Young Senator Davida Morris was yesterday unveiled as one of three Progressive Labour Party candidates in traditional United Bermuda Party stronghold constituencies.

Sen. Morris, 26, is to battle for the Constituency 22 seat in Paget East, where she will be up against former Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons.

It comes less than a year after she burst onto the political scene when Premier Ewart Brown appointed her as one of Bermuda's youngest ever Senators shortly after ousting former Premier Alex Scott. Her selection represents something of a U-turn given that two months ago she declared she was not ready to stand for Parliament.

At a candidate roll-out ceremony at the Botanical Gardens, Dr. Brown's race relations consultant Rolfe Commissiong was announced as the PLP's candidate for Constituency 23 in Paget West, where he faces a tough task against Deputy Leader of the Opposition Patricia Gordon-Pamplin.

PLP secretary general Linda Merritt was put forward to challenge UBP House Leader John Barritt for the seat for Constituency 12, Devonshire South Central.

Sen. Morris — the Junior Social Rehabilitation Minister and chair of PLP youth wing Progressive Minds — told The Royal Gazette her change of heart came after she was approached by party representatives. That was how I felt; but when the opportunity presented itself it made me do some personal reflecting," she said. "I believe I can do anything I put my mind to.

"I was approached and I couldn't really say no. I didn't really have a good excuse. This is a challenge, but I'm not going in with a losing attitude at all."

She said her time in the Senate would hold her in good stead for a role in the House of Assembly. "The Senate and House are not exactly the same, but there are similarities," she said. "I love my job. I'm definitely in for the long haul, so this is another stepping stone for me."

Making a speech after being unveiled in front of the media, Sen. Morris described herself as an advocate for the younger generation. She said if elected she would push for more opportunities for scholarships, particularly for students in fields not related to international business.

Issues directly affecting Paget East, she said, include traffic concerns and the need to maintain its reputation as a garden paradise by planting native and endemic flora.

Mr. Commissiong, also appointed in the early days of Dr. Brown's rein, has in recent months been running the Big Conversation, a project which encourages blacks and whites to talk about race. He told this newspaper he was not afraid to fight an uphill battle in what is regarded as a safe UBP seat.

"It doesn't frighten me, although I approach it very soberly," he said. "I would hope the constituents there would keep an open mind. There's a long-time UBP support over the last three of four decades. But the presence of people like Zane DeSilva and Jane Correia (both white PLP candidates) signals a new era in Bermuda politics."

He told the press conference he was specifically appealing to Paget's Portuguese community.

"Unlike the previous UBP Government, which essentially expelled scores of Portuguese workers and their families, it was the PLP that, shortly upon assuming the mantle of Government in 1998, offered the change to the relevant immigration law, in order to protect the rights of long-term residents," he said.

He said that under the leadership of Dr. Brown — whom he described as a "man of integrity" — Bermuda was poised to usher in a new era.

Ms Merritt boasts a wealth of experience on various committees on the Island. She is chairman of the Air Advisory Committee, vice chairman of Pride Bermuda, and a member of both Bermuda Health Council and the Immigration Board.

"I offer my many years of business leadership experience both in the public and private sectors," she said.

She pointed to her deep roots as a seventh generation Bermudian whose great grandfather Rufus Stovell was a founding member of Devonshire Recreation Club. She said she was humbled to stand for a party which fights for social change.