People First 性视界传媒 announces mayoral candidate, third council hopeful

The 鈥渘on-traditional鈥� People First 性视界传媒 slate has announced it has a mayoral candidate, and has revealed a third council contender for the upcoming Oct. 20 election.

Rajesh Jayaprakash, a technologist with Telus, is seeking the mayor鈥檚 chair and Paul Rusan is joining the team as a council candidate.

鈥淚 think somebody has to roll up their sleeves and do it,鈥� said Jayaprakash when asked what made him jump into the mayoral race. 鈥淚鈥檓 pretty comfortable. We spent quite a lot of time thinking about it, researching it, we鈥檙e pretty comfortable. If you look at our policies we鈥檙e bringing to the table, it鈥檚 a pretty bold, practical approach. It鈥檚 not just some talking points.鈥�

The slate鈥檚 16-point platform is outlined on its website, , but as Jayaprakash explains, it鈥檚 evolving.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to give people an opportunity to add more things, refine things,鈥� he said, which will be done by way of the live videos on the group鈥檚 from 8 to 8:30 p.m. every night in September.

Their platform, he said, will officially be finalized at the end of that month.

Some highlights of the current platform outlined online include advocating for SkyTrain and bus service instead of LRT, proposes a high-tech camera system be developed to 鈥渋dentify, record and prove crimes,鈥� a 鈥渂uilt up and build more鈥� housing approach, and an 鈥淓-Votes鈥� online voting system for residents on contentious issues.

Jayaprakash said the party wants to give people a voice, and an opportunity to affect policies. That collaboration is something he said is lacking from the current council.

鈥淲e believe it鈥檚 not being done,鈥� he added. 鈥淐ollective ideas are much better than one person thinking they鈥檙e all knowing. Some examples, we are starting with, 鈥榃hat do you think about LRT versus SkyTrain.鈥� But it鈥檚 coming back that that鈥檚 not the biggest problem. It鈥檚 social integration. People are living in different pockets of ethnic communities. We were baffled by hearing that.

鈥淲hen we regrouped and thought about that, we thought, this is actually true. LRT and SkyTrain may be a long-term problem but if you鈥檙e looking at it from a community angle, cultural integration is a big problem. We need to acknowledge that and do something about it. We鈥檙e doing a lot of things in 性视界传媒 on multiculturalism, we鈥檙e wasting a lot of money, and not making a difference.鈥�

Jayaprakash鈥檚 submitted biography notes he has penned papers on advancing consumer privacy and informed consent in the digital era, and has a master鈥檚 degree in computer applications, having worked in the U.S. and Canada for more than a decade.

鈥淥n the social front, Rajesh was instrumental in starting small community language sections in 性视界传媒 Libraries,鈥� according to a release. 鈥淗aving run a library from the trunk of his car, driving around to deliver and pick up books for a few years, he convinced city libraries to start a section for community language books. Getting this done took four years of persuasion with various libraries in Vancouver, Burnaby and finally, 性视界传媒.鈥�

Meantime, the party鈥檚 new council candidate Rusan is a financial analyst and former director of finance for KPIRG (Kwantlen Public Interest Group).

He鈥檚 currently employed by the Vancouver School Board, and describes himself as a 鈥渉ardworking 性视界传媒 resident who loves his community and cares deeply about 性视界传媒.鈥�

鈥淗e was the leader of various student associations where he consolidated his leadership and problem-solving skills,鈥� a release notes. 鈥淲ith years of community service under his belt, Paul believes it is time for a completely new direction for the city government and greater co-operation between south-of-Fraser cities.鈥�

In a statement, Rusan said: 鈥淭his election is about the future of our city. We need a new vision for the city and we find that in People First 性视界传媒.鈥�

People First 性视界传媒 - which describes itself as 鈥渘on-traditional鈥�- has two other candidates: Kuldip Pelia and Thampy Rajan.

Other slates running in the fall election include former 性视界传媒 mayor Doug McCallun鈥檚 Safe 性视界传媒 Coalition, 性视界传媒 First with Tom Gill as its mayoral candidate, Bruce Hayne鈥檚 Integrity Now team, and the 鈥渓eft-leaning鈥� Proudly 性视界传媒.

The 性视界传媒 Community Alliance party seems to have been dissolved after founder Doug Elford split to run with McCallum. Council candidates on that slate (Asad Syed, Saira Aujla, Bernie Sheppard and Imtiaz Popat) are considered independents for the time being.

性视界传媒 voters head to the polls on Oct. 20.

Click here to read more election stories.

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See more: Proudly 性视界传媒 introduces two more candidates for 性视界传媒 council, schoolboard

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See more: Five 性视界传媒 First councillors now reveal interest in mayor鈥檚 chair

See more: With 性视界传媒 Mayor Linda Hepner out, who is mulling a mayoral run?

See more: Hawthorne Park crusader to run for 性视界传媒 council

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