1961 Grenadian general election

General elections in Grenada held on 27 March 1961 March 2022 Grenada parliamentary 1903 1957 Grenadian general election 1957 1962 Grenadian general election 1962 All 10 seats in the Legislative Council 6 27 March 1961 41,082 55.49% ( 12.91pp) Eric_Gairy_Profile.jpg Eric Gairy GULP 44.37%, 2 seats 8 6 11,606 53.35% 8.98pp Herbert_Blaize_1986_(profile).jpg Herbert Blaize GNP 24.36%, 2 seats 2 5,802 26.67% 2.31pp Grenadian general election map, 1961.svg Results by constituency Chief Minister Herbert Blaize GNP George E. D. Clyne GULP General elections were held in Grenada on 27 March 1961.Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p307 978-0-19-928357-6 Eric Gairy's Grenada United Labour Party won eight of the ten seats, his wife Cynthia Gairy becoming the first woman to be elected to the legislature. George E.D. Clyne of GULP became Chief Minister and served from March to August 1961 when, following the direct intervention of the British government, Gairy's political ban was lifted early, and Clyne resigned allowing Gairy to return in a by-election and become Chief Minister.Steele, BA (2003) Grenada. A History of its People p361 0-333-93053-3 Voter turnout was 55.5%.Nohlen, p309 Background Following the introduction of the new Constitution on 21 December 1959 real authority for governing the country was given to a Chief Minister and those from the majority party in the Legislative Council. Herbert Blaize was appointed the first Chief Minister from 1 January 1960 when the Legislative Council provisions took effect.Herbert Augustus Blaize The Grenada Revolution Online The Constitution stipulated that at the next election the Legislature would consist of ten elected members and two nominated members. The Queen was represented by an Administrator with reduced powers. Grenada's Administrator at this time was James Lloyd, a Jamaican.Steele, p360 Gairy, the leader of GULP, had been banned from political activity for five years for disrupting an opponent's political meeting on 28 October 1957, by leading a steel band through it. He was not eligible to be a candidate in 1961. Administrator James Lloyd would not raise the ban early. Results Grenada United Labour Party 11606 8 +6 Grenada National Party 5802 2 0 People's Democratic Movement 3371 0 –2 #366091 Independents 975 0 –2 +2 1041 41082 Caribbean ElectionsCaribbean Elections References Category:Elections in Grenada Grenadian general election Category:1961 in Grenada Category:West Indies Federation Category:March 1961 in North America