Thomas survives vote of no confidence

ST GEORGE'S, Grenada (CMC):

While surviving a no-confidence vote in Parliament, Prime Minister Tillman Thomas has courted further controversy after saying the division within his ruling National Democratic Congress is between "the forces of good and evil".

The declaration has attracted much criticism and debate as critics and political opponents seized on the remark as evidence that the political leader was dividing his own party.

But he insisted that his good-over-evil comment was taken out of context since he was not referring to the infighting within his governing party.

"Those who sit in the Cabinet will support me on this. I never called anybody evil. I said, 'Look, we are living in a world with the forces of good and evil'," Thomas declared.

Thomas survived the vote of no confidence, but the 13-hour debate exposed further cracks in his government.

While eight government MPs voted to save Thomas' faltering administration, one supported the motion and another abstained. But observers noted the parliamentarians were less than enthusiastic in their praise of Thomas' leadership.

Three government MPs did not utter a word in defence of either government or leader.