Premier Ewart Brown will make his final speech to the Progressive Labour Party as its annual conference gets underway today.

Dr. Brown will talk during the opening ceremony of the three-day event, kicking off at Berkeley Institute Cafetorium at 7 p.m.

All eyes will be on the conference when it switches to Devonshire Recreation Club tomorrow, when an estimated 166 voters — including delegates nominated at branch level, MPs and the party executive — will elect the next party leader and Premier of Bermuda in the evening.

It's thought all three candidates — Dale Butler, Paula Cox and Terry Lister — will make a ten-minute speech.

Some members have called for a question-and-answer session but yesterday such an event was deemed unlikely.

A secret ballot will then take place, followed by a count, before the winner is announced on the night. A minimum of 50 percent of the vote plus one is required for victory.

Yesterday, delegates were not aware what time the vote would take place.

The day is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., with party business to be sorted before the elections. Four years ago, the election process didn't begin until around 9 p.m.

A roundtable of discussions on issues takes place on Friday at Devonshire Recreation Club.