Former Attorney General Phil Perinchief has called on the Progressive Labour Party to turf out Premier Ewart Brown who he accused of being egotistical, autocratic and an electoral liability.He urged Deputy Premier Paula Cox to make a stand or lose out to others as the movement for change became unstoppable. Mr. Perinchief, who was sacked from Cabinet after the December general election, denied he had an axe to grind but said he was only expressing widespread feelings within the party that Dr. Brown was a spent force, out of touch with the party's roots.

Mr. Perinchief said he was continually taking calls and bumping into people who said Dr. Brown had to go.

He told The Royal Gazette: "There are senior members who come to me privately I won't reveal who they are who have expressed their dissatisfaction.

"I have a saying for them 'evil or wrongdoing will only prevail when good men and good women say and do nothing'. I am wondering for those who either deny it or refuse to see it, knowing otherwise, am I witnessing the silence of the lambs?

"Paula, who I hold in high regard, is never one to hold herself out as seeking leadership and certainly would not be a part of a move to oust Dr. Brown.

"However, I do believe if the democratic process is followed and she is nominated then it's highly likely that she would accept.

"But she would not accept for herself but would accept that it was the proper thing to do at this time for the party, the Government and the Country."

Asked if it was credible for a potential leader to wait until followers pushed them forward, Mr. Perinchief said: "The PLP, unlike Dr.Brown's view of it, has a wealth of intelligent and talented individuals both at the present Cabinet table and certainly waiting in the wings.

"So it could be that should the Honourable Paula Cox wait too long, she may be overtaken by events and personalities in much the same way that Hillary Clinton was overtaken by Barack Obama who came completely out of the blue. That could happen and Paula could miss her day.

He said Terry Lister and Dale Butler were both capable while Randy Horton could also be a contender while his brother Wayne Perinchief, who is on the backbench, might also be considered.

Ms Cox refused to comment on Wednesday when asked if Dr.Brown was the best man to be leading the Country. PLP chairman David Burt declined to comment and said he didn't want his name in the paper.

When it was explained to Mr. Burt that readers needed to know this newspaper had attempted to get another perspective on the story he said if this paper did mention him he would stop taking phone calls from this paper. Mr. Perinchief said there were several ways to change leaders have a special delegates conference, wait until the annual conference in October or do it by a vote of no confidence in Parliament.

But a House vote would need support from the Opposition whom he believes wouldn't be likely to cooperate because they fear PLPwould be stronger under another leader.

"He's become, in a very short time, a spent force and now people are clamouring for him to be changed because he brings with him far too many contentious issues and baggage such as the BHC issue.

"Mr. Perinchief claimed another PLP leader, without that baggage, would have taken at least 30 seats at the last election under Dr. Brown they were only able to repeat the results of the previous election and take 22 while doing nothing for the working class.

Mr. Perinchief, who lost a seat previously held by Renee Webb to the UBP, claimed Dr. Brown's leadership had been a liability on the doorstep during the election campaign.

"It was expressed by many constituents, including PLP supporters, it could have been nearer 20 percent. Ithink over the next week's and months, even without any prodding from me, more and more people are becoming totally dissatisfied with what they read, observe and are told about Dr. Brown's direction for the party, for the Government.

"I see that political groundswell growing into a tsunami by the end of summer simply because Dr. Brown has wronged too many key people and is not addressing the fundamental inequities in this country. I believe that it will mushroom.

"Asked if Dr.Brown would resign or stand and fight, Mr. Perinchief said:"I see him doing both because he will fight by attempting to lobby and cajole as politicians do, all of the delegates and the people who will hold him in power. That's politics. It is up to those who have a different view to do the same in the opposite direction politics is war."

However, several other sources have told this newspaper that Dr. Brown still had the numbers in both Cabinet and at the party's Central Committee and the PLPwas a long way off from a leadership figh

One MP told this paper that there were no rumblings from colleagues and the atmosphere in caucus was nothing like the one which preceded the downfall of Jennifer Smith.

Mr. Perinchief said he wasn't plotting with others to get Dr. Brown. "But, if approached, I certainly would be a part of any movement to remove Dr.Brown, not because I have a personal axe to grind but I just believe Dr. Brown has run in his course and for the good of the party, Government and country, Dr. Brown has to be moved along."

Now the ball was in Ms Cox's court said Mr. Perinchief.

"The pressure that is mounting from the rank and file of PLP supporters and the general population is growing and certainly Paula will have to gauge that and do what she thinks should do."

Asked about the chief gripes among the PLPwith Dr.Brown, Mr. Perinchief said:"They have tired of Dr. Brown's egotistical, opportunistic, even narcissistic approach to resolving political issues in this country

."I know there are members in Cabinet dissatisfied with his leadership style which is autocratic.

"The Premier has played zero-sum politics, and as a result of his American advisors, has basically taken the view that if he can remove those who helped install him and surround himself with persons who are more likely to carry out his bidding, even those who didn't support him, then he's in a position to better perpetuate his existence as Premier.

"For those who he had installed in various offices are in fear of him removing them because they don't know from one day to the next when the shoe will drop and he will remove them.

"That's why he likes to be in a position to appoint and disappoint at will that's the style. Those he believes will be his detractors, he either nullifies or demonises. But I think, over time, there are those who will take the position that they have nothing to lose from all of this and that Dr. Brown ought to be dealt with."

When he initially ran for leadership, Dr. Brown indicated he didn't plan to be around for a long time and those close to him have since put the word around that he will be gone by 2010.

Asked if he believed that stance had been a gambit to placate those who didn't want him lingering, Mr. Perinchief said:"Dr. Brown is a politician, he will do the most expedient thing at the time as politicians do.

"However, had Dr. Brown come in and carried out some of the core programmes and principles of the PLP, I would have supported him for as long a run as he needed to have.

"But his long absence of some 30 years from Bermuda disengaged him from the ethos and rhythm of Bermuda and he simply came back at a time when many others had fought the good fight in his absence, had made the gains and he simply came back to reap the whirlwind and capture the spoils of war.

"And he has been perceived far too many times in turning these opportunities towards self-serving purposes. "It's perceived that Dr. Brown likes the numerous photo ops and the gala and glitzy opportunities to meet the movers and shakers of the world whilst at the same time this country, particularly the working class, goes to hell in a handbasket."