Government and Politics

Government and Politics of Grenada

Government structure, leadership, capital, military, and national symbols of Grenada.

Government Structure

Constitutional foundations, branches, parties, and leadership.

Government Type: constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament
Administrative Divisions: 6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petit Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick
Legal System: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship: Citizenship by birth: Yes Citizenship by descent only: Yes Dual citizenship recognized: Yes Residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years for persons from a non-Caribbean state and 4 years for a person from a Caribbean state
Executive Branch: chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022), represented by Governor General Dame Cecile LA GRENADE (since 7 May 2013) head of government: Prime Minister Dickon MITCHELL (since 24 June 2022) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general
Legislative Branch: Grenada's bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate, a 13-member body with 10 senators appointed by the government and 3 by the leader of the opposition, and the House of Representatives, which has 15 seats whose members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms. Elections for the House of Representatives were last held on 23 March 2022. Election results: House of Representatives — percent of vote by party: NDC 51.8%, NNP 47.8%; seats by party: NDC 9, NNP 6. The outcome marked a return to power for the National Democratic Congress after the New National Party had held all 15 seats in the previous two consecutive elections.
Judicial Branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of a court of Appeal and a High Court of Justice (a High Court judge is assigned to and resides in Grenada)
Political Parties: Good Old Democracy or GOD [Justin MCBURNIE]; Grenada United Labor Party or GULP [Gloria Payne BANFIELD]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Tillman THOMAS]; New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]; People Labor Movement or PLM [Dr. Francis ALEXIS]
Head of State: King CHARLES III, represented by Governor General Dame Cecile LA GRENADE
Head of Government: Prime Minister Dickon MITCHELL
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general
Election Results: Grenada holds general elections every five years under a Westminster-style parliamentary system, with the prime minister being the leader of the party that commands a majority in the 15-seat House of Representatives. Two parties have historically dominated the political landscape: the New National Party (NNP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). In the March 2022 general election, the National Democratic Congress, led by Dickon Mitchell, won a decisive victory over the incumbent New National Party, which had been led by Keith Mitchell (no relation). The NDC secured nine of the fifteen seats in the House of Representatives, while the NNP won the remaining six. This result ended a period of NNP dominance that had seen the party win all fifteen parliamentary seats in both the 2018 and 2013 elections — a rare clean sweep on two consecutive occasions. The 2018 election, held on March 13, was particularly notable for the NNP's historic performance. The party captured 58.9 percent of the popular vote and claimed every available seat, leaving the NDC with no parliamentary representation despite receiving over 40 percent of the vote. This outcome highlighted a recurring tension in Grenada's first-past-the-post electoral system, where vote distribution across constituencies can result in significant seat disparities relative to the overall popular vote. Keith Mitchell served as prime minister during multiple non-consecutive terms, first from 1995 to 2008 and again from 2013 to 2022, making him one of the longest-serving leaders in Caribbean political history. His 2022 defeat to Dickon Mitchell, a prominent attorney and political newcomer at the national level, marked a significant generational shift in Grenadian politics. Grenada's electoral process is administered by the Electoral and Boundaries Commission. The country maintains universal adult suffrage for citizens 18 years of age and older. Grenada is a constitutional monarchy with King Charles III as head of state, represented locally by a Governor-General.
Constitution: 19-Dec-73
Independence: 7 February 1974 (from UK)
National Holiday: Independence Day, 7 February (1974)
International Organization Participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO
Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.: chief of mission: Ambassador Denis G. ANTOINE chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 265-2561 FAX: [1] (202) 265-2468 consulate(s) general: New York
U.S. Diplomatic Representation: chief of mission: the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Grenada embassy: Lance-aux-Epines Stretch, Saint George's mailing address: P. O. Box 54, Saint George's, Grenada, West Indies telephone: [1] (473) 444-1173 through 1176 FAX: [1] (473) 444-4820

Capital City

Seat of government and political history.

Capital City: Saint George's
Location: 12 03 N, 61 45 W
Time Difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
History: The 1763 Treaty of Paris transferred possession of Grenada from France to Great Britain; the new administration renamed Ville de Fort Royal (Fort Royal Town) to Saint George's Town, after the patron saint of England; eventually the name became simply Saint George's

Military

Branches, service obligations, expenditures, and manpower.

Military Branches: No regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard)

National Symbols

Flag, anthem, and other symbols of national identity.

National Flag

Flag Symbolism: a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top and bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side), with a red border around the flag; there are seven yellow, five-pointed stars with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center of the flag; there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side triangle (Grenada is the world's second-largest producer of nutmeg, after Indonesia); the seven stars represent the seven administrative divisions
Flag History: the yellow represents the sun and the friendliness of the people, the green stands for the agriculture and the red is a symbol of harmony, unity and courage. The seven stars represent the island's seven perishes. The nutmeg recalls that this small island is the second-largest producer of nutmeg in the world.
Date of Adoption: 7 February 1974

National Anthem

Anthem Lyrics (English): Hail! Grenada, land of ours, We pledge ourselves to thee, Heads, hearts and hands in unity To reach our destiny. Ever conscious of God, Being proud of our heritage, May we with faith and courage Aspire, build, advance As one people, one family. God bless our nation.

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