Delma Thomas declares she will work with government

by Linda Straker

• Promised to serve constituency as MP until next general election
• Thomas resigned by handing letter to Oliver Joseph, NNP party chairman
• NDC Political Leader called for other political activists to follow Thomas’ path

Two weeks after resigning as a New National Party (NNP) member, Delma Thomas announced that she will work with the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

In a statement issued on Monday, 8 May 2023, Thomas said she resigned by handing her letter to Oliver Joseph, party chairman. “My continuation as a member of the party had become untenable following my many attempts to promote the democratisation of the organisation and the consequent orchestrated backlash from an extremely small section of the party’s leadership.”

She promised to continue serving her constituency as the Member of Parliament until the next general election.

In a public political meeting on Sunday, 21 May, broadcast via the Government Information Service (GIS), Thomas said, “Mr Prime Minister, I say yes to working with you and your team. I say yes to Grenada. I say yes to women’s power. I say women rise up, let no one keep you down, let no one say you cannot do it.”

“And so, I have pledged my commitment to work with the NDC government as we move forward …transformation must not only be in words, but we have to transform this nation,” Thomas told Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell as she gave her commitment to assist with the transformation of the country during the public meeting held in her constituency.

She told the meeting that she decided to work with the government following a meeting with the Prime Minister. Several members of the NDC national executive and other government ministers attended the function.

To a standing ovation, she promised to make her constituency her number one priority. Thomas, elected as a Member of Parliament in February 2013, said, “I am committed to the people of St Andrew’s North West; it has always been about you. I will continue to strive and work hard.”

In his address, Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister and Political Leader of the NDC, called on the members of her constituency to work with Delma Thomas and Gloria Thomas, the NDC caretaker for the area, to improve the constituency.

“The time has come for us to not waste our time destroying one another, pulling down one another, spreading rumours about one another…I called on the constituency to pledge their support to continue working with the government and these 2 powerful women,” he said. He further described Thomas as having the courage to stand up and be different.

To those experiencing political repression, the Political Leader called for other political activists to follow the path created by Thomas. “Do not be afraid to look over the fence, pick up the phone and call someone. We are here to support you,” he said.