The Progressive Labour Party unveiled two more election candidates yesterday as Premier Ewart Brown again said he was pushing to increase his party’s tally to 30 seats — up from the 22 it holds now.

Attorney General Philip Perinchief will fight St. George’s South which retiring MP Government Renee Webb held by just eight votes last time while Berkeley biology teacher Lovita Foggo will fight St. David’s which was won by the United Bermuda Party’s Suzann Holshouser by just 15 votes in 2003.

Both candidates were selected despite their local branch initially picking someone else only to be overruled by the party hierarchy.

At a press conference at Clearwater School Sen. Perinchief said he wasn’t worried by his party’s narrow victory in St. George’s last time.

“I love hard work. The eight votes — I can promise you that will be more than tripled or quadrupled by the time I finish canvassing.”

He said he had been hitting the doorsteps for the last five weeks and had enjoyed a good reception. “They show a clear preference for the PLP and me as their candidate.”

The seat wraps all around Castle Harbour and includes a chunk of St. David’s, the most easterly part of Hamilton Parish and Tucker’s Town.

Sen. Perinchief takes on the former national director of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and missionary Donte Hunt, who is running for the United Bermuda Party for the first time.

Sen. Perinchief knows the area, having lived for 15 years in St. David’s while in the last two years he has been in the Bailey’s Bay area.

Sen. Perinchief has run a number of times for the PLP without success. “I never lost a deposit and I softened up Pembroke West (Central) for my brother who came behind me and took it away after that.”

He actually ran against the PLP in 1998 when he ran as an independent, primarily plugging the need for Bermuda split with Britain.

Asked if he was disappointed that sovereignty had been ruled out by Premier Brown for the coming election he said: “No, everything in its time.”

Asked about the initial selection of the Rev. Leroy Bean by the St. George’s South branch, Sen. Perinchief said: “The Premier and the candidates selection process chose me. It was a comprehensive process. I evolved as the winner of that contest.”

He said Rev. Bean was giving him full backing.

Both candidates said the area needed a medical centre — an issue which was being led by the Premier — while they both said national issues attracting the attention of voters were education and better care of seniors.

Ms Foggo said she had lived in the seat for 20 years but originally came from St. George’s.

She said last time around the PLP had lost the seat because supporters didn’t come out. “I have been working extremely hard in reaching out.”

Dr. Brown said Ms Foggo was a hard worker. “It won’t be an easy task to unseat the incumbent in Three but we believe this candidate has the character and ability to do just that.”

He said Sen. Perinchief too was willing to put in the effort. “The only way we can reach our goal of 30 seats is for both these seats to be won convincingly.”

So far the PLP have named just five candidates for the 36 seats while the UBP have named all but two of theirs. Former cricketer Noel Gibbons has been linked with the Hamilton East seat but United Bermuda Party chairman Shawn Crockwell said other options were also being considered to take on incumbent Derrick Burgess.

Premier Brown has yet to name a date for the election which must be called by January, 2009.