Calvin Smith is no stranger to the cut and thrust of politics, so the fact that the PLP candidate for Pembroke West (district 19) is running in part of an area which has always been a solidly UBP stronghold doesn't faze him.

Instead, he believes that the newly-drawn electoral boundaries will allow him to make real inroads into the area, and hopefully see him victorious.

UBP candidate Jamahl Simmons, on the other hand, is also an experienced politician who has been canvassing non-stop since he was elected to Parliament in 2002.

He therefore remained confident that the positive response he is receiving from his constituents will continue to pay off at the polls. Both candidates support the new electoral system.

While Mr. Smith viewed Pembroke West as "a very happy, contented community" comprised mainly of "middle to upper middle class income" voters, both candidates confirmed that the premier concern was crime, and specifically the long-standing anti-social problems of Spanish Point and Admiralty Parks, which include alcohol, drugs, profanity, noise and pollution.

The UBP sees the solution as a Police substation in Admiralty Park and strict enforcement of the Park regulations, for both of which it has long campaigned.

Older voters want to feel safer in their homes, and many are concerned about the youth, whom they believe out of control.

Rather than locking them up, Mr. Smith felt fostering greater communication among community members and establishing methods to resolve their problems was the way forward, for which his extensive experience in such matters would be an asset.

In terms of national crime, the PLP candidate said that while statistics indicate that Bermuda "is not doing badly, if people think it is a problem, it is a problem".

Other issues concerning some Pembroke West voters included non-enforcement of the Child Amendment Act, 2002 giving unmarried fathers the same rights as married fathers in child custody cases; insufficient public access to water for private boat owners needing to reach their craft offshore; the dangerous use of the shallow bay at Spanish Point Park by jet skiers; the unfinished clearing away of roadside overgrowth bordering Tulo Valley Nursery; and the lack of affordable housing, both to rent and to buy.

In terms of the latter, the UBP plans to incept an innovative scheme involving the building of 100 homes on Government land with price restrictions attached.

"We have to give people hope," Mr. Simmons said.

"People who can't afford a home in their own country really feel disenfranchised and displaced."

Regarding the contentious GPS system for taxis, Mr. Simmons said drivers in his and adjoining districts who formerly supported the PLP have said they will be voting for the UBP this time around.

In terms of being elected, Mr. Simmons pledged: "I want to be able to set a standard where, win, lose or draw, people know how to get in touch with me, and they know I am working for them. When I go to the doorsteps people say: 'I don't care about the party. Are you going to do a good job?' "

Despite the odds, Mr. Smith remained firmly upbeat about his chances of taking the seat for the PLP.

"The people of Pembroke West are very pleased with the way the PLP has been governing, with a sense of it trying to be fair to all of the people of Bermuda. That will certainly help me in what has been a UBP stronghold," he said.