The Progressive Labour Party is making some headway restructuring its organisation, according to party chairman Neville Tyrrell.

But some pundits say that the timing of the general election is becoming problematic for the ruling party.

The poll has to be called by November this year and could be held as late as February next year.

But the PLP's own ambitions - for electoral reform and ensuring that students participate in the poll - may have already caused it to lose its advantage as the incumbent.

Gone is the element of surprise if the party is to keep to its long standing commitment to ensure that Bermudian students abroad are on the Island for general elections.

That leaves this summer and the Christmas holidays for the Island's first poll under the single seat system.

Bermuda has never held a general election during the Christmas or the summer holidays. Under the UBP, elections were traditionally held in the autumn and sometimes in Februar. That sparked complaints from the then-Opposition PLP that students abroad were being disenfranchised.

There is some concern among PLP members about a lack of participation in meetings set up to form the party's 36 new branches - one for each new electoral district. Mr. Tyrrell said the executive is making headway with branch formation with "75 to 80 percent" of the new branches in place.

"By Wednesday (today) I have a feeling that there may be two or three constituencies left," he said. He would not say what new branches had been formed or reveal the names of new branch chairmen. He acknowledged "some challenges" including difficulty in getting a quorum of four people for the meetings.

"That's the only setback so far. I think there's much participation. I think you are going to find people who are resistant to change, but there is participation."

In anticipation of electoral reform which replaced the old dual seat parish based constituencies with 36 single seat districts, the PLP changed its constitution to require one branch for each electoral district, instead of nine parish based branches.

Branches nominate election candidates to the party hierarchy and are a critical element of support during campaigning.

PLPmaverick Rolfe Commissiong said the reorganisation in the face of a looming election posed a "significant management exercise" for his party.

"In terms of readiness they are at a point where they are just beginning to mobilise and focus themselves."

Besides going through the candidate selection process, voter education within the branches must also take place. The question is whether the party will have enough time to conduct a fully fledged campaign for a summer election - a Christmas election would pose its own challenges and probably irritate members of the public.

"I remain a little concerned myself," Mr. Commissiong said. "But I think ultimately, knowing the black Bermudian psychology they will get it together probably later than most Bermudians will be comfortable with, but they will get it together."