A former Progressive Labour Party MP is throwing his hat into the ring as an independent candidate in next month’s General Election.

Rolfe Commissiong will announce his candidacy at the entrance to the cemetery on Cemetery Road in Pembroke at 1pm today.

Mr Commissiong, who served as PLP MP for Pembroke South East from 2012 to 2020, will run in Pembroke Central (Constituency 17) on February 18.

He will stand against incumbent MP Jason Hayward, the Minister of Economy and Labour, who ran for the PLP uncontested in 2020, as well as the One Bermuda Alliance candidate Glenn Tucker.

Mr Commissiong said in October: “The independents are committed to a type of constitutional and political reform or change that is long overdue.

“That will create a system of independent candidates, hopefully being dominant within the House of Assembly, that will be in a better position to tackle a lot of these issues which we are finding on the doorsteps.”

Former premier Sir John Swan, business professional Suzie Arruda, unionist Dwight Jackson, Karen Hodgkins and Ci’re Bean will also run as independents next month.

Sir John intends to stand in Smith’s North, where he came second in a three-way by-election in May.

Sir John writes in an opinion piece in The Royal Gazette today: “I ask Bermudians to ask themselves are they better off than they were, are they confident in the future, do they believe the present system is going to solve the problems and bring Bermuda back on track.

“I am running because I believe the answer is no, and I believe I can’t just hide in the outfield, I have to engage and try to help.

“We need a new system, a system where all of Bermuda can be involved in finding solutions and working together to make them happen.

“This is the vision that the independent movement brings. It’s time for real and meaningful change.”

UPDATE: this article has been amended to include confirmed independent candidates Karen Hodgkins and Ci’re Bean