AS the highly anticipated General and Regional Elections slated for May 11 approaches, the newly formed coalition of A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) is moving “full steep ahead” with the drafting of its manifesto, scheduled to be launched within the week of Nomination Day, April 7.Co-campaign coordinator of the APNU+AFC coalition, Mr Raphael Trotman, who was at the time commenting on the coalition’s launch of its manifesto — which many have expressed eagerness to examine – made this disclosure as he assured media operatives that while the coalition is preparing for Nomination Day on April 7, “plans are well on schedule”.

“On both fronts we are going full speed ahead; the process of collapsing the manifesto is well advanced, and we are also, at this point in time, taking in new materials,” he said.

He added that, unavoidably, new considerations have arisen, which are being examined by the coalition. This, he explained, will not hinder the process currently engaged in, and as such, the coalition “will be well in place to have the manifesto launched within a week of Nomination Day”.

Commenting on the coalition’s list, which must be submitted on Nomination Day, Trotman hinted that three names are actively being scrutinised to be representative of the list, but the APNU+AFC would have selected the person who heads that list in time for Nomination Day.

Questioned on which spheres of society these three candidates were selected from, the campaign coordinator decisively responded “civil society; both business and legal”.

However, former Speaker of the National Assembly and former longstanding People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Stalwart Mr Ralph Ramkarran was ruled out as an option, as, Trotman disclosed, he was not one of the three persons being considered for the post of list representative.

“We’d love Mr. Ramkarran to join the unity train, and I think he would play a far greater role than just being a representative of a list. Ralph is a friend of Guyana, and I think that at some stage he will say whether or not he is endorsing us.

“We are streamlining our operation, and there is no formal lobbying of him per se,” Trotman told reporters yesterday.

He also disclosed that while no formal request has been made for Ramkarran to “join the unity train”, he (Ramkarran) has been engaged in conversation for the last two years.

Contesting parties are permitted to submit three separate lists on Nomination Day. These Lists of Candidates are in respect of: Geographical Constituencies Lists; National Top-up Lists; and Regional Democratic Council Lists.

In accordance with the electoral system of Proportional Representation, in order to qualify for a seat in the National Assembly, contesting parties must contest a minimum of six (6) of the Geographical Constituencies — totalling at least 13 seats — for eligibility to contest and submit Geographical Constituencies lists and National Top-up Lists. This arrangement will provide for a qualified contesting party to submit on Nomination Day two separate Lists of Candidates.

Any contesting political party can contest the election of members of any of the 10 Regional Democratic Councils. For this purpose, a List of Candidates must be submitted on Nomination Day.

By Ravin Singh