Graeme Outerbridge will not be the National Liberal Party's (NLP) candidate for the upcoming Pembroke West by-election.

"No. I'm not the perennial candidate - I'm the serial candidate," he said when asked whether he was interested in running.

"I never was interested - never even entertained it."

He said, however, the party does intend on running someone in the contest to replace Gary Pitman (UBP) who resigned from politics December 17.

A date has not yet been set for the poll - likely to be the last held under the dual seat electoral system.

Mr. Outerbridge told The Royal Gazette that he considered the by-election to have no significance whatsoever.

"It means absolutely nothing," he said. "There's too little time before the next election and it's overwhelmingly a UBP safe seat. It's running neck and neck with Smith's South and after Paget East - it's probably one of their safest seats. Whoever occupies that seat will have a national profile for a year."

Mr. Outerbridge predicted "it's going to be very hard to get the electorate interested in this election unless something controversial happens".

Asked why the NLP was bothering to contest the seat, he said it was important to have the party's point of view represented in any election.

The NLP meets next week to choose their candidate. Meanwhile United Bermuda Party campaign chairman David Sullivan told The Royal Gazette that their candidate will likely be selected before mid January.

He said interest had come from all quarters - including many new faces. No one from the ruling Progressive Labour Party could be contacted for an update on its by-election preparations.