The Progressive Labour Party (PLP) is gearing up to select its 36 candidates for the next General Election but party chairman Neville Tyrrell won't say how just yet.

"We've actually been organising ourselves since almost the middle of last year," Mr. Tyrrell said.

Last week Britain changed the electoral system, scrapping the 20 dual seat system in favour of 36 single seats.

While a single seat system has been a cherished goal of the Progressive Labour Party for many years, the party did not take the results of the two-year process for granted.

"Now that we know the order has been approved we can get on with selecting the candidates," Mr. Tyrrell said.

Mr. Tyrrell said that the PLP did not want to "preempt" the Order in Council and was preparing for elections under either the old system or the new one. But changes to the party's constitution were made requiring one branch for each constituency and that meant postponing branch elections which would have been held at the end of the delegates conference last year.

Mr. Tyrrell said that another candidate selection mechanism will be used for the first single seat election which has to be called by November.

"I can not really reveal how we are going to do that at this time," he said. The candidates will be selected "sooner rather than later", he said.