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Go to the Bermuda news section for snippets of new from BermudaBermuda's New Prime Minister
Backbenchers Want Snap Election
Progressive Labour Party backbenchers are urging new leader Ewart Brown to hold an early election to capitalise on his popularity.
They said United Bermuda Party leader Wayne Furbert would be no match for Dr. Brown. But last night Mr. Furbert hit back. Asked about an early election he said: "I wish he would - let's go for it. Let's get ready and rumble. The people decide."
Referring to the number of Progressive Labour Party delegates who picked Dr. Brown over Alex Scott at the weekend Mr. Furbert said: "It isn't between 107 people but 40,000 voters." PLP MPs are in a confident mood after the leadership change - even those who didn't support Dr. Brown.
No polls have been released yet showing how the PLP would do under the new leader but recent polls showed the public preferred Dr. Brown over former leader Alex Scott by a margin of two-to-one while the PLP have been ahead of the UBP, although there are still a large amount of undecideds.
A September survey showed 31 percent of those polled plumping for the ruling party and 27 percent throwing their weight behind the Opposition. The same poll showed only 34 percent of people had a favourable opinion about Mr. Furbert while 43 percent of people were undecided.
Backbencher Glenn Blakeney, who recently had questioned the need to depose Mr. Scott, said: "I think if the Premier decided to call an early election it would be very shrewd in that the polls are indicating the popularity of his leadership." He said a Ewart Brown leadership could wipe out an Opposition lead into the campaign by Wayne Furbert. "It's not a fair fight," he said. Mr. Blakeney said he meant no personal disrespect to Mr. Furbert. "But a comparison of the party leaders - it's night and day. "I can envision the Premier sitting down with any head of state and dealing with various issues and articulating the position of Bermuda to great effect. "But I would not have the same confidence in the Opposition leader.
"I don't think he has the power to influence, the political acumen or the presence of mind in conveying those very clearly. "Whenever I see him speaking he comes off very rhetorical. There's a lack of depth in his argument." He said he predicted another leadership change in the UBP before the next election. An election must be called before the end of 2008.
Former Tourism and Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb said Dr. Brown "should call an election sooner rather than later". Ms Webb added: "I don't know whether he will or not but Wayne Furbert doesn't have a clue against him. "I think we would have won under Alex Scott but it would have been closer than under Ewart Brown - we will win by a much bigger margin now. "Wayne Furbert won't stand a chance. They should consider a change in leadership."
She said John Barritt and David Dodwell would make much more effective UBP leaders. "But unfortunately they are both white. I say 'unfortunately' because unfortunately for the party, politics is still based on race." She said the UBP had not brought through strong black leaders. "In 2006 it is very difficult for a white leader to run against Ewart Brown but the strongest ones in their party are white. "Wayne could not even stand up against Grant Gibbons. If you want to put up someone who's black - he's a nice guy - but he's one of the weakest links in that party. They are in serious trouble." She said the Opposition risked disintegration. "People want to be part of the winners. If you lost two elections and then you lose a third it doesn't bode well for the party. "It needs some deep rejuvenation. Wayne Furbert isn't it. He's a nice guy, he's my cousin, but the truth is the truth."
Mr. Furbert said he would not comment on any changes of the UBP leadership. "We just changed leaders," he said. Asked about poor poll showings, he said there were a large number of undecideds. "We have our own polls which say we are ahead. This is not a fight between Ewart Brown and myself. It's a fight between the UBP and the PLP." He said polls had put sitting MP Julian Hall ahead in Hamilton Parish when Mr. Furbert turfed him out years ago.
Asked if having Ewart Brown in charge of the Government made the Opposition's task more difficult, Mr. Furbert said: "All they have done is change the head. You have the same people there. "What's different between Nelson Bascome as Minister for Health in 1998 or Burch as Housing Minister in 2003 when the people were crying out for housing? "What is different between any other Minister? The ministers were all there. They have collective responsibility. Nothing has changed. What did they produce?" He said Attorney General Phil Perinchief was the only new face. "If Dr. Brown wants to call an election I would say take your chances."