Premier Ewart Brown has called for a “long overdue” change in the way in which Bermuda’s political parties decide election candidates.

Commenting after the PLP Southampton West constituency branch rejected sitting candidate Randy Horton he said independent polling would be used to cancel out “aberrations” in the candidate selection process.

In a press release issued by the PLP last night Dr. Brown said: “Change is long overdue in the manner in which Bermuda’s political parties decide election candidates.

“Bermuda has recently witnessed how dysfunctional a political organisation eventually becomes when power brokers operating as a controlling clique are permitted to call the shots on who should lead, who should follow, and who should be the party’s election candidates.

“The Bermuda Progressive Labour Party is moving party politics to another level and, through independent polling, we are deepening the democratic process in selecting our candidates for the next General Election. As a prelude to who will be their ultimate choices to represent them in Parliament, the PLP is involving constituents at large in determining who will be their initial choices as their Party’s candidates.

“Insofar as last week’s development in the Southampton West constituency goes, I say, let all the flowers bloom.”

Dr. Brown said independent polling will “cancel out aberrations” wherever they might surface in the Progressive Labour Party’s candidates’ selection process. He concluded: “The combination of branch recommendations and independent polling will ensure that PLP candidates emerge from a ‘bottom up’ not a ‘top down’ process, and, most importantly, it helps in ensuring that the PLP presents a balanced, truly inclusive, and winning slate to the Bermudian electorate.

“This way, every Bermudian will be a winner with the re-election of the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party.”