Former National Liberal Party leader Gilbert Darrell now accepts that the party he helped form in the summer of 1985 will never become a viable alternative to the Island's two main political parties.

In fact Mr. Darrell has reached the conclusion that there is no room in Bermuda's political landscape for a third party, which is why he doesn't have much hope for the recently launched fourth party, the Gombey Liberation Party, either.

"A Gombey party in St. George's? what was his purpose in going to St. George's?" Mr. Darrell wants to know of founding member Gavin Smith's motive.

"I would think if he was a genuine Gombey he would go to Pembroke North or one of those constituencies."

Support for the NLP has waned steadily since the party lost it two MPs - Austin Thomas and Gilbert Darrell - in successive elections in 1989 and `93.

Mr. Thomas crashed to defeat in Pembroke East in the election that signalled the arrival of Nelson Bascome of the Progressive Labour Party. From fielding eight candidates in their first election in 1985 - just two months after it was formed - the NLP increased that number to 15 for the 1989 Election but in the process lost Mr. Thomas' seat after admitting they had "run a poor campaign".

That defeat signalled the NLP's noticeable decline and in 1993 they only fielded eight candidates and lost their remaining seat in the process - that of leader Gilbert Darrell in Hamilton East. He went from top of the polls in 1989 to second-last as another PLP newcomer - Renee Webb - led the counting.

"We were naive in thinking we would make some progress," the NLP leader said of the party's performance that year.

Forward to 1998 and down to four candidates, the writing is again on the wall for the NLP as Graeme Outerbridge, party chairman Charles Jeffers, Frances Breary and Edwin Armstrong all had poor showings and failed to win a seat.

The headline in the next day read: `After crushing loss Jeffers raises doubts about NLP's viability'.

Mr. Jeffers finished bottom of the polls in Smith's North and said afterwards: "The people were not prepared to give us a chance to play a supporting role in the Government of the country."

Mr. Outerbridge, who holds the distinction of being the only ever-present candidate for the NLP since the party was formed, will carry the baton for them next Thursday, this time switching to Sandys South Central which is closer to where he lives. The party's future could depend on the support he receives in an area strongly PLP and whether there is someone willing to carry the baton.

However, former party leader Mr. Darrell, doubts now that Bermuda is ready for anything but a two-party fight.

"The name (NLP) will float around, there won't be anybody there, and then will just die a natural death. That's what will happen unless somebody else comes along and tries to reorganise it," said Mr. Darrell who doesn't think that forming the party was a mistake.

"You certainly couldn't have gauged it (voter support) if you didn't do something," he stressed.

"I think the two-party system is the more efficient way. The countries that call themself a democracy end up with two major parties."

Along with former PLP MPs Austin Thomas, Walter Brangman and Lionel Simmons, Mr. Darrell was behind the forming of the NLP in 1985, almost a year after they had been expelled from the Progressive Labour Party following a falling out with then party leader Lois Browne-Evans.

"I didn't have anything against the PLP as a party," Mr. Darrell insists to this day. In fact, he says if he was able to go back 40 years he would seek to join the party again.

"The four of us who got expelled were battling individuals in the party. Everybody in the PLP didn't want us thrown out. Maybe Mrs. Browne figured I was trying to take her place. I did run against her.