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Independent candidate Suzie Arruda announced

Suzie Arruda is announced as an independent candidate for Constituency 19 (Photograph by Akil Simmons)

A contender for Pembroke West told voters that she would be available at any time to hear concerns and ideas as her independent candidacy was announced today.

Suzie Arruda will stand in Constituency 19, where Jache Adams won the seat for the Progressive Labour Party in 2020.

Soon after her intention to run was announced, Sir John Swan confirmed that he would once again join the battle for Smith’s North, where he was among the candidates in a by-election last year.

The two addressed media at the Spanish Point Boat Club after a General Election, set for February 18, was announced yesterday.

Ms Arruda said: “I think right now Bermuda needs leaders that listen.

“They’re not listening to the people. They need to listen. They need to act on what the people have asked them to do. And they need to put the people first, not the political parties first.”

She added: “I believe that by working together we can create a community that can be seen, heard and most importantly, enriched to thrive.”

The candidate said she was looking forward to meeting constituents in Pembroke West and planned to hold a town hall meeting on January 22 at the Spanish Point Boat Club.

Ms Arruda, who works as a Portuguese interpreter for the Bermuda Police Service, said she would be accessible to her constituents in person and through social media.

She added: “I will be reachable at any time, I want to hear from you.

“I want to hear your concerns. I want to hear your ideas because I don’t think politicians are listening to the ideas of people that live within their constituencies.

“They live there. They work there. They know what needs to be done and have ideas on how things need to be fixed.”

Ms Arruda, who also made an appeal for support in Portuguese, said she had been preparing for the elections for several months.

She said she had been interacting with people in the community and was ready to work for change.

Ms Arruda added: “It’s up to them to want to make that change and give the independents — not just myself, all the independents that are running — a fair chance.

“To show them that we can do more than what the Government has done, with fresh new ideas.”

Ms Arruda, who is a business professional and earlier worked with Sir John, said that she questioned what were her intentions many times before she announced her candidacy.

Sir John, the island’s longest-serving premier, will run in Constituency 10.

He took part in a by-election battle last May against the Progressive Labour Party’s Lindsay Simmons and the One Bermuda Alliance’s Robert King, who won the vote.

Sir John said today: “I hope the people in Smith’s North realise the fact that this is not about party politics, this is not about John Swan.

“This is about Bermuda and this is about its people and some of the things to rectify, what I consider to be not only a local problem but an international problem.”

The National Hero said he planned to provide guidance to the young independent candidates to put the island “back on track” again.

Independents: Sir John Swan makes known his intention to run in next month’s General Election, moments after Suzie Arruda, right, announced her plans to stand in Constituency 19 (Photograph by Akil Simmons)

He noted: “We could have had the opportunity to make decisions for this election based upon the Budget, now we can’t.

“So we’re put in a really limbo position and that’s what the election will be. It's a limbo election.”

Sir John said the decision by the Government to call the election without the Budget being presented: “Is basically a desperate decision rather than a reasonable logical decision that has been made.”

He said that like Ms Arruda, he was satisfied that the independent candidates would be able to roll out their plans for voters so that they may support the independent movement.

Speaking on that movement, Sir John said: “It is the ability to work in co-operation with one another.

“In other words, coalesce together and come to conclusions together.”

He said the independent movement embraced the business community “so there is a full participation of the process”.

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Published January 09, 2025 at 2:23 pm (Updated January 09, 2025 at 6:15 pm)

Independent candidate Suzie Arruda announced

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