Government coffers are $2,250 richer due to poor showings in Tuesday's General Election.

Nine candidates -- five from the National Liberal Party, three Independents, and one from the Progressive Labour Party -- lost their $250 deposits.

To have the deposit refunded, a candidate must receive votes equal to one eighth, or 12.5 percent, of total ballots counted in the constituency. That figure is different from, though sometimes confused with, the percentage of the vote that they receive.

Those who fell short were: Independent Mr. Albari Assalaam in St. George's North (.35 percent); Independent Mr. Gershwyn Smith in Hamilton East (.24 percent); the PLP's Mrs. Aurelia Burch (7.8 percent) and the NLP's Mr.

Geoffrey Parker (11.6 percent) in Paget East; the NLP's Ms Debra Saltus (8.6 percent) and Independent Ms Patricia Gordon-Pamplin (3.7 percent) in Warwick East, the NLP's Ms Dessaline Waldron (2.7 percent) and Independent Mr. David Burch (1.2 percent) in Warwick West, and the NLP's Mr. Matthew Lindo (6.5 percent) in Southampton West.

*** The United Bermuda Party took some flack at the start of the election campaign for deciding not to let any of its candidates participate in public debate.

As a result, there was no debate among the leaders, nor did a UBP representative participate in a mid-campaign debate on women's issues.

A news report in the Canadian Globe and Mail provides some insight into what UBP strategists were trying to avoid.

It focussed on the avalanche of "spin'' that occurred after the first party leaders debate last week leading up to that country's October 25 election.

Spin is an American-born political exercise that involves party workers who buttonhole reporters and issue Press releases placing the best possible light on their candidate's performance and the worst on the opponents.

"Why get into it,'' one UBP strategist said. "After the (leaders') debate, the Opposition would have claimed victory. We would have had to counter, and then they would have countered our counter ad naseum.

"It would have taken the whole thrust out of our campaign. Why give the Opposition such a footing? Why give them such credibility?'' Another factor in UBP thinking stemmed from the party's "stronger'' canvassing effort. Strategists did not want to give their opponents the kind of comeback opportunity a debate would have provided, particularly in such constituencies as Hamilton East where the UBP's Furbert/Burgess team had been working for more than two years.

*** Mrs. Pat Gordon-Pamplin didn't rush to congratulate her sister, the Hon.

Pamela Gordon, when she swept to victory for the United Bermuda Party in Tuesday's election.

Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin, who ran as an Independent in Warwick East, said during the campaign that her Cabinet Minister sister's silence on her Immigration fight with Government smacked of "family disunity.'' And if Pamela Gordon wanted "to support injustice because of her dedication to her political career, that is a matter for her own conscience,'' she said.

But the spat didn't stop Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin's son, Mr. Trevor Mouchette, from showing his elation at his Aunt Pamela's victory. He gave her a big hug at UBP campaign headquarters.

"He must have supported his mother as well, but he wanted to congratulate his auntie,'' Ms Gordon said.