Grenada has lost its ability to vote in the General Assembly as the United Nations’ Charter lists the country as one of eight countries failing to pay its financial contributions under the terms of article 19 of the UN Charter.

However in a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance in response to the report, it says the country has not really lost its voting rights.

“With reference to news reports that Grenada has lost its voting rights in the United Nations as a result of unpaid dues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assures the nation that on February 5, 2018, the Permanent Mission of Grenada to the UN dispatched a cheque to the United Nations Secretariat for processing of Grenada’s dues for 2018. In that respect, the Ministry expects to see this reflected soon in the UN’s information system.

“In real terms, Grenada has not been prevented from exercising its voting rights in the community of nations because the first voting opportunity of 2018 is in June when Grenada votes in support of candidates (member states) for non-permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council”.

This statement is contrary to the statement issued by the UN, which states that Under Article 19 of the UN Charter, a Member State in arrears in the payment of its dues in an amount that equals or exceeds the contributions due for two preceding years can lose its vote in the General Assembly.

An exception is allowed if the Member State can show that conditions beyond its control contributed to this inability to pay.

Although in arrears in the payment of their dues Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe and Somalia will be permitted to vote until the end of the current session.

The eight Member States that do not have a vote in the 72nd session of the General Assembly are Central African Republic, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, Libya, Suriname, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) and Yemen.

This latest international blow comes as Grenadians prepare to go to the poll on March 13th.

It also comes weeks after the European Union Blacklisted Grenada as a non-cooperative jurisdiction in taxation matters. Grenada was subsequently removed from the list.

The report by the United Nations comes on the heels of a meeting by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) which commended Grenada as having the highest growth rate of 4.5% in the region.

In a news conference by the National Democratic Congress, Chairman of the Party, Vincent Roberts said that after boasting about the country’s financial standing while demeaning the NDC’s ability to manage the country’s affairs Grenadians are now blocked from voting by the United Nations Charter.

“Ladies and gentlemen this is shocking. With all the talk about what is going on and all the allegations about the NDC’s ability to perform, the glaring truth is coming to the fore that we are continually lied to as a nation.

“Many of the things are kept in secret. We do not know who owns the Grenada Postal Corporation, we do not know the terms and condition of the sale, lease or otherwise disposal of the Gravel and Concrete plant.

“We do not know the national debt, still many Grenadians do not know it and the list continues.”

“We are wondering what will be discovered when election takes place and a new government takes office,” Roberts said.