Elder statesman Quinton Edness believes the United Bermuda Party could have won the next election if it hadn’t disbanded.The former UBP Minister claims the 47-year-old party still had tremendous support and could have capitalised on the public’s disapproval of Progressive Labour Party’s performance.“I’m very saddened about this decision they have taken. I don’t think it’s the right decision. I’m sorry that they’ve taken this decision to dismantle the UBP,” he told The Royal Gazette yesterday.“The UBP is an institution. It’s well grounded politically and has tremendous support within the community. It got 47 percent of the votes at the last election.“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know a lot of new supporters come to the UBP as a result of the recent performance of the PLP. Many people are just disgusted with the PLP. A lot who left the UBP are coming back.“That, with a lot of hard work, would have put the UBP in a very good position to win the next election.“I have had calls to that effect. Supporters are very, very disappointed that this has taken place. The UBP still has tremendous support in the community.“I suppose the young people that have put this together feel this is in the best interests of Bermuda. If they are prepared to work hard and come to be a viable Opposition that would be a good thing.“It’s a shame they have abandoned what was a very well-established party. All it needed was a bit more hard work attracting good candidates.”At a meeting on Tuesday night, the UBP’s central committee voted 68 to 14 in favour of dismantling in order to merge with the Bermuda Democratic Alliance to form the One Bermuda Alliance.The new group hopes it can attract support from the UBP and BDA and prevent the Opposition vote being split at the next election.Mr Edness said of former UBP supporters: “I heard people say this morning that they are not prepared to vote for this new entity but I think they will have to change.“They don’t want to vote for the PLP. I guess at the end of the day they will probably come around to voting for this new alliance, but the first impression is that they are very disappointed.”Veteran UBP MP John Barritt will be the OBA’s interim leader, with Kim Swan, UBP leader since Michael Dunkley lost his seat at the 2007 general election, refusing to comment on his own future.Mr Edness said: “I’m somewhat saddened for Kim Swan because he took over the leadership of the UBP at a time when they were at a very low ebb.“He hung in and I think he did a good job in trying to bolster the UBP again. He did so almost on his own.“I don’t know what will happen with him. I think Kim, and all those people who have been opposed to it, I’m fairly certain that they will now perhaps reluctantly support the effort.“Now that it’s done, my view if I was still involved would be, we lost, it’s very sad to see the demise of the UBP, but I would have the Country in mind, Bermuda and Bermudian people. I would then work with this vehicle to see what I could do to improve things.”It’s hoped the OBA will be in place by the time the House of Assembly reopens next Friday. The UBP and BDA are expected to officially disband within the next few days.Useful websites: www.ubp.bm, www.thealliance.bm