The World : Party Ousts Grenada Chief

Prime Minister Herbert Blaize was ousted as leader of Grenada’s ruling New National Party during a party convention vote and replaced by his longtime critic, Keith Mitchell, the minister of communications and works. The election of Mitchell means he will be the prime minister of the Caribbean island nation if the centrist party wins in elections due by December. Mitchell, 43, has regularly criticized Blaize for making major decisions without consulting his Cabinet. Blaize’s ouster as party leader--a position he has held since 1960--was apparently due to a drop in popularity and ill health. The 71-year-old Blaize, who became prime minister in 1984, has prostate cancer.