A vote for an independent is a vote for “real and meaningful change,” according a statement from the group of independent candidates.David Petty, candidate for Pembroke South West, said in a statement on behalf of the group of 15 independent general election candidates that they will remain independent should they win seats in Monday’s poll, and will not be forming a political party.“We wish to make it abundantly clear that, though you may see us here today as a group, we have no intention of forming a political party,” Mr Petty said.“We pledge that we should we be elected, we shall remain independent for the duration of our elected term and will not walk the floor to join a political party, though we do not rule out constructing a coalition to safeguard ourselves as independents or to form a government in the event of a stalemate or a very close result in this coming election.“In such an eventuality, we would continue to function as independents. We will not submit to any political party’s common political platform, constitution, Whip or leader and will express our individual points of view and vote our conscience on behalf of our constituents in the Bermuda Houses of Parliament.”Mr Petty continued: “Currently there are only two voices in the House of Assembly, the voice of the leader of the PLP and that of the leader of the OBA, as all the rest of the party MPS are tied to the message of their leaders through their party’s Whips. If even two independent MPs were elected we will have effectively doubled the number of voices in the House of Assembly.”He added that the voice of the independent MPs become “very powerful” if one of the two parties required their support to form a coalition government.“As a directly elected representative of their constituents this provides those constituents with the opportunity to really influence the future of Bermuda.“Given the possibility of a coalition Government, let me put it to you that the question you may want to ask yourselves is not, ‘Why should I vote for an independent candidate?’, but is perhaps ‘Why wouldn’t I vote for an independent candidate?’“As the saying goes, ‘If you keep doing the same things, you will keep getting the same result’ — a vote for an Independent is a vote for change — real and meaningful change.”