Pettingill to leave Warwick for a tougher fight

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2: OBA heavyweight Mark Pettingill is set to step down from his Warwick West seat to take on a PLP big name, the Bermuda Sun can reveal.

Insiders said that barrister Mr Pettingill is likely to be replaced by landscape firm owner Jeff Sousa, who was adopted for the seat by the former UBP.

They added that would free Mr Pettingill – the shadow Minister of Public Works and Housing – to fight a more marginal seat for the new party.

A source said: “Mark is very much regarded as a heavyweight and one of the contenders who could take seats from the PLP.

“It’s just a matter of looking sensibly at where the best place is to run people and who is best placed to challenge for seats.

“The OBA needs to win seats – and there’s no point in having people without a strong national profile running in a hard-to-win seat. Mark’s political and legal record shows he’s good in a tough fight and he’s prepared to take on all-comers.”

Mr Pettingill declined to comment on his plans yesterday.

But he said: “At this time, nothing has been decided, nor have I decided what I’m going to do. But I certainly anticipate I will be running somewhere.”

Mr Sousa, 51, was adopted as the UBP candidate for the seat around 18 months ago – with what was said to be an “overwhelming” majority.

Mr Sousa, who lives in the area and whose firm is based there, said: “A decision will be made shortly by the OBA team and hopefully I will be selected for the area.”

Mr Pettingill won the seat for the UBP in 2007, but later switched allegiance to the Bermuda Democratic Alliance, which later merged with the majority of the UBP to form the OBA.

Best for Bermuda

Mr Sousa said: “I have worked very hard in the area over the last two years and now the OBA is working very hard. I had no problem with joining the OBA — I was looking to do what was best for Bermuda and I have been active in the community.

“I, like most of our citizens, am not happy with the way things are going now in Bermuda. We can’t continue down the path we are going. It’s a path of destruction with murders and senior citizens frightened in their own homes.

“We need change and we need to change the Government to bring about that change.

“I’ve got two grown-up children and I’m worried for their future and for their children.”