that the PLP is making a move to the centre in preparation for a General Election. There can be little doubt that Jennifer Smith as Leader of the Opposition and old stalwart Eugene Cox as Deputy Leader, indicate a more Right Wing PLP. That is especially so when one remembers that Ms Smith won over firebrand Alex Scott, who then declined to be returned as Deputy Leader, and Mr. Cox won over score settling Dr. Ewart Brown.

Often in the past the PLP has moved to the centre when it smelled an election, a ploy which even President Bill Clinton resorted to. It does not mean that the party will stay in the centre after an election nor does it mean that Ms Smith or Mr. Cox would remain at the top of the party if the PLP won an election.

Under its constitution, the PLP reelects its leader immediately after an election and coming to power might mean a strong fight for the leadership.

There are now strong reports that the PLP's annual conference leadership contest was not as clear-cut as the party would have us think. As the reports go, the PLP Parliamentary Group was unhappy with Ms Smith because they find her "dictatorial'' and she was returned as leader largely by the non-parliamentary party officials and not by her colleagues in Parliament.

The United Bermuda Party leader is chosen by the parliamentarians but the PLP has a quite different system.

There are other indications of a split between the old and the new guard in the PLP. It was the old guard which chose Paula Cox to be the new Devonshire North MP. The old guard was not willing to give the seat to Julian Hall because they see him as having thrown away Hamilton West at the last election and as having thus cost the PLP the election. Senator Terry Lister, seen by many people as a logical leader of the PLP, was ruled out for Frederick Wade's seat by the old guard because he had challenged Mr. Wade's leadership of the PLP.

There is a clear difference in philosophy in the PLP between those who think that the party should stay quiet and move to the middle ground and it can win, and those people who like to make a great deal of public "fuss'' by appealing to the radicals. The old guard sees Alex Scott as costing the PLP votes every time he attacks the Police.

Unlike the UBP, the PLP is quite good at keeping its party disputes to itself.

However, it is important for the public to understand that things are not always what they might seem.