It's like pulling teeth trying to find out who the newest member of the Senate is going to be.

The United Bermuda Party (UBP) has been one senator short since Maxwell Burgess won the Smith South bye-election and entered the House of Assembly in July.

At the time party leader Pamela Gordon said that the UBP was not in a particular hurry to announce a replacement but would have one by the start of the next parliamentary session.

Parliament reopens on Friday November 2 and party chairman Wayne Furbert told The Royal Gazette yesterday that if a Senate replacement for Mr. Burgess had been selected only party leader Ms Gordon could say.

He said as far as he knew no one had been selected as yet.

Senate President Alf Oughton said he hadn't heard a "peep, not even a rumour" about the matter.

Recently former Cabinet minister Quinton Edness told The Royal Gazette that he had been approached by people from within and outside the party to consider going into the Senate. He decided against it saying that his contribution should be at a "different level".

The development may indicate that the party is looking to replace Mr. Burgess with someone with experience rather than a political neophyte.

Ms Gordon could not be contacted by press-time. But she has said in the past that there are a number of good potential candidates for the seat but the decision would be a team effort.

Shadow Finance Minister Grant Gibbons said yesterday that it was her call. "I'm sure she has been giving it some thought. I'm sure it's under active consideration, but it is the prerogative of the party leader," he said.

He wouldn't even say if he knew whether she had made a decision.

The UBP is also expecting to select a House Leader - the position was left vacant after MP John Barritt resigned under as yet unexplained circumstances.

Mr. Burgess will be given a shadow ministry, Ms Gordon told The Royal Gazette before the summer recess. She added that the UBP was in the process of reviewing its responsibility to the community "so that people can really look at the United Bermuda Party as an alternative Government."

She also said that "significant changes" were in store for the UBP - changes that will "make people stand up and look at the UBP in a different way. And hopefully a more positive way."

Said Mr. Furbert yesterday : "We've made a lot of progress - such as I can't tell you right now."