Somers Construction, one of the companies that bid for the Berkeley construction contract is believed to be Government?s choice to complete the project, informed sources say.

The reports spread hours after Government terminated ProActive Management Systems? contract but could not be definitively confirmed by Press time last night. Works Minister Ashfield DeVent has promised to provide more information on his decision to terminate ProActive at a Press conference this week.

Somers Construction head Jeff Merker was busy attending meetings yesterday and could not be reached for comment.

The company managed the construction of Bermuda?s first senior secondary school, CedarBridge Academy, a project hailed as a success for finishing on time and just slightly over budget.

Patricia Gordon-Pamplin of the United Bermuda Party said she, too, had heard the reports but urged Government to put the job out to tender.

?If Somers Construction is going to be the replacement contractor for ProActive, I don?t think Government has made the right choice at this point in time.

?What they need to do is put it out to tender, have complete transparency and then choose the best and most responsive bidder out of the new re-tendering process,? she said.

?You?ve got to re-tender this thing you can?t just go and say ProActive screwed up so let?s pick the next guy in line.?

She said the project was very different now that it is partially completed so a new tender process would be the best option.

?They should re-tender it, they should go back to square one and find out how best to move forward from this debacle.?

Ms Gordon-Pamplin said she was concerned that the contract termination would cost the taxpayer dearly. But she was more concerned that dozens of people had suddenly found themselves out of work because of Government?s mishandling of the contract.

And she criticised ProActive for not addressing what the company believes to be poor co-operation from Government on the contract. ?If ProActive felt they were not getting the co-operation from Government they should have put a stop and forced Government to come back to the negotiation table.

?This is how real contractors work ? when things are not going to plan, they stop, they have site meetings they have group meetings and they have management meetings,? she said.

?They should have recognised it very early on ? that?s my contention. They should have recognised it in 2002. They must have known that things weren?t going to plan. You don?t wait until after the contract has expired and then moan that you did not get assistance two years before. That?s rubbish. You bring your challenges to the table when you recognise there?s a problem.?