Jennifer Smith's days as Premier of Bermuda could be coming to a close as half of the PLP team who were elected on Thursday have refused to endorse her leadership or serve in the Cabinet.

The 22 PLP Members of Parliament who were elected on Thursday night are split into two equal camps over whether Ms Smith should lead the country - with the dissidents insisting that they all vote on whether she should continue on as Premier.

At a Press conference yesterday afternoon, Ms Smith was candid about the rebellion which ended a truce agreed last autumn and freely admitted that the rebels had rejected offers of a Cabinet post. But in a manoeuvre probably intended to generate moral pressure against the rebels, Ms Smith sought the support of a special delegates conference of the PLP last night.

There were different reports as to the meeting's conclusion but it was decided to meet again tomorrow. At a Press conference yesterday afternoon Ms Smith announced a number of intended Cabinet posts which she hoped would be sworn by the Governor on Monday. According to the Bermuda Constitution, Ms Smith must demonstrate she has the confidence of the majority of the new Parliament before the Governor can appoint her Premier.

And only then can she form a Government.

She left two Cabinet posts open and said she was hoping that the differences with the rebels would be resolved by the end of the weekend.

But asked whether she would consider changing her style of leadership, she said : "I cannot be other than what I am. What I will do tonight is put the question of leadership to my party."

And she said that her second term in office would probably allow "more time to spend in courting the press".

Her government had achieved an "exceptional accomplishment" for a first term, having delivered on over 90 percent of a platform.

"And to achieve that, yes I was single-minded. Yes I was fixed on accomplishing and can I spread myself more widely? I think so. I think I can. Having established a mandate on how we are going to proceed I think I can do that. Whether or not I will be allowed to proceed is another matter."

As of last night the 11 rebel MPs were standing their ground and it is unlikely that the United Bermuda Party (UBP) would be indicating to the Governor that they support Ms Smith.

None of the dissidents attended the special delegates conference at Devonshire Rec Club last night.

"We are fully aware that such a meeting can only serve to elect a party leader, not a Premier," read a statement from Ottiwell Simmons who has emerged as spokesman for the group. "That position is, according to the Bermuda Constitution, the responsibility of the elected members of the House of Assembly.

"We have taken this difficult step in the interests of all Bermuda and trust that this matter will be resolved in an expeditious manner."

Many of the Premier's supporters sported anguished looks on their faces by the end of the over three hour meeting.

And the delegates had been given strict instructions not to talk to the Press.

Varying reports emerged after the meeting. Some said that the Premier had agreed to resign and that the parliamentary group would agree on someone else, while another account had it that the Premier had been fully supported and efforts would be made to bring the rebel group back into the fold.

Yet a third account strongly suggested that the party's next statement to the public would be that they had agreed on another leader and Deputy Leader - most likely Ewart Brown and Terry Lister who would be put forward by a unanimous parliamentary group as Premier and Deputy Premier.

"We have adjourned to deal with some of the issues that led to us coming together," said party spokesman Walter Roban.

He confirmed that another meeting would be held tomorrow.

The rebel MPs are Labour Minister Terry Lister, Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown, Environment Minister Dennis Lister, Health Minister Nelson Bascome, Community Affairs Minister Randolph Horton, and backbenchers Derrick Burgess, Walter Lister, Wayne Perinchief, George Scott, Dale Butler and Mr. Simmons.

And the delegates' meeting ended with bitter divisions among the group of delegates - with some heard arguing that the rebels should be expelled from the party and others saying that that made no sense.

Governor Sir John Vereker has discretion to appoint the person he considers most likely to command the majority in the House of Assembly.

If a stalemate continues another general election would probably have to be called.