GRENADA WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT JULY 9 - 19, 2008

UNCLAS GRENADA 000103 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SOCI EFIN PGOV GJ SUBJECT: GRENADA WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT JULY 9 - 19, 2008 ¶1. (U) Embassy Grenada's weekly report (GWAR) provides a little detail about events of interest that do not merit longer reporting at this time. ¶2. (U) Begin GWAR text: a. Chinese Medical Team at Local Hospital An eight-member medical team from China arrived in Grenada during the week for a two-year stint at St. George's General Hospital as part of a bilateral arrangement between the two countries. The team of doctors will serve in areas of general surgery, radiology, physiology, and in the laboratory. This is the first Chinese medical team to be assigned to Grenada under the arrangement which was set up when Grenada resumed diplomatic relationship with mainland China in 2004. b. New Finance Minister to Set up 'Debt Unit' Grenada's new Finance Minister Nazim Burke announced the GOG will establish a debt management unit. Burke, who was sworn in as minister on July 13, said the unit will be responsible for renegotiating Grenada's national debt, estimated at US$630 million (EC$1.7 billion). Burke added that the new unit will deal with the challenges of debt relief as well as undertake debt sustainability analysis. c. OAS says recent general election was free and fair Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS),Ambassador Albert Ramdin, who headed the OAS election observer mission for the July 8 Grenada general election, announced that while polling day was not without a few minor problems, he was satisfied that the overall elections were free and fair. Thirty-eight international observers visited over two hundred polling divisions throughout the fifteen constituencies. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) led by Tillman Thomas won eleven of the fifteen seats with the New National Party (NNP) led by former Prime Minister Keith Mitchell retaining four seats. End text. MCISAAC