A 24-hour deadline to get TV head-to-heads between Premier Pamela Gordon and Opposition leader Jennifer Smith on the air was yesterday issued by the United Bermuda Party.

Ms Gordon served 24 hours of notice for the PLP to reply to a final letter bidding to get the debates organised.

And she admitted the debates might not now go ahead -- because of Opposition to-ing and fro-ing over the format.

Ms Gordon challenged: "They have had three-and-a-half months to get ready -- we'll give them another 24 hours to respond to our invitations. After 24 hours, we will make the contents of our letter public.'' The two parties earlier clashed over the format of the debate, with the UBP calling for a studio contest and the PLP demanding a more public forum with audience participation, after Ms Smith agreed to the challenge and asked for two debates instead of one.

Ms Gordon said: "Now we're down within a certain period in the Election time to make it a bit more difficult to pull it off.'' But she added: "We will not allow this to degenerate into a showman's piece.

It won't be a theatrical event -- that won't happen.'' Ms Gordon went on the attack as she unveiled her General Election team of candidates at the UBP's Hamilton HQ.

She said the failure to agree to debate times without a General Election date was "backing away.'' Ms Gordon added: "One has nothing to do with the other as everybody knows.

"It was just delaying tactics or an attempt to make it a stage-managed event rather than a sober debate between the two parties and on the future of this Country.'' And the Opposition's failure to publish its platform was yesterday slammed by the Premier.

Ms Gordon said: "Several weeks ago the UBP published and mailed to every household our Keys to Partnership...as of today, the PLP have yet to tell the people of Bermuda what their plans for the future are.'' She added: "They've given us slogans, they've given us criticism and they've not given us anything else.'' And she insisted the people of Bermuda had the right "to peruse and determine which of the two are the best-suited for this Country.'' Ms Gordon added that she thought the PLP might announce their platform at a banquet to mark the end of the PLP's delegates' conference.

But she said: "We believe that the people of Bermuda can see through this gimmick -- just as they want the debate to be an event instead of an opportunity for the voters of Bermuda to listen and compare the leaders and their teams.'' Debate deadline Neither the PLP's official spokesman or Ms Smith returned calls from The Royal Gazette last night.

Earlier, Ms Gordon said her team for the Election were representative of Bermuda and its people.

She added: "We're black, we're white, we're young and old, we're women and men. But in the end, we of the United Bermuda Party are all Bermudians.'' Ms Gordon said: "They are passionate, they're committed, they are dedicated and qualified to lead Bermuda into the next millennium.'' She added: "We're united in our diversity and we are united in our support of out plan for the future of Bermuda.'' Nomination day for candidates will be next Monday. Candidates have to take completed nomination papers to their respective polling stations between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for returning officers to accept nominations.

There will be four new polling stations in use -- CedarBridge Academy gym for Devonshire South, Salvation Army Citadel in North Street, Hamilton, for Pembroke East Central, St. Paul's Christian Education Centre, Middle Road, Paget for Paget West, and Thorburn Hall, Christ Church, Warwick for Warwick East.

And Parliamentary Registrar Marlene Christopher added that a total of 1646 voters have been moved to new constituencies as a result of Boundary Commission changes. The only parishes not affected are Paget and Sandys.

The new register of voters can be checked at Post Offices and at the office of the Parliamentary Registrar in Hamilton.