The Opposition United Bermuda Party (UBP) welcomed the news that the election date had been set with a show of confidence and bravado on the steps of the House of Assembly yesterday afternoon.

“The people have been shut out of the process for the last five years,” said Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons.

“Now the people of Bermuda can rise again through the ballot box.”

His party's campaign will focus on “bringing Bermudians the kind of government they deserve,” he added.

Dr. Gibbons added that his party will be fielding a full slate of 36 candidates. He was flanked by about 30 of them at yesterday's hastily called press conference.

Others, including some within the ruling Progressive Labour Party (PLP) were taken by surprise by the Premier's lunchtime announcement.

While the UBP has been campaigning for the last few months and has already rolled out a handful of candidates, the PLP has been restructuring its branch organisations and some members questioned whether the party would be in a position to contest the election this summer.

“I was taken by surprise,” said one key PLP supporter who did not want to be named. “I thought it would be in November.”

Both parties are yet to finalise the majority of their candidates but the UBP appears to be in a far greater state of readiness than the ruling party.

But the PLP's Calvin Smith said he was glad the day of reckoning was near because the electorate will “realise that we were far better in government than the information system will lead them to believe.”

The PLP had put in a “masterful” performance as Government, he said, and had brought about “outstanding changes”.

Rolfe Commissiong, a PLP supporter who has been harshly critical of his party said that the electorate will not be swayed in the end by the UBP's campaign.

“I don't think that people are going to go back to the future as represented by the so-called new United Bermuda Party. The baggage that they carry as a consequence of the last 30 years - particularly the last ten prior to 1998 - still weigh too heavily on the Bermudian psyche.”