The ruling Progressive Labour Party (PLP) last week completed the first stage of candidate selection for the November 26 Pembroke East Central by-election.

Members of the party's Pembroke branch met Thursday to hear five prospective candidates make their pitch for the nomination and a vote was held at a second meeting on Saturday.

The vote ended in a tie between Senator Calvin Smith and broadcast journalist Ashfield deVent, The Royal Gazette has learned.

And in what some observers are calling an unprecedented decision in the party's candidate selection process, the branch hierarchy will be putting both names to the Central Committee's candidate selection committee.

Branch chairman Scott Pearman would only confirm that there had been five candidates and that he would be making a recommendation to the Central Committee, adding: “There will be at least one name put forward.”

Two weeks ago Mr. Pearman told The Royal Gazette that the branch will be recommending only one candidate to the selection committee.

Whoever is selected will be running against Opposition Senator Leonard Santucci.

“The candidates represent themselves very well and in responding to the questions from the floor. In fact all the candidates did a fine to excellent job,” Mr. Pearman continued.

Traditionally, the selection committee, which has the final say, ratifies the branch's nomination.

Mr. Pearman said he was quite impressed by the turnout for the vote. “It was excellent. We had over 45 percent of the Pembroke membership, so for what was essentially a primary, it was quite good. People were very interested in participating in the process.”

He added: “I'm always impressed when the constituents take part in the process because the process is there for them.”

Once the final selection has been made, it will be left to party leader Jennifer Smith to decide when to announce the candidate.

Former PLP candidates Rodney Smith, Rolfe Commissiong and Carvel Van Putten also put their names forward for consideration by the branch members, according to inside sources.

The poll is being held to find a replacement for the former Tourism Minister David Allen who died last month. It will be the fourth by election held since the PLP came into power in 1998, but the first caused by a ruling party transition.

In the other by elections, the United Bermuda Party kept its seats held in Pembroke West and Smith's South, which were made vacant by UBP resignations, and Paget West, made vacant by the death of Madeleine Joell.