colleagues,” the Prime Minister told reporters. “I will not get involved into the nitty-gritty of the details — they are not appropriate given the fact that it is a trust and confidence issue,” he added. By October 2024, La Crette announced that he had resigned from the NDC.
At the time, the Prime Minister said that La Crette would continue to be the party’s caretaker for the St George North-West Constituency.
