Hours after the Progressive Labour Party narrowly won Thursday's General Election, the Premier faced a challenge from other key party leaders who withdrew their support today.

Premier Jennifer Smith acknowledged at a news conference that a group of renegade politicians had refused to serve in her Cabinet and said she would submit the question of her continued leadership to the entire membership of the governing party at an emergency delegates meeting.

The Progressive Labour Party won a second term with 22 of 36 legislative seats in Thursday's elections, but the party got only 51.65 percent of the popular vote.

"I wouldn't have chosen mere moments after winning a second term to be discussing the issue of leadership, however that has come to the fore," Smith told reporters. "We are having a special delegates conference this evening when I will put the topic of leadership to the floor."

Delegates attended the meeting at Devonshire Recreation Club at 7.30 p.m.

Ms Smith herself won by just eight votes in St. George's North. If the opposition United Bermuda Party had garnered just 80 more votes in four key seats, it could have tied the election.

Smith said she had spoken to Cabinet ministers who refused to serve again, and she announced a shuffle of Cabinet nominees to put up loyalists and plug gaps left by at least five who withdrew support.

As promised in the PLP platform, the size of the Cabinet was reduced from 13 to nine. But Ms Smith left the posts of Minister of Air, Land and Sea and Minister without Portfolio and seemed to be holding out hope that some of the rebel MPs would relent.

The other Ministers were Deputy Premier Eugene Cox, Finance; Attorney General and Minister of Education Paula Cox; Health Minister Alex Scott; Infrastructure Minister Neletha Butterfield; Tourism and Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb; and Home Affairs Minister David Burch. Lt. Col. Burch is the only Minister who is not an MP. Junior Ministers for Housing and Community Affairs were to be announced on Monday.

Critics say Ms Smith has made enemies with an arrogance that has hurt her once enormous popularity. But she said today: "I cannot be other than I am."

It was unclear who would challenge her, but likely candidates included Home Affairs Minister Terry Lister and Transport Minister Ewart Brown. Other rebels are Dennis Lister, Nelson Bascome, Walter Lister, Randy Horton, George Scott, Dale Butler, Ottiwell Simmons, and Wayne Perinchief.

Those MPs supporting Ms Smith apart from the Cabinet Ministers are Patrice Parris, Glen Blakeney, Dean Foggo and Ashfield DeVent, a total of ten.

Stanley Lowe, the Speaker of the House of Assembly in the last General Election, appears to be remaining neutral.