This election, as has been said by many of the candidates in it, may be one of the most important in recent years. We all know that change, in whatever form it takes, will come to affect every one of us. Thus, it is more essential than ever that we are well informed about who we choose to represent us through the Students' Union. We have compiled the responses of five candidates in this year’s election for the next President of the Students Union, in the hope that you might find it easier to choose someone who best represents your views and interests. The President of the Students Union is the highest ranking of all the elected officers, the others being the Vice Presidents of, Sports, Societies and Volunteering, Welsh, Postgraduate Students, International Students and The Heath Park Campus. Like the vice-presidential positions, it is a paid role, one which is normally performed for one year after the completion of a degree.

Although one can interrupt study to take on the role and there have been cases of SU presidents being re-elected for a second term, this is normally not the case. It is common, as happened last year, for a vice president to run for and win the presidency. In role of president a person oversees the running of the Students' Union, this means advocating for students interests to Cardiff University, local government and within national and devolved contexts. It also means heading, with the assistance of permanent staff such as The Chief Executive, a multimillion-pound organisation with a reported income of £12,908,971 last academic year. Cardiff’s student union has grown into one of the country’s largest and thus running it has become a great responsibility in addition to commitments to advocating for students.

Turnout tends to be low in these elections, around 7000. Yet with the urgency which has been injected into this election by recent events, such as the announcement of cuts to teaching, perhaps there will be greater engagement with the election process.

We at Gair Rhydd hope that this special edition will help you make your decision.