The Pembroke East Central by-election will be held on November 26, Premier Jennifer Smith announced yesterday.

But the Progressive Labour Party (PLP) has not yet selected its candidate for the poll which is necessary because of the death of David Allen.

The Premier had invited the media for the start of canvassing to remind people of the need to be registered to vote.

"We have begun canvassing and this is canvassing for registration, to ensure that people are registered, that they have the correct address and everything on it," said the Premier.

She then revealed that she will be asking the Governor today to issue the writ for a November 26 polling date.

"On that date I would hope that we will be once again victorious in the memory of the late David Allen and this district that he so capably represented."

The canvassing started at the home of Shirley Swan, the mother of the late Angela Swan, a close friend of the Premier and ardent supporter of the PLP.

Ms Smith responded to comments made by Rev. Leonard Santucci when he was named the UBP's candidate for the area.

"First of all it was to be expected. He engaged in political rhetoric... I hope he has been canvassing in Pembroke East Central, which is where the by-election will be held," she said. "And let me say, in Pembroke East Central both Mr. Stanley Morton and the late Minister David Allen were known for their integrity and their representation of that area."

In fact, Sen. Santucci was standing on the border of the two constituencies, but overlooking Pembroke East Central when he made his announcement Tuesday.

With the Premier for the walkabout were party chairman Neville Tyrell, Pembroke branch chairman Scott Pearman, area MP Stanley Morton and spokesman Walter Roban.

Mr. Pearman said that the party will be choosing its candidate in "a couple of days". The branch has a "plethora of candidates" to choose from, the Premier said.

"The candidate is going to have their work cut out even though a number of persons have already been working throughout the district," Mr. Pearman said. But he wouldn't say how many potential candidates the branch had to choose from.

"We anticipate it's going to be a close race. It's going to be quite interesting. Sometimes we have a single prominent candidate or just one or two but a number of candidates have stepped forward - all or whom represent different segments of the constituency base and what will really tell is who can represent the entire base."

The party also officially responded to what they said was the Opposition's candidate's "ploy of irreverent political rhetoric".

It will be seen "for the smokescreen it truly represents and to this end the voters of Pembroke East Central will not be fooled," the statement read.

"The fact is that that, for over 30 years and as recently as 1998 the overwhelming majority of voters in Pembroke East Central expressed their unequivocal support and their explicit confidence in the integrity of the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party and its leadership." The statement pledged that the party will stick to a "campaign of issues".