Unequal dual-seat constituencies are now in the dustbin of history after an order made by Britain's Privy Council last Thursday which transformed the electoral map to reflect the Boundaries Commission recommendations.

But responding to concerns about the process of constitutional change, the British Government has asked Governor Sir John Vereker to canvass the public on how the Constitution and the electoral map should be changed in the future.

The order means that the next general election will be held under the system recommended by the Boundaries Commission last year, with 36 equal sized constituencies each to send one person to the House of Assembly.

Neville Tyrrell, chairman of the ruling Progressive Labour Party (PLP), which has championed single seats since inception and drove the process as Government, said he was "elated" at the news.

The Opposition United Bermuda Party (UBP) which insisted on a conference, is "delighted" that the elections will be held under the new system, said Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons.

He added that he was satisfied with the decision to consult with the public on procedures for the future.

The party had pushed hard for a consistent method of changing the Constitution and recommended that changes should be made after a constitutional conference and/or a referendum.

"What we are seeing here is a recognition that a process should be adopted to set out generally accepted procedure," Dr. Gibbons said.

"We look forward to participating in the consulting that the Governor will undertake."

He said the UBP will recommend that the consultation be "broad and open".

And the Association for Due Process and the Constitution, which lobbied hard for a constitutional conference before making the changes, says it is happy that the British will now seek public input into how such changes are made in the future.

"This development represents a partial victory for the Association in its efforts to ensure that major changes to the Bermuda Constitution follow a predictable and reliable pattern for the sake of preserving the rule of law and constitutional controls on the exercise of arbitrary power by the government of the day," according to an Association press statement.

"Whilst we were not successful in securing a constitutional conference... it is clear the British government recognises the unnecessary disturbance caused in Bermuda by the lack of a clear constitutional amendment procedure," Albert Jackson, the president of the lobby group, is quoted as saying.

Last week's order was publicised in Britain yesterday through a written statement in that country's House of Lords and House of Commons, according to a statement from the Department of Communication and Information (DCI).

The statement referred to local concerns for a "clear and generally acceptable" procedure for future constitutional change.

"The Secretary of State wished to ensure that, subject to the sovereign rights of Her Majesty, the process of considering such proposals was as transparent as possible, and that the citizens and political parties of Bermuda were consulted as widely as possible before changes are made.

"He had therefore asked the Governor to explore the issue locally to see whether interested parties in Bermuda could come forward with acceptable proposals for procedures to be followed in future, which could then be put to him for consideration. These proposals are to include the means by which the public is consulted over proposed constituency boundary changes when a future Constituency Boundaries Commission is undertaking its work," the statement continues.

"The Governor plans to canvass suggestions from individuals, political parties and organisations."

Governor Sir John Vereker said he could not make any further comment when asked how he planned to canvass the public. "We have not started to discuss with anybody how we are going to do it," he said.

Arrangements are being made to print the Order in Council in this newspaper.