ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Prime Minister Tillman Thomas survived a coup by deciding to prorogue parliament last September, a senior official of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said.

"We had to prorogue the parliament because they were about to stage a coup," Faye Thompson told a meeting of the NDC in the northern parish of St Patrick on Thursday night as the campaign continues for the February 19 general election here.

While she did not identify those involved in planning the “coup”, the NDC official told supporters that former foreign affairs minister Karl Hood had filed a motion of no confidence in the government of which he was a member.

Hood’s motion was never debated as parliament never held a meeting prior to being prorogued paving the way for the election.

He has since appeared on a platform of the main opposition New National Party (NNP) that had itself failed in its attempt to bring down the government in a motion of no confidence last year.

Hood has since endorsed the NNP as the party to lead Grenada over the next five years.

Thompson said if the motion filed by Hood had been successful, it would have meant the downfall of the Thomas administration.

“This no confidence was still born, even after the first one failed, they came with one again. Don’t you see what they were trying to do, but Uncle Tilly (Tillman Thomas) stood strong and we got rid of them, all who were planning it,” she said.

Parliament was prorogued in September 2012 but the NNP had claimed sittings should have been held every third Tuesday in every month which had not been the case for more than six months.

Thompson, a honorary executive member, told NDC supporters that former tourism minister Peter David, who was later expelled from the party, had also been engaged in a plot to remove Thomas from office.

David is not among the 46 candidates nominated to contest the elections.