PHILIPSBURG--The Main Voting Bureau on Wednesday validated the candidates list of the parties contesting the September 17 early Island Council elections.

One party, Concordia Political Alliance (CPA), will have to submit an updated list with one additional candidate by Friday to be validated. This is based on that party winning a court case to have the candidate added to its list and re-inscribed in the voter's registry (see related story).

The list numbering and awarding of colours to the slates is scheduled for 10:00am today, Thursday, at Government Administration Building. The session is open to the public.

Chairman of the Main Voting Bureau, Acting Lt. Governor Reynold Groeneveldt said the necessary corrections have been made to the candidates lists that contained errors and the lists are now valid.

Democratic Party (DP), National Alliance (NA), United People's (UP) party, and CPA had submitted slates of candidates on August 18 for the September polls.

During today's Main Voting Bureau meeting, lots will be drawn for the list numbering while the slate colours – traditionally the party's colour – should be awarded without any hitch. All parties requested different colours: UP asked for green, DP red, CPA gold, and NA white.

UP, headed by Theo Heyliger; and CPA, led by Jeffrey Richardson are recently formed parties that are contesting an election for the first time.

DP, the island's oldest party, is led by Sarah Wescot-Williams, the only woman party leader. NA, headed by William Marlin, is at the helm of the government for just over a year.