the next General Election. Significantly it is running two candidates in almost every constituency which it has not always done in the past.

A review of the candidates indicates that this is probably the strongest overall field ever run by the PLP. The PLP has also found good candidates for the marginal constituencies.

As in every election, it is difficult to predict the outcome at this stage because the UBP still has candidates to announce and especially since we do not yet know where the National Liberal Party will be running. In very close districts, the NLP can make the difference by taking away only a few votes. In the past it was clear that the NLP took votes from the PLP but that no longer seems to be true.

Working westward, in St. George's South the PLP has allied a strong candidate in the Rev. Larry Lowe with Arthur Pitcher who gave the UBP a fright at the last election. Rev. Lowe may be very hard for the UBP to beat.

In St. George's North where the UBP might hope to take back a seat despite the very strong coat tails of Opposition Leader Jennifer Smith, the PLP has made what it may well see as a safe choice in Delaey Robinson to replace the sitting but ailing Leon (Jimmy) Williams. It is interesting that the PLP has moved away from several more obvious but controversial possible choices in favour of the more quiet Civil Service image which Mr. Robinson projects.

However it has to be remembered that his run for Alderman in St. George's was unsuccessful.

Hamilton West is a major battleground and the PLP seems to have gone for a combination of popularity and seriousness. Randy Horton is a very popular figure despite a troubled past and Arthur Hodgson will be seen as a serious lawyer, magistrate and scholar. Mr. Hodgson has, of course, represented the constituency in the past and has also lost it in the past. But these two candidates will campaign hard which the PLP candidates did not do at the last election and the constituency has question marks because it has been redrawn.

Pembroke East Central could become a toss up if Charles Jeffers runs there for the NLP. In 1985 he ran there for the NLP and took away enough PLP votes to let in the two UBP candidates, Robert Barritt and Lawson Mapp.

Warwick East and Warwick West are the other major battlegrounds. Alex Scott already holds one Warwick East seat for the PLP and it seems to us that Dale Butler has a very good chance of taking the second seat for the PLP. That may depend on who the UBP chooses as its second candidate to run with Sen. E.T.

(Bob) Richards but it will take a very respected UBP heavyweight to win.

Warwick West is somewhat different. The PLP's Dr. Ewart Brown is surrounded by controversy and El James is popular but untested. The UBP's Yvette Swan has been a hard working Senator and Cabinet Minister and is campaigning hard. The contest will probably come down to whether or not Quinton Edness still has political magic without the organisational skills of his former running mate Sir John Sharpe.

The fact remains that overall this is the hardest challenge the UBP has ever had in the districts even with a hugely popular Premier in Pamela Gordon.