ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada  CMC – Embattled Prime Minister Tillman Thomas has been holding meetings with his close political allies pondering his next move following a surprise decision by a former government minister to file a motion of no confidence in his administration.

Informed source said that the meetings, which began on Saturday, have been taking place at a private residence on the outskirts of the capital and that Thomas is seeking to ensure the survival of his administration ahead of the general election constitutionally due by July next year.

Finance Minister Nazim Burke and Information Minister Glen Noel are among those reportedly attending the closed door meeting.

Former foreign affairs minister Karl Hood filed the motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Thomas on Friday. It is the second such motion in a three month period.

In May, Prime Minister Thomas survived a motion of no confidence by an eight to five margin and political observers say he now faces an uphill task this time around to keep the government from collapsing.

Opposition Leader Dr. Keith Mitchell, whose New National Party (NNP) currently controls four of the 15 seats in parliament, is confidently predicting a general election will be called before the end of the year.

 “I think if the ruling administration has any level of decency remaining they will call an election and ask for a fresh mandate because right now they are ruling outside of the party that brought them into power so it just says to me if they have any decency left is to call and ask for a fresh mandate” said Hood.

“If the people give you a fresh mandate with your new construct fine. I could live with that. But I cannot live with what I sacrificed for now being usurped and the people who have sacrificed to put you there are being treated as the biggest rogues,” he added.

Political observers say Prime Minister Thomas faces an uphill task in surviving the latest motion noting that at least legislators supportive of former tourism minister Peter David, who is said to be leading a faction of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), could side with the four opposition legislators and bring down the government that came to power in 2008.