The Fijian electoral system employs the so-called alternate ballot, whereby votes cast for low-polling candidates may be transferred to higher-polling candidates according to the ranking specified by the candidate, which may be customized by the individual voter. It is usual, therefore, for parties to negotiate preference deals before elections. Mick Beddoes emphasized on 8 September 2005 that any such agreement with the Fiji Labour Party (FLP) or the National Alliance Party (NAPF) would have to be favourable to UPP candidates. They did not want to be caught, he said, in a situation in which the UPP merely collected votes to benefit other parties. He also said that some executives of the UPP were opposed to making any deals with other parties.