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Election machinery goes up a gear
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The GSLP/Liberals have gone up a gear with respect to testing their machinery for the general elections by issuing their first leaflet of the campaign.
Under the heading "Looking after ALL our people", the leaflet lists a series of commitments for graduates and school leavers. Grants will be given for postgraduate studies and the existing discretion will be removed. Any graduate who has finished the course will be given the option of a job conducting research projects for the Government and three year vocaional training apprenticeships will be made availabe to shool leavers who have not gone away for further study.
In the meantime speculation continues as to who will make the final line-up for the main parties. Daniel Feetham, Priscilla Sacramento, Edwin Reyes and Louis Montiel are all names that have been associated with the GSD. The GSLP have made it clear that their selection process will be subject to ratification by its membership at general meeting which has been called for next Wednesday 19th September. This is the day before nominations close.
The Liberal Party is believed to be meeting early next week and the indications are that the slots on the line-up may be contested in which case there would be an election by secret ballot.
Yesterday, one of the new names being mooted, barrister Neil Costa, issued the following statement. "I joined the Liberal Party in 1999 as a member of the youth wing. Since that time I have attended various conferences of the liberal international youth groups in Europe, where I have delivered presentations on Gibraltar's political situation and held seminars on Gibraltar's self-determination. I have also attended conferences of Liberal International at a senior level.
I have decided to put my name forward to my party for consideration as a candidate because, like many people in Gibraltar, I am dissatisfied with this Government. An ever increasing number of Gibraltarians are voicing their growing disappointment and frustration with this Government's policies, in particular, in respect of housing, health, development and planning and traffic issues. It appears to me that the GSD only remembers us, and our concerns at election time, when they want votes.
These, among other matters, have convinced me that the GSD Government is stagnant and completely out of touch and unconcerned with the real and every day problems of our people. After nearly 12 years in office, this Government cannot justify its behaviour any longer. I believe that now is the time for them to make way for a new Government that will properly look after our heritage, our future, and above all, our people."
The PDP, for its part, has already made it clear that it will be contesting the election with whatever number of the maximum of 10 candidates are willing to come forward. They will encourage people give a spare vote to them.
The campaign proper does not start until the names of all candidates are known and after the time allowed for candidates to withdraw has elapsed.
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