States guidance adds to febrile air of distrust

Many will be relieved to see the back of it.

That decisive atmosphere is a precursor to an election period like no other. There is a frenetic feeling as candidates try to navigate their way through a new way of voting and new rules.

Gone are the days of the friendly agreements that campaigning does not begin until nominations open.

Two complaints about how the Guernsey Partnership of Independents has already advertised itself are a reflection of the fear taking hold that parties will gain an unfair foothold that simply is not available to everyone.

Worse yet is that the States has itself propagated a situation through incorrect guidance to candidates where one party has jumped ahead in spending money promoting itself and its candidates while others, playing by the rule book they were given, have been left muted. Some candidates have covered up promotional material, another party held off on launching its policies and candidates list.

The question is already being contemplated by some whether this is a fair and free election.

Elsewhere, attempts are being made to redress the balance by truly independent candidates hosting their own hustings, and any chance to see people facing probing questions in the flesh in front of an audience should be seized after the States itself failed to work out how to present that opportunity for voters, preferring instead to rely primarily on booklets and videos.

Those concerned independents will hope that the aversion of islanders in the past to parties will continue to play out in this election. It is something that could work to their advantage, especially given the range of opposing political positions adopted by some of those who have chosen to stand side-by-side.

Anyone running for office faces a mountain of challenges.

These have only been added to by the States creating an uneven playing field through its own guidance.