The Island's political parties are scrambling to organise for the upcoming Pembroke West by-election after UBP MP Gary Pitman's surprise resignation on Monday.

Officially, names of possible candidates are being held close to the chest but both the Island major parties - the Progressive Labour Party (PLP) and the United Bermuda Party (UBP) - and National Liberal Party (NLP) should be fielding candidates, The Royal Gazette was told.

And two former PLP candidates for the seat - realtor Rodney Smith and businessman Carval Vanputten - said yesterday they might be prepared to answer the call of their party.

The Pembroke West seat has long been known as a UBP stronghold but yesterday both Mr. VanPutten and Mr. Smith told The Royal Gazette the PLP been gaining steady support during recent contests.

Mr. VanPutten stood for PLP during the last two general elections (1998 and 1993) and once previously in a by-election.

He told The Royal Gazette it's “possible” he would stand again but the matter of candidate selection is in the hands of the party right now.

“(Mr. Pitman's resignation) was a shocker to everyone,” Mr. VanPutten said. “It's very up in the air right now and will be something to discuss.

“But it's very democratically done and the party will look at everyone who comes forward and see who is the better candidate.”

Former PLP candidate Rodney Smith also said he would consider another run at the seat.

“I'd be prepared to stand if the party thought I could do something,” he said.

Mr. Smith contested by-elections in Pembroke West for the PLP in 1997 and 1998.

Those by-elections brought UBP MPs Erwin Adderley and Mr. Pitman into Parliament following the retirements of former UBP Cabinet Ministers David Dyer and Clarence Terceira respectively.

Mr. Smith was also slated to run alongside Mr. VanPutten the 1998 general election until he fell out with the party over an eviction scandal.

Two months before the PLP rocketed to power in November, Mr. Smith voluntarily withdrew from the race after falling under harsh criticism for an alleged illegal eviction of one of his tenants during a national housing crisis.

But last night Mr. Smith said he was still a “card-carrying member of the party and he would be pleased to answer the call.

“I still feel the party has sufficient support in Pembroke West to win the seat,” he said. “But it's up to the branch to select the candidate.”

Running solo in the 1998 general election, Mr. VanPutten gathered 521 votes - roughly 300 votes behind the winning UBP incumbents.

In 1998 by-election, Mr. Smith received 400 of the 1,004 votes cast when Mr. Pitman was elected, while in 1997 the UBP's Erwin Adderley took 618 votes to Mr. Smith's 382.

Perennial NLP candidate Graeme Outerbridge also stood in the same by-election taking 34 votes.

Yesterday, Mr. Outerbridge - fresh out of contesting the Smith's South by-election this summer which brought the UBP's Maxwell Burgess back to power - said he had no official comment on whether he would stand for the NLP in the new year.

“We haven't met yet,” Mr. Outerbridge said. “But there's a vacant seat and we will rally to do something.”

Mr. Outerbridge said he expected the party would meet after Christmas to discuss contesting the by-election as there is already a meeting scheduled to draft a submission to the Boundaries Commission.

The election - possibly the last to be held under the current electoral configuration - should prove an important test of the UBP under new leader Dr. Grant Gibbons however.

Party campaign chairman David Sullivan said yesterday the candidate selection process would be the first test of the party's new Constitution - which went into effect this past June.

Under the new rules, the candidate will be chosen by five members of the local branch committee and four members of the central campaign committee, he said. The change in the selection process will allow the UBP a more speedy response to the by-election call as it eliminates the need for a time-consuming primary in Pembroke West, Mr. Sullivan said.

As the by-election must take place within 60 days of the tendering of a MP's resignation to the Speaker of the House - which Mr. Pitman did on Monday - “we need to make an effort to get ready quickly,” he said.

Neither Mr. Sullivan nor UBP chairman Wayne Furbert would reveal names of numbers of potential UBP candidates yesterday but Mr. Sullivan said there were “always a number of people ready to run”.

There are currently 1,663 registered voters in Pembroke West, Parliamentary Registrar Lionel Dowling told The Royal Gazette yesterday, although he expects that number will change in the run up to the by-election.