Senators eyed for new party as UBP figures head to court

BDA deputy Dr Kathy Michelmore has also been pencilled in for a Senate seat while Mike Fahy will be chairman of the new party.

News of the appointments — revealed to the Bermuda Sun and expected to be confirmed at an official launch event on Thursday — comes as a rebel group of United Bermuda Party loyalists, including leader Kim Swan, threaten to derail the merger.

They have filed an injunction against figurehead John Barritt, who has been lined up as leader of the OBA, Senator Jeanne Atherden and UBP deputy leader Trevor Moniz in a bid to stop the 47-year-old party from disbanding.

Supporters of the merger appeared unswayed by the legal action yesterday, with a press conference still scheduled for 11am Thursday to officially launch the new party.

A source close to the negotiations told the Bermuda Sun that key positions for an interim leadership team have already been sorted out.

Mr Cannonier and Ms Michelmore have been promised senate seats, according to our source.

That means that at least two of the sitting UBP senators — Michael Dunkley, Ms Atherden and Suzann Roberts-Holshouser — will lose their positions in the upper house.

BDA chairman Mike Fahy has been nominated as chairman of the new party and the three BDA MPs — Mark Pettingill, Shawn Crockwell and Donte Hunt  — are expected to get key positions in the shadow cabinet.

It is understood that the party will undertake a four-month recruitment drive before holding official internal elections to decide a permanent leader, deputy leader and senators.

Another source told us that the ‘real party’ would start to take shape at that point.

The source said Bermuda would see the diversity of the new team when the candidates are rolled out in anticipation of a general election.

It is understood that every potential candidate — including veteran MPs who have held their seats for decades — will be asked to reapply to be candidates.