Progressive Labour Party MPs Michael Weeks and Terry Lister are to defend their seats in the next general election.Premier Paula Cox made the announcement at a press conference yesterday.Mr Weeks, the current Minister of Public Works, is to run Constituency 16, Pembroke East Central. Meanwhile, backbencher and former Transport Minister Mr Lister will run in Constituency 33, Sandys South.Both MPs stressed the work they were doing for their communities at the Alaska Hall meeting.Mr Weeks won the Pembroke East Central seat in a by-election following the death of Health Minister Nelson Bascome.“I have worked tirelessly in the Pembroke East Central area with constituents and for them,” he said. “Together, we have worked for the betterment of our constituency and our Country as a whole.“My aim has always been to make a difference one street corner at a time and as the residents of Pembroke East Central expressed a need for improvement, I worked diligently to address their concerns by establishing a community action plan.”Mr Weeks said he has worked to improve roadways and increase security in the community since he became an MP in 2009.On a national scale, he noted his work with other ministries on the Job Corps initiative.“I feel this programme will go a long way to assist our young people be trained and/or retrained in job preparation for 21st century Bermuda,” he said. “Many of our young people are feeling disconnected.“However with the implementation of Job Corps, and other Mincy [Report] recommendations, we will address many of the issues that our young people are facing.”Mr Lister said he has committed himself to work with the Sandys South community.“I have been open, available and have been able to meet with people in my living room and their living room,” he said.White Hill Field was a matter of concern by many residents in the area, Mr Lister added.“[It] is essential to the community, and where we stand today is not satisfactory to the community,” he said. “Many people have spoken to me about it.“We will get something done in the next little while that will be to the satisfaction of the people of Sandys South. We are not going to rest on our laurels.”He said of the PLP’s efforts to improve the Island: “We will together stay the course and ensure that we are addressing the crime problem, the job problem, the economy issues to get this Country where it needs to be.“I believe that we are in a position that we haven’t seen since World War Two and that requires experience, talent to address it.“We have some opponents who feel that they should, at the end of the next election, become the government.“However before that happens, in every constituency voters have to decide for themselves who has the experience, who has the skill, who has the talent to stay the course and bring us through the hard times.”He dismissed the idea that he and Mr Weeks were a shoo-in at the next election.“They are only safe seats if we work them. Mr Weeks has done so, I have done so, and I expect at the end of the next election, we will be here representing the people of these two constituencies once again.”