Burch to be confirmed as PLP candidate, concerns remain about Commissiong
General Election candidate unveilings are set to begin again this week with the announcement of David Burch as the Progressive Labour Party’s candidate for Warwick North Central.And amid some uncertainty about who will represent the party in Pembroke South East, incumbent Ashfield DeVent said yesterday that he does not rule out running as an independent candidate.Meanwhile, the One Bermuda Alliance insists it has all 36 of its candidates lined up, despite not living up to their own stated intention to roll out candidates weekly.Seventeen have been announced already and the rest “will be rolled out over a period of time,” said OBA party Chairman Thad Hollis.The ruling party’s Central Committee approved all candidates nominated by their branches in November last year.But there continues to be concern over whether Rolfe Commissiong, who won branch approval last year, should contest the Pembroke South East seat.Insiders say that Mr Commissiong has been working hard at canvassing the area, also known as constituency 21, since defeating Mr DeVent and two others in the selection contest in September.But the branch executive and other members of the party hierarchy are said to be concerned that Mr Commissiong may not be able to keep the seat for the PLP.This poses a dilemma for the PLP as Mr Commissiong won the nomination under recent changes to the PLP Constitution which give the branches final say on the election candidates, unless there are extraordinary circumstances.“The question is do you run a candidate who has a very high possibility of losing?” asked one party insider.But it remains to be seen whether Mr Commissiong’s canvassing thus far has turned the tide in his favour, cautioned another party pundit. Mr Commissiong declined to comment for this story.Some observers say that Party Leader Paula Cox can overturn the outcome of the selection process under special circumstances.Assuming Mr Commissiong is not somehow deselected, the General Election could see four candidates vying for the Pembroke South East seat.“The thought of running as an independent is not beyond me,” said Mr DeVent. “I think the voters of this country need a choice based on (a candidate’s) background, what they stand for and what they represent.”Businessman Khalid Wasi has already announced his intention to run there independently and the Opposition One Bermuda Alliance has not yet announced its candidate for the district.Mr DeVent was uncertain when asked whether Mr Commissiong’s candidacy was final. “He has not been officially announced as a candidate,” he said.But he said: “I’ve received numerous queries with regard to my candidacy. And people were concerned about any other possible candidate and what they represented, particularly for the times we are living in.”Insiders say there are no uncertainties over Senator David Burt’s candidacy. Senator Burt defeated incumbent Neletha Butterfield in the contest for the Pembroke West Central nomination and is expected to be formally announced as the candidate over the coming weeks.