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The election has given us plenty to ponder in the weeks and months and years ahead. But the United Bermuda Party has to tackle one important decision right away, which is to find itself a leader. Related topics - such as the party's long-term viability - can be figured out later.

The UBP faces a difficult and probably impossible task, if it tries to find a leader who can successfully take on the PLP.

On the surface of things, Michael Dunkley's election loss rules him out.

There was speculation before the election that Louise Jackson might surrender her safe Pembroke seat to Mr. Dunkley, if he lost. But it's hard now to imagine the UBP displacing a sitting black MP with a defeated white one, even if the black MP was happy to go (and Mrs. Jackson seems to enjoy her MP job more than anybody else on Parliament Hill).

Which means the only seats that Mr. Dunkley could be given would be that by Trevor Moniz, Mark Pettingill, John Barritt or Grant Gibbons.

Mr. Moniz (if I know him at all) would flatly refuse. Mark Pettingill is just starting his career and is not about to end it. Mr. Barritt and Mr. Gibbons might be happy to retire, or semi-retire in the Senate, but both men are vital UBP players in the House. It is hard to imagine the party letting them go.

Besides, Mr. Dunkley just lost an election. He ran a good campaign. It is hard to see a lot of things he could do better, to produce a better result in the future.

By the same traditional, harsh logic, it seems fair to eliminate other former UBP leaders - Mr. Gibbons (who lost in 2003) and his successor Wayne Furbert (whose poll results disappointed his party).

And with race the biggest single dividing issue, it seems to logical to eliminate the other white MPs from replacing Mr. Dunkley - ruling out Mr. Gibbons, Mr. Barritt, Mr. Pettingill and Mr. Moniz.

Even if any of these men were dynamic leaders who stood head-and-shoulders above all rivals, they would create difficulties for the UBP's philosophy of diversity: Their last two elections were fought (and lost) with white leaders.

We can also rule out almost all the UBP's freshmen MPs - Donte Hunt, Darius Tucker, Shawn Crockwell and Mark Pettingill - on the grounds of almost total inexperience. That leaves just five UBP MPs to choose from.

The most promising, Pat Gordon Pamplin, has already ruled herself out.

Jon Brunson and Cole Simons are both intelligent and capable, honest and fair. But, by traditional political logic, neither is sufficiently wily or cut-throat to lead the opposition to the current PLP.

That leaves only Bob Richards and Kim Swan - both freshmen MPs with considerable experience in the Senate.

Both men have a lot to offer, including a solid belief in the UBP tenets of diversity, many years participating in the UBP caucus, and the ability to deliver impressive and tough speeches. Mr. Swan has long been a kind of racial conscience for the UBP, working hard to keep the party's attention focused on the problems of inequality in Bermuda, and within the party too.

Mr. Richards carries a significant political mantle - his father Sir E.T. Richards was a UBP leader and the island's first black Premier. He also enjoys addressing serious economic issues that too many in the political world cheerfully ignore.

Yet both men have not been major vote-getters. Mr. Swan lost several times in St. George's before winning this time - but with just 17 votes over the weakest of all PLP candidates.

Mr. Richards, meanwhile, failed several times to win a seat in his home parish of Warwick. He finally won in Mr. Dunkley's former Devonshire constituency - but turned a 214-vote stronghold into a 27-vote marginal.

So, as the UBP enters the most difficult and risky phase of its history, the choice for leader - at least by traditional political logic - is neither easy nor inspiring. The good thing for the UBP is that these are not traditional and logical political times.

They don't need a leader right now who can inspire the electorate and beat the PLP in an election: There almost certainly won't be another election for three or four years.

Instead of someone who can tackle the PLP, the UBP needs a leader who can tackle the UBP. The election surely showed that the party's worst enemy is itself, not the PLP, and that is where change must now begin. The traditional considerations - white, black, new, old, victorious or defeated in a general election - don't really matter much now.

What matters is that the next UBP leader has the strength, courage and determination to create the kind of Opposition that Bermudians want and need - whether that means completely transforming the UBP or helping to create something entirely new.

The next UBP leader is not responsible for winning the next election.

The next UBP leader is responsible for making sure that, when the next election comes, Bermudians of all races who are unhappy with their Government feel they have a good and honest alternative.[[In-content Ad]]

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