AT least 50 candidates are expected to declare at nomination meetings around the Island tomorrow for the 29 seats in the States reserved for parish Deputies.
The elections for Deputies are on 26 November and the successful candidates will be elected for a three-year term of office For the second time in as many months, parish halls will be hosting hustings meetings to give electors the chance to quiz those seeking to represent them.
However, this time round the candidates will get more time than the field of 21 who stood for six seats on the Senatorial benches. Those prospective politicians were limited to three minutes to make a speech and 30 seconds to answer each question.
Three weeks after the end of that Senatorial campaign, a new group of political newcomers and veterans are preparing themselves again. A number of the unsuccessful candidates in last month’s election are expected to be putting their names forward again.
At least 46 people have already given notice of their intention to stand with several more as yet undeclared candidates expected ‘on the night’ of the nomination meetings.
There are five vacant seats as St Brelade Deputy Sarah Ferguson, St Lawrence Deputy Deidre Mezbourian, St Mary Deputy Juliette Gallichan and St Helier Alan Maclean all won ‘promotion’ to Senators’ or Constables’ benches.
Deputies make up the majority of the 53 States Members, and are distributed around the Island into 17 electoral districts roughly in line with parish population.
All Senators, apart from Freddie Cohen and Ben Shenton, and Senator-elect Ian Le Marquand, started their States careers as Deputies.
Chief Minister Frank Walker, who is retiring at the end of his term in December, and Senator Stuart Syvret both started their political careers together as Deputies in the St Helier No 3/4 district in 1990.
And four of the Constables currently sitting in the new States – St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft and Constables-elect Len Norman, Juliette Gallichan and Deidre Mezbourian – also started their careers on the Deputies benches.
