The Bermuda Democratic Alliance has urged the United Bermuda Party to accept it has contributed to Bermuda’s racial divide.It’s understood BDA representatives called for the UBP to make a statement to that effect during meetings over a merger between the two parties.The request is said to have been a stumbling block against the amalgamation both groups hope will happen before the end of next week.It is understood many in the BDA believe the move would demonstrate a new combined party would not be weighed down by the official Opposition’s legacy.The BDA is also said to be calling for some of the UBP’s old guard of legislators to be phased out to make way for fresh blood.MPs Shawn Crockwell, Donte Hunt and Mark Pettingill, as well as Senator Michael Fahy, chairman Sean Pitcher and adopted candidate Wayne Scott, quit the UBP in 2009 partly in frustration at its failure to shake off its reputation as a party favouring white elitists.They are said to want to ensure no new party carries that same historical burden.Meanwhile many BDA members, including leader Craig Cannonier, say they would never have joined the UBP; they are said to want to ensure that the new party will not simply be a modified version of the old UBP.The UBP was founded in 1964, a year after the Progressive Labour Party was formed to fight on behalf of the working class, who were predominantly black.During its time as Government from 1968 to 1998, the conservative UBP was accused of protecting the economic interests of wealthy whites while overlooking the plight of poor blacks.And during 13 years in Opposition, many say the UBP has allowed the PLP to define it as an elitist party whose black candidates are puppets of whites.Today large numbers of blacks say they could never vote for the UBP.It’s understood the BDA has said a new party could only avoid that stigma if the UBP makes a statement speaking to its part in racial disharmony; the UBP is said to be divided on that issue.The BDA is also said to believe some of the current sitting UBP MPs and senators must be replaced by new faces.Younger UBP members and those that quit to form the BDA have previously complained long-standing MPs are able to easily hang on to safe seats.They want a new generation of politicians to be encouraged to move to frontline politics, and cited leader Kim Swan’s failure to do that as one of their reasons for quitting.Mr Swan, who has been left out of virtually all the negotiations and is believed to have no chance of leading the new party, has repeatedly declined to comment on the subject. The UBP also declined to comment on the matter. Meanwhile, Mr Cannonier and BDA chairman Mr Fahy both declined to comment on the discussions yesterday.UBP Senator Michael Dunkley, who has been involved in negotiations, said: “I always have made the commitment that when we have discussions I’m going to keep them confidential and honour the relationship we are trying to build.“In these types of discussions, obviously there’s a lot that takes place and a lot that people throw out there, even if it ends up just being stuff that gets thrown out.“I’m disappointed that people want to take that approach to bring that stuff out. I don’t think it helps to have all these comments being made while we are going through this process.”Negotiations are said to be continuing between Mr Cannonier, Mr Crockwell and Mr Fahy and UBP MPs John Barritt, Grant Gibbons and Bob Richards, Sen Dunkley and Sen Atherden.Members of both negotiation teams have publicly stated a merger is imminent, with Mr Crockwell saying it would ideally happen before next Friday’s Budget, although UBP deputy leader Trevor Moniz has said the full merging process could take another six months.Some say a failure of the UBP and BDA to come together in some way could allow the PLP to win up to 30 of the House of Assembly’s 36 seats at the next general election.l Useful websites: www.ubp.bm, www.thealliance.bm.