At the New National Party (NNP) last rally, at Pearls, St. Andrew’s, Dr Keith Mitchell made an announcement that could transform the economic fortunes of the Tri-island State of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

It’s long been suspected that Grenada, situated as it is between oil-rich Trinidad and Tobago and the South American nation of Venezuela, also has deposits of hydrocarbon minerals. Several studies were known to have been done to determine the extent and quality of the minerals. The latest series of studies, sanctioned by Dr Mitchell’s New National Party (NNP) government, was done by the Russian company Global Petroleum Group (GPG).

Last year, government officials said they were “optimistic’’ about the results of explorations being conducted by GPG. Prime Minister Mitchell, speaking on March 11 in St Andrew at a final pre-election rally of his party, was more definitive about Grenada hydrocarbon potential, saying GPG had discovered deposits of oil and  gas in one Grenada-owned well.

“After all the headaches, one well was drilled; there were results that we wanted to confirm before we make a noise,” Dr Mitchell told thousands of cheering supporters at Pearls. “The report said that we have found significant gas and oil in the waters of Grenada in one well so far.’’

The GPG report, on oil and gas finding, “means a lot for the future’’ of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, the prime minister said.

“We have several more wells which are even more exciting than the one they just found. In other words, Grenada can be a massive supplier of oil and gas,’’ he said.

The Grenada election campaign, like all held in the past, was a combination of many things: the articulation of national issues such as healthcare and education; “picong’’, bad-mouthing and old talk; and singing and dancing.

However, like with elections almost everywhere in the world, the economy turned out to the final, central focus of the campaign.

So, when Dr Mitchell announced the discovery of oil and gas in Grenada’s waters, the reaction from the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), which held its final rally at Morne Rouge in St George’s, was swift and immediate.

NDC leader Nazim Burke questioned why Dr Mitchell did not make the announcement before, and chose to do so on the eve of the general election.

Congress, which suffered a 15-0 defeat at the hands of the NNP in 2013, made its pitch to be re-elected by offering its own economic enticement to the Grenadian people.

For example, in its election manifesto, the NDC promised to lower some taxes and fees and also to settle the outstanding pension issue to public workers, within months of a National Democratic congress administration.

The NDC also pledged that it would establish a National Health Insurance that would be financed from the proceeds of the National Lotteries Authority and from taxes collected from the sale of alcohol and tobacco.

“Life is not perfect,’’ said Mr Burke, who was the NDC’s candidate for St George’s North-East. “We cannot sit here today and tell you that everything we say, we will be done in the manner in which we say it would be done, and in the time that we say we will get it done.’’

In many respects, the NNP and NDC ran contrasting campaigns. The NNP engaged in regular well-produced public meetings and utilized traditional media such as local television, radio and newspaper. On the other hand, the NDC focused heavily on social media such as Facebook. Its strongest presence in traditional media was on Monday evening, March 12, with a series of TV advertisements and an address by Mr Burke, who reiterated an appeal for voters to choose NDC over the NNP at the polls.

Isolated incidents – none of them of a serious nature – were reported here and there during the campaign period. Many candidates, and representatives of various parties, also claimed vandalism of their election posters and banners.

However, by and large, it virtually was a violence-free general election campaign across Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

The March 13 polls were monitored by observers from the Caribbean Community and the Organization of American States.