The Free Democratic Movement will build on its momentum and solidify itself as a political force, leader Marc Bean said last night.

Mr Bean added that, although the FDM did not win any seats at the General Election, its results showed popularity among voters and that people were “ready for a change”.

He said: “At this point, since I have lost, my job is to continue to build the Free Democratic Movement and institutionalise it.

“To institutionalise it, you need a constitution ... and that allows us to embrace much of the energy that we generated over the three-week period.”

Mr Bean was speaking after he failed to take the Sandys North constituency from the Progressive Labour Party.

Mr Bean got 185 votes, or 25.34 per cent of the vote, but lost heavily to Kathy Lynn Simmons, of the PLP, who took 450 votes, or 59.04 per cent.

Jeff Sousa, of the One Bermuda Alliance, won 114 votes — 15.62 per cent.

Mr Bean said he was confident that the OBA was losing support and that its votes would switch to the FDM.

He added that, although that had not happened the way he had expected this time out, it proved that the FDM had a strong potential voter base that they could rely on when it became a more established party.

Mr Bean said: “We have to reflect on things — as we analyse the whole campaign, we’ll be able to look at our strengths and weaknesses and adjust accordingly.”

He added that the party would appeal to the needs of younger voters as they solidified their stances and platform.

Mr Bean concluded: “The future of Bermuda lies in the hands of our young people. If we want to ensure our future as a country, we have no choice but to turn to them.”