Thomas

ST GEORGE'S, Grenada (CMC):

Grenada's New National Party (NNP) last night conceded defeat after 13 years in government.

NNP Campaign Chairman Einstein Louison said on television that based on the preliminary figures, it appears that his party had lost.

"Whenever you are in a contest, you could win or you could lose. In this case, we have lost, as it appears," said Louison, who served as national security minister in the Keith Mitchell administration.

The NNP was seeking to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive term in office.

Celebration

Supporters of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) took to the streets islandwide in celebration and the party's General Secretary Peter David said it was now on a mission to try and rescue Grenada.

"We are happy tonight. We know we will have the opportunity to do all that we said we could do," he told reporters.

There are 15 seats at stake in the general election and electoral officials said the outcome of the voting would have been known by midnight.

The Grenada Broadcasting Network was projecting that the NDC would win at least nine seats, while the NNP was leading in three, and three others were undecided.

Last night, Prime Minister Bruce Golding congratulated the NDC Leader Tillman Thomas on his party's decisive election victory.

He pledged Jamaica's support for and cooperation with Grenada in its efforts to preserve the gains of the past and ensure continued growth and prosperity for the people of Grenada.