The United Bermuda Party will be around to fight the next General Election, Opposition Leader Kim Swan pledged yesterday.

He conceded there has been discussion among members as to how the UBP should move forward, but insisted the group is united in its aim to improve the government of Bermuda under the party banner.

"The 2007 election saw nearly one in every two voters support the United Bermuda Party. Obviously we had to get a significant amount of support from all sectors of Bermuda to achieve that result. Do we as a party need to change to do better? Absolutely.

"I believe all of my colleagues ¿ not just some ¿ understand that, and I want you to know that I am personally committed to change. After all, Bermuda is changing, and we are changing with it.

"We are going to move forward knowing first that there are many things that are right about the United Bermuda Party, and that there are many people who count on us to represent them, to provide balance and to keep a check on the Government."

His comments followed a blunt call by former UBP leader Wayne Furbert for the party to disband.

He described such a move as necessary to improve the racial divide and claimed the public and the UBP's own research have given strong indication that the party is through.

"It is time for blacks and whites to vote on issues and not vote for parties because of traditions of what your grandpa or grandma brought you up on," Mr. Furbert told The Royal Gazette.

"And if it takes the United Bermuda Party to dissolve and another group to come forward whose ideology is for a better Bermuda, one Bermuda, although the UBP stands for that, but if it doesn't have the same baggage as the United Bermuda Party, then I believe it is worth it for the country.

"I believe if Sir Henry Tucker was living now he would say, 'Fellows, we must do what's right for the country'. We have done focus groups ¿ they say it's time to go."

Mr. Swan, flanked by party faithful Sean Pitcher and Cole Simons, responded to Mr. Furbert's comments at a press conference held at the UBP headquarters.

"Wayne thinks the United Bermuda Party cannot again be elected to govern. While I am the first to say he is entitled to his opinion, I want to be very clear that I don't accept it. We are not the first political party to have lost three elections in a row, and we are certainly not without the means and commitment to do something about it."

He insisted the UBP is together pushing for a raft of issues important to the public ¿ greater transparency and accountability in the government; improved education; better support for lower-income families.

"I am very disappointed with what Wayne had to say today because it detracts from the good things the party stands for and casts doubt on the programme of change that the party has embarked on," the Opposition Leader continued.

"I recognise that the party has had difficult challenges over the past two years, including leadership changes, and that Wayne has been in the midst of it all. I know that pain remains from those experiences.

"However, I believe he must come to terms with what happened and that all of us individually have to move on and change, just as the party itself has to change, particularly as a result of the December election. The commitment to change in the party is across the board and you will hear more about our programme in the weeks and months to come because we intend to take the public with us."

According to Mr. Swan, there are many who will view Mr. Furbert's comments as proof there is discord among UBP members. He insisted that is not the case although he and UBP deputy leader Cole Simons admitted every member doesn't share the same viewpoint.

"People will read into things, that's human nature," he said. "But I think it's safe to say, that the party is addressing some of the issues that have arisen out of the December 18 election and there's certainly been a consensus to look at the way forward ¿ I'm encouraged because of that. We're very much onboard with putting a committee together to look at the way forward . . . we also have a Constitution Committee that's been reconvened to work in tandem with how we go forward.

"We're a political entity and these things are a work in progress in which we can look at how to make ourselves more viable and examine some of the issues that are put on the table. And I can say that we've agreed and there's a consensus in that regard.

"We've had meetings and we will continue to have meetings and certainly some of the concerns that have been expressed publicly, we have heard. We do have very frank discussions ¿ as all political parties do."

According to Mr. Furbert, UBP MPs are now divided into two groups. Reformists include Trevor Moniz, Shawn Crockwell, Mark Pettingill, Donte Hunt, Darius Tucker and himself while he lumped Mr. Swan and Mr. Simons in with the conservatives.

However the division is not so strict, said Mr. Simons, who insisted that recommendations brought to the table are examined for value no matter who brings them.

"Those guys (the reformists) are fresh thinkers and they have brought their thoughts to the party and we as a group are examining their thoughts," stated Mr. Simons. "We have a committee, as the leader said, that's basically crafting the way forward for the party. It's a work in progress and things will not be changed overnight.

"But that group that you're referring to have already made recommendations and, in fact, we have allowed them to go study (them) and bring it back. So we're embracing them. We're not saying this is too out there for us. We're saying all options are on the table and we're going to decide ¿ with Bermuda's input ¿ what's best for this country and if it means taking new ideas from some fresh blood, so be it. We are open to that.

"The party, like any business, is an ongoing, live entity. We have to change with the times and go with the times. We cannot do things that we've done in the past and expect different results. And right now, the whole team are looking forward to ways in which we can improve and better serve the community."

Members of the public, not surveys or individual opinions, will determine the future of the UBP, Mr. Swan added.

"The reality is we have just come out of an election," he said. "We don't know when the next election will be held, that decision is held by the people of this country. All we have to do is do our best, listen to the community and give some responses to the community that they can subscribe to.We have to get closer to the ground, yes. We have to address housing.

"We have to address education. We have to address healthcare. And we have to appear to be credible and fill the leadership void that's not available at this time as far as we are concerned. So, will we die? No. We will die only if the people say we will die. At this point we're doing our best. And the decision makers of any party, not the members of the party, is the community at large."