Jamahl Simmons has been chosen by the United Bermuda Party (UBP) as its candidate to replace Gary Pitman in the House of Assembly.

Mr. Pitman resigned his seat in Pembroke West on December 17.

Last night Mr. Simmons promised, if elected, to serve the constituents of Pembroke West with "all the energy and vigour that I possess".

"As your candidate I pledge to you that I will protect the interests of the people of Pembroke West - to listen to your needs and be accountable. More than anything else I want my candidacy to unify this community, to renew our spirit and sense of purpose. This is the message I will be carrying to the people of Pembroke West, regardless of party affiliation. If elected I will be the youngest member of the House of Assembly. It is very humbling to recognise the task ahead of us. My family has the tradition of public service and I am honoured to have the opportunity to serve my Country as my father did before me. There is a lot of work ahead but I couldn't hope for a better team."

Mr. Simmons, 31, has served all three political parties. He chaired the Progressive Labour Party's public relations advisory board during the 1998 general election, before becoming general secretary of the National Liberal Party. In November he announced that he had changed his political allegiances once again.

Mr. Simmons said he had settled. "I've definitely found a place to settle. I think, like a lot of young people, I have been looking at what is out there - making an intelligent choice as to where to spend the future, who is the best vehicle to shape the future of this Country."

His decision to defect to the UBP was as a result of a "recognition that we share the same values, the same visions, the same goals and at this stage in the Country's history it's critical that people who share values and goals should unite and work toward what we all want. It's pointless to work for the same goal and fight each other at the same time."

He declared himself "stunned" when the news came that he had been selected. The main issues of concern to the Pembroke West constituents were public safety, the level of taxes, and the deterioration of tourism.

"Another concern is the issue of seniors - senior care and the availability of facilities. We're going to be looking at all these things. But, particularly, I'm not going to sit here and say I know - that I know the best answer for everything. I believe the people of this community have the answer within them. If we just listen to them we will be able to move forward together."

Mr. Simmons told The Royal Gazette that he will put the Pembroke West constituents first, if elected. "I'm a representative of the people of Pembroke West. Those are the people who I will be in regular communication with - in close contact with and they will shape the actions that I take in the House of Assembly. I'm guided by my principles in how I pursue those actions but I believe that we have to be loyal to the people."

Asked what he would do if deeply held principles conflict with what he knows the constituents want, he said : "We'll cross that bridge when it comes. The key right now is that no relationship is perfect. But most of the MPs seem to know how to make it work and I'm going to be leaning very heavily on the experience of Erwin Adderley and Gary Pitman to walk that fine line."

He acknowledged that some may question the fact that he has been involved in all three parties. "It's a fair question," Mr. Simmons said. "The people have to know that their candidate is going to be loyal to them and that they are not somebody who makes rash decisions. He said, he found it counterproductive to fight against the UBP when he shared the same values. "If the UBP and the NLP share eight out of ten things, why should we fight against each other ?"