TARGETING primarily the youth support base in Regions One, Eight and Nine, The United Force (TUF) is preparing to launch its 2015 Elections Campaign with Party Leader, Marissa Nadir at the helm as Presidential Candidate.In an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle Tuesday, Nadir, who had contested the 2011 General and Regional Elections as Prime Ministerial Candidate of the party, said she is not naïve to think that the TUF at this election could win and is instead aiming at a minimum of two seats.

YOUTH
The young politician and practicing attorney-at-law, told the Guyana Chronicle that come May 11, the TUF is looking to secure a voice for the Guyanese youth in the National Assembly.
The time, Nadir said, has come for the youth to become more involved in the decision-making affairs of the country and as such TUF will primarily focus its campaign among the youth of the nation.
The TUF suffered a major setback in 2011 after the party’s then leader, Manzoor Nadir, left to throw his weight behind the incumbent administration.
This led to an internal leadership fight that eventually saw the TUF securing its lowest votes at the polls in its recent political history.
The TUF had secured one seat in the ninth Parliament which had been held by Manzoor Nadir, but this was lost at the 2011 polls.
Following the fiasco ahead of the last election, Nadir told the Guyana Chronicle she was asked to spearhead the party but opted to firstly take some time off, in order to complete her law studies.
This, she said, was in order for her to position herself to be able to more competently lead the TUF.
INDEPENDENTLY
An unperturbed younger Nadir, during her interview with this publication Tuesday, declared also that TUF will not, ahead of Nomination Day, enter into any coalition with any of the other major political forces contesting the May 11 polls.
She was making direct reference to the recently coalesced A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance for Change (AFC) and the incumbent People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C).
Instead, Nadir said she is looking to begin a wave of transition, where youth can begin to take part more in the decision-making process of the country.
According to Nadir, her party has always had the vision, principles and plans, many of which were copied and poorly implemented over the years.
The young politician told the Guyana Chronicle that following the 2011 General and Regional Elections, the Executive of the TUF took a conscious decision, “to see the younger persons take a stand and wanted to start encouraging the younger persons to be more active in leadership positions.”
TWO SEATS
With her eventually securing the party’s top post ahead of the 2015 General and Regional Elections, to be held on May 11, Nadir bluntly told this publication, “our target is two seats, while we know we would not win (Executive Power), we know we are the younger ones and the change that Guyana really needs lies with us.”
According to Nadir, “having our minimum of two seats in Parliament, we will remain committed and we will be the change.”
Reacting to the numerous negative perceptions that have overshadowed the party since the previous election, Nadir said she is cognisant of those intent on continuing to “spew rumours about us.”
She was adamant, however, that the party is no faction of another, nor is it looking to coalesce with anyone to aid any other party in securing any kind of majority in the House.
“We’ve discussed this already extensively at the Executive level…We are not joining even after,” said Nadir.
She explained, making it clear, that even after securing at least its initially desired seats in Parliament, the TUF would not be automatically throwing its weight behind any of the other political parties that would make up the National Assembly.
GUYANESE PEOPLE
The parliamentary seats, according to Nadir, “would give the young leadership of the United Force the opportunity to prove to the Guyanese people what we are capable of doing.”
According to Nadir, whatever is proposed by whoever forms the next government of the day will only find support with TUF if their proposals are in the best interest of the Guyanese people.
Her advice to any of the lobbyists that would be looking to prey ahead of Nomination Day, “we are staying alone, we are going into this independently, we are contesting independently, we have no affiliations of no sorts or connections to any of the other parties and we wish to keep it that way.”
Contesting her first election as the TUF’s Presidential Candidate, Nadir is firm in her conviction that the party will face the polls independently and use its voting strength, as would be determined by the electorate at the May 11 polls. “The United Force will cooperate in the best interest of the people and only them.”
BETTERMENT OVER BITTERNESS
She was adamant that the young people of the TUF are in no way bitter with the traditional establishment in the vanguards:
PNC/APNU/AFC and PPP.
In fact, she told the Guyana Chronicle, “We are not bitter; it is more betterment over bitterness for us.”
According to Nadir, the party has already completed its Manifesto and will in the coming weeks be sharing in detail, aspects of the party’s plans, policies and other proposals.
The Guyana Chronicle was told that TUF will be looking to lower taxes, provide for more effective and efficient government services, place citizen security as a priority and create a highly educated, highly trained and properly rewarded workforce powered by cutting-edge information and communication technology, so as to realise the highest standard of living for all Guyanese.