With a General Election almost six months away the opposition party “The Progressives” as they now call themselves (PPM) have been no doubt spurred on to start their campaign before Christmas because of the appearance of a third political group, the Coalition for Cayman (C4C).

For a new group that almost appeared over night last month they are as well known as the PPM and the governing party, the United Democratic Party (UDP).

The C4C is well known certainly in name, but there has been no announcement as to the names of ALL the business people behind the group. All the information on these persons is a committee with two chairmen, James Bergstrom and Jude Scott. Does it take two of them to keep the rest of the committee in check namely, Kris Bergstrom, Clarence Bothwell, JC Calhoun, Jacqueline Haynes, Randy Merren, Johann Moxam, Gary Rutty and Emmiel Scott, or couldn’t they agree on who was to be top dog?

The names are certainly impressive – lawyers and businessmen – and all well respected in the community. They have issued bylaws that THEIR candidates for election must adhere to.

As this is the case, can they really say these C4C endorsed candidates are truly Independent? Are these Independents going to reach out to other non endorsed independent persons in order to form a government, and/or allow themselves to team up with other elected members of a political party? If they are truly independent they will each make that decision themselves, but as they will have received financial, campaign support, marketing and political strategists, will they have to take instructions from the committee/party?

At Wednesday’s (5) PPM Press Luncheon the C4C got as much attention as the UDP and it all made for a very entertaining 2 hours.

Very cleverly, the C4C issued a Letter to the Editors of all the media houses at the same time the PPM announced all their candidates. They bashed the party system they say has caused the country’s downfall, and therefore stole some of the PPM’s thunder.

I have to say, PPM Chairman, Anton Duckworth, gave a fine opening speech and he echoed some of my concerns about the C4C as well as firing salvos at “the Bush/ One Man Party.”

Sadly, for both of them, the only way for the UDP NOT to be elected is for one of them to hardly get a vote. They both know this and if I had any thoughts the PPM was going to lay down and die they have been eradicated.

Now we have to wait for the UDP and the C4C to play “catch up” and name their candidates.

So far it is PPM 2, C4C 1, UDP 0.

And you can feel the air is starting to warm up to elections.