The Progressive Labour Party rolled out two of their Southampton candidates today as the Premier conducted a whirlwind tour of the island.

As first predicted by The Royal Gazette, construction boss Zane DeSilva, 47, will fight highly marginal Southampton East Central instead of branch choice Raymond Tannock who lost in the 2003 general election, by just 20 votes, to the United Bermuda Party's David Dodwell.

And Government consultant Marc Bean, 33, who had originally been picked by the Southampton West PLP branch to run instead of incumbent Randy Horton has moved next door to Southampton West Central – held in 2003 by the UBP's Jon Brunson by 129 votes.

In an apparent reference to the selection of Mr. DeSilva, who is white, Premier Ewart Brown said: “It has been said that the Progressive Labour Party has never been and would never be a diverse party.

“Today is only the first demonstration that that will never again be true.”

In a day littered with photo opportunities Dr. Brown, who had earlier taken the media to look at a statute of Sally Bassett, a black slave who was burned to death in 1730, said the Opposition were obsessed with the idea of an August 16 election.

“Whichever date we choose will be a date for a PLP victory,” he said.

* See The Royal Gazette tomorrow for reaction and full coverage of Dr. Brown's Island-wide activities.