ST GEORGE'S, Grenada (CMC):

The Grenada government is being asked to publicly declare its position with regards to the construction of a multimillion-dollar tourism project that would also facilitate casino gambling on the island.

"When will you, Honourable Prime Minister, stamp your authority on this matter by making an official public statement," said activist Sandra Ferguson in a letter sent to Prime Minister Tillman Thomas and copied to several senior ministers.

The prime minister has publicly voiced his opposition to the casino, but the government is yet to approve or reject the EC$300-million (US$111-million) project in the capital.

Ferguson, who leads the Agency for Rural Transformation (ART) and is a member of a group of social activists calling themselves Citizens for the Defence of Grenada's Lands and Heritage, issued her appeal as the Swedish developers Zublin, stepped up their public campaign to garner support for the construction of the casino as part of the project.

"... Why are Mr Van Dyke and company still waging a campaign for the casino gambling as part of the St George's Renaissance Project?"