Former PLP leadership candidate Terry Lister this morning told the House of Assembly that he is quitting the party to stand as an independent.Mr Lister, who lost to Paula Cox for the leadership of the party, won re-election to the House at the election last December for Sandys South.He told the House that the past few years had been "extremely difficult" and "less than satisfying". He told MPs he had been asked to the leader of the PLP, but had lost to Marc Bean. He also complained of poor treatment by the Party."I will no longer stand as a PLP MP, but I will stand for Bermuda," he said.Mr Lister said he turned down an offer to be Shadow Finance Minister, but said he would serve in other positions and was surprised to hear the shadow team had been selected before he even got a reply.The development reduces the number of PLP seats to 16 and comes on the heels of Randolph Horton's election to the position of Speaker of the House.Mr Lister was first elected to parliament in 1998 and held a number of Cabinet positions and twice ran for the leadership of the party.He is said to have become disenchanted at the results of the last leadership contest to replace Paula Cox after she lost her seat in the December 17 general election.Mr Lister had been the party's parliamentary group's choice for leader, but the delegates thought otherwise and elected Marc Bean by a landslide.Last night, the PLP would not comment on the reports of Mr Lister's resignation, referring this newspaper to Mr Lister himself.