Some observers say the election is becoming a referendum on Premier Dr. Ewart Brown's leadership and the latest poll shows he has a narrow lead over Opposition Leader Michael Dunkley on the popularity stakes.

Asked for their overall opinion of Dr. Brown, 53.4 percent of voters are favourable compared to 41.9 percent who disapprove and just 4.7 percent not sure.

Mr. Michael Dunkley gets a favourability rating of 49.5 percent while 28.3 percent disaprove and 22.2 have yet to decide.

The Profiles of Bermuda poll commissioned by The Royal Gazette surveyed 406 people between November 23 and December 1 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent.

There is a marked racial tinge to how people view the Premier with 78.7 percent of blacks in favour, 16.5 percent against and 4.9 percent not sure.

Only 10.3 percent of whites are favourable, 85 percent are unfavourable and 4.7 percent are not sure.

The Premier has a strong approval rating in the 18-35-year-old category with 69 percent in favour, 22.5 percent against and 8.5 percent not sure.

In the 36-54 age group 52.4 percent are in favour of the Premier compared to 43.3 percent against while in the 55-plus category 50.4 percent are in favour compared to 45.1 percent against.

Overall approval ratings for the Premier are tied among people in households with an annual income of more than $100,000 at 49.1 percent approving and 49.1 percent disapproving.

In the $50,000-100,000 bracket, 57.5 percent back the Premier while 38.3 percent disapprove while in the under $50,000 income bracket 55.3 percent are in favour and 35.9 percent not in favour.

Among blacks, 39.8 percent view Mr. Dunkley unfavourably and 36.8 percent are favourable, but whites give him an approval rating of 72.6 percent compared with 6.6 percent who are not in favour.

Significantly more people approve of Mr. Dunkley than disapprove in all income brackets while there is virtually no difference between men and women with a majority of both in favour.

And asked separately about how Ewart Brown is handling his job as Premier the poll shows 49 percent approve and 44.3 percent dissaprove while 6.7 percent are not sure.

That question highlights a huge difference between the races with 73.3 percent of blacks approving and 18.8 percent disaproving and 7.9 percent not sure while only 7.5 percent of whites approve and 87.7 disaprove while the rest are undecided.

Of the age groups, young people are the most supportive of the way Dr. Brown is doing his job with 65.1 percent in approving and 26.4 percent disapproving in the 18-35 age group and the rest not sure.

There is a narrow lead in the 36-54-year-old age group 48.8 percent voicing approval and 45.1 percent voicing disapproval.

And in the 55 and over those disapproving of Dr. Brown's handling of the Premiership edge ahead with 47.8 percent against 45.1 percent approving and the rest not sure.

When it comes to economic breakdown 52 percent of those under from households earning under $50,000 voiced approval of the Dr. Brown Premiership while 39.2 percent are against and 8.8 percent not sure.

In the $50-100,000 bracked 52.1 percent approve while 40.1 percent disapprove and 7.8 percent not sure but in the over $100,000 bracket 52.2 percent disaprove, 45.2 percent approve and 2.6 percent are not sure.

The genders are almost identitical with 48.9 percent of men approving Dr. Brown's handling of his job compared with 44.1 percent against while 49.1 percent of women are in favour compared with 44.5 percent against.

¦ Where the numbers do not add up to 100 percent the remainder is made up of 'not sures'.