Bermuda’s political party leaders agree on one thing — the unprecedented number of independent candidates seeking elective office signals a healthy democracy but voters ought to choose one party or another to run the country.The two party leaders were asked to share their views on why there were so many people running independently and what lessons the phenomenon offered the political parties."While we thank the independents for their participation and believe that their involvement in the campaign shows the strength of our democracy, the real choice before voters is between a PLP that stands strong for Bermudians and an OBA that promises a Cuts & Pain Commission to dramatically remake Bermudian society,” said Premier Paula Cox.She was backed by a party spokesperson who added: "Seats in Bermuda are won by just a handful of votes. Voters must be aware that the independent candidates face long odds and that their support for an independent candidate may well contribute to an unintended consequence of helping the OBA win the seat.“When you go to vote, ask yourself if by voting for an independent candidate, are you contributing to vote splitting that will result in the OBA candidate being elected?"The truth is, the choice in this election is between the PLP and an OBA party founded on a secret plan that called for the use of ‘black surrogates’ — a party that is specifically designed to fool you into believing that they are something new and different, but, that offers little more than a Cuts & Pain Commission."Craig Cannonier, One Bermuda Alliance leader said that a “perceived lack of leadership” was the reason why so many people had signed up as independents.“I don’t take that personally, but I feel a lot of people have lost faith and trust, and for good reason. The fact that we have more than 10,000 of our people either unemployed or under-employed, and an astounding 36 percent of young people without a job, represents a lot of anxiety, pain and hardship across the Island,” Mr Cannonier said.“This must change. We can’t keep wishing away the problems, hoping they’ll solve themselves. This is a leadership challenge.”Mr Cannonier added: “The large number of independent candidates reflects good health in our democracy, but we believe the only way Bermuda can achieve real change is to elect a strong, cohesive team to get this Island working for people again. My team and I are ready to start; ready to build a Bermuda based on social and economic equity, leaving no one behind.”Fifteen independent candidates will be on the ballot come December 17 — the largest number in the history of party politics in Bermuda. About half of them have some history of involvement with the now defunct United Bermuda Party or the Progressive Labour Party.Jonathan Starling, one of two independent candidates for Pembroke South West, was not surprised at the PLP’s response.“It's pretty much a mirror image of what a lot of pro-OBA voters are saying, and what we see sometimes in the comments sections of the various media by pro-OBA posters,” he said.Independents, he said, offer an alternative to partisan divisiveness. “They offer an avenue for voters to send a message to the parties that neither are worth our votes, as well as to enhance the vote by letting people vote for new ideas and new visions.“People should vote for the candidate and the visions that they feel are best for Bermuda. Even if independents aren't elected, the votes for them, and by extension their ideas, can indicate the need for those ideas and for a new politics, and that enhances and strengthens our democracy.”He added: “In some ways this election may be seen as a referendum on our political system and the two parties, along with their negative campaign styles.“I think voters can use their vote to send a message to the parties that we want to transcend the divisions that the two-party system reinforces, and for a new politics that transcends the negative politics that the PLP and the OBA are engaging in.“Voters should vote FOR something, they should vote positively, and not AGAINST something, not negatively, not out of fear.“If an independent represents what you believe in, and believe Bermuda needs, vote for them. We need to get beyond the scaremongering and divisiveness, and this election gives us all an opportunity to do just that.”l Read our special feature on indepedents in tomorrow’s paper