Grenada's prime minister has dissolved parliament, paving the way for general elections on the Caribbean island.

Prime Minister Tillman Thomas says he advised the governor general to dissolve parliament Wednesday. This means an election must be scheduled within 90 days.

Thomas says he will set the date "shortly." He says he decided against dissolving the legislature earlier since he was waiting for a new voter registration system to be put in place.

He made the announcement in a televised address Wednesday evening.

In September, Grenada's governor general suspended a parliament session, allowing Thomas to avoid debate on a no-confidence motion filed by a former political ally. The move bought Thomas time to thwart an attempt by unhappy members of his party and the opposition to push through the no-confidence measure.