Former Progressive Labour Party MPs Reginald Burrows and Cal Smith have come out in support of leader Ewart Brown.

Mr. Burrows said most people in the Party were satisfied with Dr. Brown's Premiership.

His backing came after former Attorney General Phil Perinchief called for Dr. Brown to go, labelling him egotistical, autocratic and an electoral liability.

Mr. Burrows said: "I think the central committee and the Party have everything under control. I don't think Phil Perinchief is an authority on the PLP or the Premier."

Mr. Perinchief had aired a litany of complaints against the Premier in Friday's Royal Gazette but Mr. Burrows said 75 percent of the Party still backed Dr. Brown.

"Right now we are not ready to appoint a new Premier, we will do it in due time."

And former MP and Senator Cal Smith said people bad mouthed black leaders in their heyday who were now legends such as Dr. E.F. Gordon and Martin Luther King.

He said Dr. Brown had done better than anyone before him by landing the golf Grand Slam which would help lure visitors from the US.

Mr. Smith added: "The man is intelligent, he's a good leader, he's able and I don't know what goes through the head of people who want to get rid of him, except that always happens when black people have a good leader."

However, one senior PLP source said time was running out for the Premier.

The source said: "It's probably more serious than it appeared last week and that was more serious than the week before. He's regressing. I think he would have to be Tiger Woods to pull himself out of this one."

The source was not the only one with golfing analogies on his mind.

PLP member Michael Markham said: "Ewart Brown is the Tiger Woods of Bermuda politics. You can't beat him, he has to lose. The people I represent are backing him.

"He is focused and has substance behind his style. It is unfortunate he has some people around him who are offending people but Phil Perinchief's view is not generally accepted in the Party."

MP Glenn Blakeney said the Premier's legislative programme showed he was still in touch with the grass roots.

Asked if the Premier had his full support, he said on Friday: "Any leader of my Party would have my full support, I am a team player."

He said any Premier who listened to the MPs and community would have his backing.

Asked for his reaction on Mr. Perinchief's stance Walter Lister MP was one of many MPs who claimed they had not seen the articles.

He added: "I don't consider that an important issue, I really don't care to comment."

Mr. Perinchief was sticking to his guns yesterday. He said he had been overwhelmed with people expressing his support for his stance in calling for the Premier to go.

He said: "Scores of people approached me and telephoned me expressing like sentiments."