rebel United Bermuda Party MPs.

Dr. Saul -- who goes on a kayaking holiday to Greenland next week -- said he could not say if he would meet with the five rebels before he leaves.

He said: "We are reviewing certain things and they are reviewing certain things.

"It could be early and it could be late -- a lot will just depend on what comes out of that review process. These things take time and I am not going to put any datelines on anything.'' Two of the rebels -- dubbed the People's Five -- C.V. (Jim) Woolridge and Trevor Moniz, said yesterday that they had not been notified of another meeting.

Mr. Moniz added: "I don't know of any further meetings being scheduled. The ball's in Dr. Saul's court.'' Two meetings have already been held at the UBP's Hamilton headquarters in a bid to heal a major split in the party.

But both sides in the dispute have remained tight-lipped about the talks and whether the prospect of Cabinet posts for at least two of the rebels in a autumn reshuffle was on the cards.

The olive branch was offered after the rebels helped notch up a series of embarrassing defeats for Government in the last session.

The five -- the other three being Ann Cartwright DeCouto, Dr. Clarence Terceira and Dr. David Dyer -- cooperated with the Opposition Progressive Labour Party to pass a motion of censure against Dr. Saul for his role in the McDonald's franchise row.

Earlier in the session, Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto's Prohibited Restaurant's Act, which bans franchise-style restaurants, passed through the House of Assembly with Progressive Labour Party support -- although it has since been stalled in the Senate.

The Act was a slap in the face for ex-Premier Sir John Swan and fellow backbencher Maxwell Burgess, both involved in Grape Bay Ltd., which had earlier been given permission by Finance Minister Grant Gibbons to operate a McDonald's restaurant on the Island.

The rebellion on the backbenches started last year during the controversial Independence debate, Sir John's brainchild, when the rebels attacked Sir John's stance and publicly canvassed for a "no'' vote in the referendum on the issue.

POLITICS PTL