With Bermuda Industrial Union president Derrick Burgess crushing all opposition in the Hamilton East by-election just eight months ago the opposition PLP may be forgiven for feeling confident that the residents of the constituency will return its two incumbent MPs on November 9.

Mr. Burgess' running mate, Shadow Health Minister Renee Webb, also topped the polls as a fresh faced newcomer to the political scene at the last election.

But the community has a habit of throwing up surprises when it comes to electing its Parliamentary representatives, with neither of the two main parties having a firm hold over the constituency.

All three political parties have won the support of voters in recent years and with a tightly-knit, mainly black, church-going community that seems to consist entirely of floating voters, it is not surprising that both parties feel that Hamilton East is a key marginal that is up for grabs.

All four candidates have been canvassing hard in recent months -- and all claim they have had a favourable response on the doorsteps.

Architect and cricket umpire Stephen West, although standing in an election for the first time, is no new face to the political scene, having been a United Bermuda Party member and worker for the last 30 years.

And, although living in neighbouring Smith's Parish, he has strong ties with the local community.

An enthusiastic supporter of Premier Pamela Gordon and the Government's recent track record, Mr. West believes the UBP is the only party that can steer the Country through the oncoming choppy economic waters.

Like the other candidates, he thinks residents are concerned primarily with two related issues -- crime and drug abuse. But he also has a passion for social justice and in particular the plight of single parent families and the problem of deadbeat dads.

"Being a parent is a two-way street,'' he said. "If a couple have a child out of wedlock or if they get divorced then the father has to be just as responsible for the care of that child.'' A father of two, Mr. West also feels the Island's education system needs fine tuning.

"There are concerns with the public school system, but the people within the system have to do their part,'' he said. "The reason why I decided to run is because I feel I can win it for the UBP -- they really are the best of the two parties with a very strong woman running it.'' That is a sentiment that current MPs Renee Webb and Derrick Burgess will no doubt strongly disagree with.

Ms Webb, elected in 1993, is proud of her record as the people's representative in the House of Assembly, but feels she has a lot more to offer were her party in Government.

"Why should people vote for me? Well, I'm proud of what I've done since being elected, but being in Opposition can be frustrating. We can only lobby and pass on advice. I am confident that the PLP will win the election and I am somebody who can get things done.

"I think the main concerns of people locally are also the national issues, particularly crime and drug abuse and the effect they have on the community and in the neighbourhoods,'' she said.

"Another major concern is the lack of affordable housing. This is an issue that not only affects those directly affected but there is the knock-on affect that goes through the whole community.

"There are also minor issues such as street lighting and road repair problems.'' Derrick Burgess also thinks he has done a good job representing the people of Hamilton East since being elected in February.

And he believes that tackling the problem of drugs will result in a decline in crime statistics.

Mr. Burgess argues that more funding needs to be provided for drug rehabilitation schemes to allow offenders to kick the habit.

His other concerns are the lack of quality jobs for educated Bermudians, the education system and the welfare of senior citizens.

"Sure, the Government has been doing some things in the past 30 years, but I think a lot more needs to be done,'' he said. "They've been talking about Bermudianisation for the last 30 years, but still the programmes aren't in place.'' A family man with a drive to serve his community, Mr. Burgess said the reason he entered politics was because he enjoys helping people.

"Through working in the hotel industry and with the Union I've always dealt with people -- and I get a kick out of it,'' he said.

UBP candidate Angelita Fox, a Senator in the last Parliament, is a staunch believer in the old saying "it takes a village to raise a child'', believing that links between young and old should be forged to create a strong sense of community.

As the mother of three young children, she says she has a vested interest in the Island's education system and also recognises residents' concern over crime.

"I live in the parish, I grew up there, my family is from there -- I'm entrenched in Hamilton East and I now want to give something back to the community,'' she said. "I think people have a genuine fear of crime and the safety of our children is also something that concerns me.

"I think people should vote for me because I can listen to both sides of the argument, I'm accessible and I have made a commitment.''