Premier expected to resign today By Paul Egan Bermudians gave an emphatic "no'' to Independence yesterday.

With all 22,236 ballots counted, 16,369 voters (73.7 percent) had said "no'', while 5,714 (25.6 percent) voters said "yes''. The number of rejected ballots was not released.

But the final result was not available until 6.20 a.m. because of a concern that the count was out by 58 votes. At 5.30 a.m., when The Royal Gazette was forced to go to press with some editions, Parliamentary Registrar Mrs. Marlene Christopher had called Attorney General Mr. Elliott Mottley into the counting room at Wesley Methodist Church Hall for advice. Ballot boxes which had been taken out of the counting room were being carried back in.

But the trend was clear when partial results were released at 2.30 a.m. The outcome "will demonstrate that the Bermudian animal is conservative, slow to change, and very likely someone who has drunk at the reservoir of common sense'', said Mr. Colin Curtis, managing director of the Bermuda Perfumery and chairman of the anti-Independence group Bermuda First.

But swift changes in the United Bermuda Party Government are expected. Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan has pledged to resign today as UBP leader and as Premier as soon as a successor is found. He told the Gazette early this morning he wanted to await the final count before commenting, but repeated: "My letter of resignation was predicated on the outcome.'' Top Cabinet Ministers have said they will join Sir John -- who has been Premier nearly 14 years -- in the back bench.

The Premier "made a declaration and should honour it'', said Tourism Minister the Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge, who is seen as an early favourite to succeed Sir John. "The country has been made to be the laughing stock of the world by what has gone on, especially what has gone on in the last few days.'' Mr. Woolridge, who felt he or any of seven colleagues in a UBP group opposing Independence could assume the leadership, was referring to the latest Referendum debacle on Tuesday, when it was announced the long-awaited vote would be postponed indefinitely.

Instead, Hurricane Felix set back the poll only 24 hours. Voters were greeted yesterday by sunny skies and gentle winds.

"I'm glad the `no' vote was a convincing declaration of people's wishes at this time,'' Mr. Woolridge said.

Health and Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness, a close ally of the Premier's, said he was "very, very surprised'' at the size of the "no'' vote. He was also "very disappointed''.

Governor Lord Waddington was sound asleep at Government House when telephoned for comment at 3 a.m., an aide said. The United Kingdom Government he represents has pledged to respect the will of Bermudians on Independence.

With the UBP caucus set to meet this morning, Education Minister the Hon.

Clarence Terceira said: "I believe (the vote) will herald a new era for Bermuda, the UBP and the Government. It will almost be like turning a page in history and getting on with it.'' But Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade predicted trouble for the party that has governed Bermuda since 1964.

"The split in the UBP is not superficial and is very deep and the issue of Independence will not go away,'' Mr. Wade said. "I do not think the UBP will be able to resolve its differences while in Government.'' UBP backbencher Mr. Trevor Moniz said Independence would be raised again, but "not in the short term -- not in the next ten years, at least''.

Counting did not begin until after 11 p.m. Results dribbled in at 1.15 a.m., 2.30 a.m., and the final count was still awaited at 5.30 a.m. All 20 ballot boxes had to be driven from polling stations to Hamilton, accompanied by Police cars, before counting began.

The vote closed a chapter on a tale that began in December of 1993, when the British Government announced it would close HMS Malabar, ending a 200-year Royal Navy presence in Bermuda.

Calling the closure "a further erosion of ties with Britain'', Sir John -- who while casting his ballot repeated his pledge to resign in the event of a "no'' vote -- announced that Independence was back on the agenda after a five-year hiatus.

The UBP, which for years taunted the Progressive Labour Party for backing Independence, had just squeaked out a general election victory in which the issue was never mentioned.

UBP divided after referendum result From Page 1 Not known for public solidarity, the long-governing UBP embarked on what one caucus member described as "a bar-room brawl'', complete with the political equivalents of hair-pulling and punches beneath the belt.

Three separate referendum bills were brought to the House of Assembly before one finally passed Parliament in April.

There was one Cabinet resignation and the threat of five more. Some MPs abstained in key Government votes while others were nowhere to be found.

Of 21 Government MPs, ten said they would vote "no'', six said "yes'', and five never showed their hands.

The Premier and other pro-Independence Ministers argued that in a rapidly-changing world, Bermuda needed the flexibility Independence would bring.

"Bermuda's interests are not necessarily the same as those of the UK,'' Sir John said.

More contentious was Sir John's view that Independence would help bring blacks and whites together, by putting them in the same boat with nobody to bail them out.

"Independence from what?'' asked Independence opponents, noting that Bermuda had effectively governed itself since 1968. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it.'' They cited increased costs for foreign representation and internal security, as well as the overseas business that Bermuda could lose due to perceived instability. If there ever was a right time for Independence, this was not it, with $20 million a year in new Airport costs and responsibilities added to existing crime, drug, and education problems.

The PLP said it remained pro-Independence, but said constitutional changes had to come before Independence did and the UBP could not be trusted to take Bermuda there.

Calling for the issue to be decided in a general election, Mr. Wade created a smaller split in his own party when he urged supporters to boycott the Referendum.

The National Liberal Party supported the Referendum and Leader Mr. Gilbert Darrell called for a "yes'' vote. But the third party, which has no MPs, never converted differences within the two main parties into increased support for itself.

Mr. Darrell, who is due to retire this year, said he was "a little disappointed, but not surprised'' by the outcome. He did not feel Sir John should resign.

Throughout the debate, the business community expressed impatience, saying the prolonged Independence talk was causing uncertainty and concerns about instability for international business. Business leaders like Bank of Butterfield chairman and former Premier the Hon. Sir David Gibbons finally backed the Referendum, but said they wanted it over with as soon as possible.

"The people have spoken,'' Chamber of Commerce president Mr. Robert Rego said early this morning. "I think everyone is relieved that we've had (the referendum) and it's a very clear `no' vote.

"Let's get on with business. Let's get on with our lives.'' Efforts to unite the Island's pro-Independence forces never bore fruit, though the Premier further enraged many fellow UBPers when he publicly offered an "olive branch'' to Mr. Wade by endorsing single-seat constituencies. That offer, like other overtures, was swiftly rejected by Mr. Wade, who said Sir John's offers were meaningless without the backing of the UBP.

Mr. Walton Brown, chairman of the Committee for the Independence of Bermuda, said it did not take "a rocket scientist'' to realise the Referendum would bring a "no'' vote, and he was not surprised.

Mr. Brown, a 34-year-old instructor at Bermuda College, said his fight to end Bermuda's 386-year-old colonial status was far from over.

"Our campaign for Independence didn't start with John Swan's referendum,'' he said. "This was a very important turning point.'' Mr. Brown formed his committee in 1990 and estimated then it would take ten years to achieve Independence. "We're in midstream.'' Three other groups, all of which oppose Independence and ran costly media campaigns, were spawned by the debate. Historian Mrs. Joyce Hall launched Bermudians for Continued Stability, while Mr. Colin Curtis founded Bermuda First. And eight Government MPs became the UBP Group Against Independence Now.

Government's much-maligned Independence information ads, colourful buttons urging votes of "yes'', "no'', and "abstain'', and songs like "Raise Your Hand (If You Want to be Free)'' were all part of the media blitz.

"This whole issue has divided Bermuda more than any issue I can think of in 58 years,'' said Mr. Curtis, who hoped his recently-formed Bermuda First group would have a role to play in "a healing process''.