Trevor Moniz remains estranged from the United Bermuda Party as it prepares to contest the Smith's South by-election. Meanwhile, the man who is almost certain to be named the party's candidate, Maxwell Burgess, is the wrong choice says Mr. Moniz who holds the other Smith's South seat.

The by-election, made necessary by C.V. (Jim) Woolridge's retirement last month from politics, has not yet been called. And neither the Opposition United Bermuda Party nor the ruling Progressive Labour Party have announced their candidates.

But UBP Senator Maxwell Burgess has been actively canvassing the area in recent days, according to constituents.

Mr. Moniz has been suspended from his party for almost two years now. The official reason given was that he had not been attending party meetings and the weekly caucus. Mr. Moniz says it is because he advised party leader Pamela Gordon to step down soon after the party lost the 1998 general election.

Last week new party chairman, Wayne Furbert made conciliatory noises when asked by VSB news whether it was not time to bring Mr. Moniz back into the fold. Talks have not begun and, when asked, Mr. Moniz said that any reconciliation efforts would be too late to help the party's chances at the by election.

"I'd rather not say anything until I find out what is really going on," said Mr. Furbert when contacted last night.

"If he doesn't know what's going on, he's a long way from solving it," said Mr. Moniz

Asked how he felt about the situation with an election in his constituency just weeks away, Mr. Moniz said : "The fact of my suspension is wrong and is a shame. Having said that I've been suspended for 21 months. It's too late to do anything for this by-election."

Mr. Moniz also said, when asked, that he had not been contacted to help out with canvassing. "Maxwell's out there canvassing and he still hasn't come to me," he said. "Graeme Outerbridge came by. I told him 'you're doing better than Maxwell'."

But asked if Mr. Burgess had a good chance of winning the seat, Mr. Moniz had strong doubts. "He has no particular connection with the district. And the positions he's taken aren't in accord with most of the people in the district."

Mr. Moniz cited Mr. Burgess' strong opposition to the register of interests - a cause Mr. Moniz single-handedly championed and steered through the House of Assembly. He also cited Mr. Burgess's pro-Independence and pro McDonald's stance as negative baggage.

"He would have to make some major shifts in political philosophy," Mr. Moniz said. But are there better candidates ?

"I could give you a hundred names. But they'd have to be willing to run for the UBP," replied Mr. Moniz.

At least one voter in that constituency agrees that Maxwell Burgess has some negative baggage."I don't have a problem with Maxwell Burgess," said John Buckley who has been visited by National Liberal Party candidate Graeme Outerbridge but not Sen. Burgess. "I know a lot of people don't like him that much." He doesn't mind his pro-Independence stance. "As long as he doesn't come here with his McDonald's tie."

Mr. Buckley doesn't think that McDonald's will hurt Mr. Burgess that much, though. And he said he is 95 percent likely to vote for whoever the United Bermuda Party chooses as a candidate.

But Mr. Buckley added that he and his wife were both keen to see who the candidates from both parties were.

As for Trevor Moniz, "I think he needs to be more of a team player. He should be helping them, not causing them more problems," said Mr. Buckley.