Former United Bermuda Party MP Allan Marshall says likely casualties of a merger between the Opposition parties need to “park their egos in the garage”.Mr Marshall faces giving up his position as the UBP’s adopted candidate for Hamilton South and a probable seat in the House of Assembly if the party joins forces with the Bermuda Democratic Alliance.But he said he’s willing to go through another selection process, potentially competing with current BDA members, for the right to represent Constituency Seven, if it means Bermuda has a unified Opposition.Mr Marshall is one of a host of candidates from both parties who were rolled out before it became clear their parties were set to merge.“My guess is that both groups will work together to go through a selection process,” Mr Marshall told The Royal Gazette.“Constituencies, I imagine, would be available for candidates to challenge for. I would still be interested in serving, I think I have something to contribute.“I would have to make representations again to delegates and hopefully win the support of voters in the area. That would be fair all round.“It could very well happen to me that I lose my place, but that’s the way it should work. I parked my ego in the garage donkey’s ages ago. I would hope all the other people like myself also parked their egos in the garage.The UBP has also rolled out Jeff Sousa as its candidate for Warwick West, Erwin Adderley in Pembroke West, Senator Suzann Roberts-Holshouser in St George’s South and Susan Jackson in Southampton East Central.In those constituencies respectively, the BDA has MPs Mark Pettingill, Shawn Crockwell and Donte Hunt, and Energy spokesman Michael Branco. The BDA also had Dueane Dill lined up for St George’s West, where the UBP’s Kim Swan is likely to stay and fight at the next election.Mr Marshall said: “I would hope if others feel differently to me, or feel they have been short shrifted, they understand this is a Bermuda issue. You have to allow your voters in the constituency to decide who they want to represent them.”During discussions, the BDA has also pushed for some of the UBP’s older MPs to be cast aside to make way for younger blood.Veteran UBP MPs John Barritt and Grant Gibbons, who have been at the negotiating table throughout, both declined to comment on what they dismissed as speculation.Some in the BDA are very keen on phasing out old UBP MPs but others see this as a long shot because it would require sitting members being persuaded to resign their own seats to force by-elections.Other sticking points surround the selection of the new party’s executive as well as its three Senators.But one source said much of the negotiating was over relatively trivial matters, such as who would get their photographs on the front page of the paper.“Really they are sort of niggling things to people who can see the bigger picture,” said that source.“It’s like trying to organise a wedding, where everyone is fighting over who sits on the front row when really they should be talking about the marriage, not the wedding.”Members from both sides were yesterday unsure a deal would be struck before next Friday’s Budget, as both had indicated was likely last week.Mr Swan, who has remained absent from most of the talks, has refused to answer any questions on his own future.The BDA’s former UBP members are said to be dead against Mr Swan leading the new group. One UBP source said of Mr Swan: “He felt it wise to step back and let the party negotiate.”Asked about his and his party’s future, Mr Swan directed this newspaper to chairwoman, Senator Jeanne Atherden. Sen Atherden has not responded to any questions over the past two days.Mr Hunt spoke publicly for the first time about the merger yesterday, saying he supports the concept and it has “rejuvenated my desire to represent Bermuda”.He said logic would dictate he stays in Constituency Four but would move elsewhere if requested.lUseful websites: www.ubp.bm, www.thealliance.bm