The United Bermuda Party has finally gone public with its redesigned website after its internet portal had been dormant for months.

Although the rollout was remarkably slow, the website has broken new ground in local politics by accepting online political contributions via credit card.

Party Leader Wayne Furbert said: “The newest feature on the site is the technology enabling people to make online contributions to the party.

“It’s our way of keeping pace with the online world that so many of us are now a part. We think this is a first for political parties in Bermuda.”

The Progressive Labour Party website does not accept credit cards donations, but according to its chairman David Burt, change is in the works.

He said: “Accepting donations online is something that the PLP will do when we update our website. Like most things, we’ll do it better than the UBP.

“What I do find interesting is that their hastily assembled solution still asks people for the state and zip code and requires them to submit their ‘employer’ to comply with Federal Laws. Clearly this was a rush job.”

UBP officials conceded yesterday that they weren’t looking to officially launch the site for another few days, but decided to respond to questions from The Royal Gazette which discovered the website yesterday.

It was first in the public domain on Friday.

Mr. Furbert said: “The site is nowhere near complete. New features, new images and new content will be added in the weeks and months to come.

“Our objective is to create a space in cyberspace where people can have an unfiltered look at the United Bermuda Party and learn that there is a positive alternative for the country.”

As both the UBP and PLP seek credit card political donations this year, they are also in lockstep on their desires to keep the names of political donors away from the eyes of the public.

The new UBP website says the following on its contribution page: “The United Bermuda Party respects your privacy. All information gathered on this website is kept confidential.

“The user of this website has the right to request that any information held on the user by the UBP be removed from their database.”

Perhaps predictably, Mr. Burt did not seem too impressed with his competitor’s website and said he was ‘disappointed’ there was no blog feature included.

He indicated that the PLP’s youth wing called Progressive Minds had beat the UBP to the punch in that regard launching a youth spirited blog in the past few days.

Mr. Burt said: “It gives our members an opportunity to familiarise themselves with blogging and allows the members of the youth wing to gain experience administering a blog.”

United Bermuda Party website: www.ubp.bm and the Progressive Labour Party website www.plp.bm

Redesigned UBP website breaks new political ground