The elections were openly and fairly contested, and were free of violence. The 750-member Royal Grenada Police Force is responsible for maintaining law and order. It is controlled by and responsive to civilian authorities. Grenada has a free market economy based upon agriculture and tourism. The real economic growth rate was 2.6 percent for 1995, and the government-estimated annual growth for 1996 was 3 percent.
Citizens enjoy a wide range of civil and political rights.
Human rights problems included allegations of police brutality in the course of criminal investigations, but there were no documented cases. The Commissioner of Police has spoken out strongly against police use of unlawful force. Violence against women is common. There were no reports of political or other extrajudicial killings. There were no reports of politically motivated disappearances.