?More group therapy than blood-letting? was the way one party source described the tortuous process which saw Grant Gibbons finally ousted as leader of the UBP after four years at the helm.

Opposition MPs contacted about Saturday?s leadership change were keen to blow over the traces on a process which has seen them meeting monthly since October to mull over what was needed to win back power.

After Dr. Gibbons had put his leadership on the line the party finally grasped the nettle at the gathering at Michael Dunkley?s house.

But the gamble by Dr. Gibbons backfired as it was made clear he had to go.

Poor personal poll results as well as low support for the party were cited by some although witnesses struggle to put their finger on what finally led to the coup de grace.

Various other contenders were mooted including Senator Bob Richards and Mr. Dunkley while Maxwell Burgess had the strongest support among the challengers to Wayne Furbert.

But in the end Mr. Furbert was elected unopposed at the gathering of all 14 MPs as well as non-voting Senators and the party chairwoman.

The result was welcomed Sir John Swan, who led the party to four election victories in the 1980s and 1990s, but has been critical of the UBP leadership in recent times.

He said Mr. Furbert had a mammoth task dealing with racial divisions in the country and wished him success.

?I will be giving Wayne my support but if he?s faltering I will give him my opinion, he will be the first to hear it privately and publicly. I shall remain vigilant in my assessment.?

Asked if the leadership swap would be enough to bring victory Sir John said: ?We still have a lot to do. I don?t think just switching a white man to a black man is the answer itself.?

The party needs to reach out to those who felt neglected said Sir John.

Asked if choosing a black person over a white person would help, he said it would help spike the guns of the PLP who threw mud at white leaders at every election. ?Hopefully Wayne will address that and dampen that down.?

No way, said PLP MP Nelson Bascome who believes the race issue will not go away for the UBP with the election of Mr. Furbert ? just as it had been a thorn in the flesh of previous black leaders of the UBP.

On Mr. Furbert he said: ?I don?t see any strengths in him, I am trying to be very honest ? his debating skills ? he?s not the most articulate person in their team.

?I guess his strengths will be his church affiliation.?

Asked what church affiliations they were, Mr. Bascome laughed: ?I don?t know.?

One party supporter said Mr. Furbert?s weaknesses as a public speaker could be reduced by speechwriters and a strong team. ?John Swan was never a great public speaker.?

Mr. Furbert?s real asset was his affability, said the supporter, as well as his roots in the community.

?He says he?s related to everybody, he?s everybody?s cousin, he?s probably right 95 percent of the time.?

Another party source said the change would encourage blacks to join who had been put off by Grant Gibbons. ?Wayne Furbert will tell you ? already people have come forward saying how we can help.?

Loyalists believe the change could extinguish recent talk of creating a new party to replace the UBP.

Former UBP candidate Christian Dunleavy said: ?He?s the best choice.

?People concentrate on what people are not good at but we need to concentrate on what?s good. He?s genuine, he?s well intentioned, he?s got his heart in the right place.?

PLP spokesman Scott Simmons said the change in UBP leadership had been caused by the success of his party.

?They have caused the UBP to attempt to change into a mirror image of the PLP ? in personalities and policies. We are certain the public will see the ?new UBP? having gone through three leaders in seven years is clearly just the UBP with little if anything ?new? to offer.?