1962 Grenadian general election

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1962 Grenadian general election
Flag of Grenada (1903-1967).svg
  1961 13 September 1962 1967  

10 of the 13 seats in the Legislative Council
6 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond party
  Herbert Blaize 1986 (profile).jpg Eric Gairy Profile.jpg
Leader Herbert Blaize Eric Gairy
Party GNP GULP
Last election26.67%, 2 seats53.35%, 8 seats
Seats won64
Seat changeIncrease2.svg4Decrease2.svg4
Popular vote11.3419.705
Percentage53.73%45.98%
SwingIncrease2.svg27.06ppDecrease2.svg7.37pp

Grenadian general election map, 1962.svg
Results by constituency

Chief Minister before election

James Lloyd
(Administrator)

Elected Chief Minister

Herbert Blaize
GNP

General elections were held in Grenada on 13 September 1962. [1] Herbert Blaize's Grenada National Party won six of the ten elected seats and Blaize was appointed Chief Minister for the second time. Blaize served as Head of Government until the next general election in August 1967, initially as Chief Minister until March 1967, and subsequently when Grenada became a fully internally autonomous Associated State, as Grenada's first Premier. Voter turnout was 73%. [2]

Contents

Background

Grenada's Administrator, the Queens representative on the island, James Lloyd suspended the constitution, dissolved the Legislative Council, and removed Eric Gairy as Chief Minister in April 1962 following allegations concerning the Gairy's financial impropriety. Gairy had been Chief Minister for 10 months since August 1961 and his party the Grenada United Labour Party held a majority in the Legislative Council following the 1961 elections. [3] [4] The negative publicity surrounding the removal of Gairy led to a significant fall in support for GULP.

Electoral system

The Legislative Council consisted of ten elected members, the principal law officer (ex officio) and two nominated members. [5]

Results

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Grenada National Party 11,34153.736+4
Grenada United Labour Party 9,70545.984–4
Independents 610.2900
Total21,107100.00100
Valid votes21,10791.53
Invalid/blank votes1,9538.47
Total votes23,060100.00
Registered voters/turnout31,76672.59
Source: Nohlen

References

  1. Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p307 ISBN   978-0-19-928357-6
  2. Nohlen, p310
  3. Herbert Augustus Blaize The Grenada Revolution Online
  4. Steele, BA (2003) Grenada. A History of its People p360 ISBN   0-333-93053-3
  5. Grenada: Report for the Year. 1957. p. 51.