Deputy Premier Paula Cox last night said the United Bermuda Party's plan to rock Premier Ewart Brown with a motion of no confidence today could fail because of the way it is worded.

The Finance Minister - seen by many as a potential successor to Dr. Brown - said she did not believe any Progressive Labour Party MP would back a motion they thought would lead to a General Election.

Her comments came after Dr. Brown's backbench critics spoke out against the wording of the motion: "This Honourable House has no confidence in the Government led by Premier Ewart Brown."

They say they are concerned the House of Assembly motion could be interpreted as being against the PLP, not the Premier alone.

Opposition leader Kim Swan, who needs five non-UBP MPs to support the motion, insisted last night: "We are seeking a change in the leadership of the Government, not a change in the Government."

And former PLP Attorney General Phil Perinchief said it had to be worded like that because votes of confidence cannot be passed against individual MPs, according to the Constitution.

Ms Cox told The Royal Gazette"The outcome of the debate on the motion will depend to a large extent on the ultimate form of wording on the motion.

"I doubt any member of the PLP will support a motion of no confidence against the PLP Government if the anticipated result is to send us back to the polls-none of us want that at this time.

"The PLP has a Constitution which is our governing document and we will govern ourselves by the rule of law and the road map is clear as to the template to be followed for any change in party leadership, irrespective of any censure motion."

One senior Government backbencher yesterday said if the motion was understood as being only against the Premier it would do "extremely well".

However, he said there remained much confusion among the backbench over the wording.

"From the telephone calls I have got and the e-mails I have received the motion appears to change. It's difficult to pin down exactly what we would be supporting," he said.

"Each sender provides his or her version as to what the Speaker has agreed or disagreed to. Things appear to be fluid.

"One version is that while the motion names the Government and the Premier, the outcome would be that the Governor will ask the Premier to step down.

"Another school of thought is that both the Premier and the Ministers will be asked to vacate their offices, and the Governor will be left to dissolve Parliament.

"Right now I would be reluctant to support it. If it was a motion only against the Premier I think it would do extremely well.

"If the motion allowed the present Government to stay intact, I would have thought the motion stood a good chance; if it would lead to a dissolution, it might not."

Mr. Swan responded last night: "We hear what is being said but hold a different view and the motion was drafted with that view in mind. We have been very clear about our position.

"We have given an undertaking and there is nothing more that can be said other than to repeat: we are seeking a change in the leadership of the Government, not a change in the Government."

Mr. Swan tabled the motion last week after the Premier instigated anger at home and abroad by bringing four Chinese Muslim Uighurs to Bermuda without permission from the Governor or the UK, and without consulting any of his Cabinet except Immigration Minister David Burch.

The Premier said it was an immigration matter and therefore under Government's remit, but the Governor says that is not the case and the matter was one for Britain to decide.

The unpopularity of the move was underlined in a poll by Profiles of Bermuda, released yesterday, which showed 69 percent of voters were against Dr. Brown's move, with 22 percent in favour.

Sixty-one percent of blacks disapproved compared to 85 percent of whites; 87 percent of UBP supporters disapproved compared to 56 percent of PLP voters.

Responding to the poll results at a press conference yesterday, Dr. Brown said "I'm not surprised because in order to come out today it had to be done right at the height of the disaffection with respect to that decision."

Ms Cox, who last week said she felt "politically neutered" by the Guantánamo affair, is the first Cabinet member to speak about the motion of no confidence. Ministers Nelson Bascome, Glenn Blakeney, Derrick Burgess, Dale Butler, Elvin James and Terry Lister have all offered no comment for or against the Premier.

Dr. Brown's fiercest opponents within the backbench have either declined to comment to this newspaper or been unreachable throughout the week.

Key rebels include Randy Horton and Wayne Perinchief, both axed from Cabinet by the Premier, and former Premier Alex Scott.

Neletha Butterfield, Dennis Lister and Michael Scott were all sacked as Ministers by the Premier, while he also played a major role in the ousting of Dame Jennifer Smith as Premier in 2003.

Backbencher Ashfield DeVent, who has spoken out against the Premier, told the Bermuda Sun he will not support a motion that has any chance of removing the PLP.

Zane DeSilva and Walter Roban are among the MPs to speak in favour of the Premier, while Independent MP Wayne Furbert has refused to disclose how he is going to vote.

The UBP needs five votes for a winning total of 18, but would need less if PLP MPs were to abstain. The party believes its chances could also improve if it succeeds in forcing a secret ballot.

Phil Perinchief yesterday said that, if the motion is passed, the Governor should revoke the appointment of the Premier, but not the Cabinet. A new Premier with the support of the House of Assembly would then be appointed, and would be able to keep the existing Cabinet if desired.

"The Constitution doesn't say the Governor should bring the Government down and should dissolve Parliament," said Mr. Perinchief.

"The motion is framed the way it is because one cannot bring a motion personally against anyone, including the Premier."

Another anti-Ewart Brown protest is planned outside the House of assembly at noon today, but it is possible the debate on the motion of no confidence would not even begin until the evening.