Pamela Gordon, who steps down as Opposition Leader today, is being credited with having stabilised the United Bermuda Party (UBP) after its devastating loss at the polls in 1998.

Three years ago the odds were against the survival of the United Bermuda Party. Talk was rife about the emergence of a fourth party and changing the name of the UBP or merging with the National Liberal Party.

And even some of the party's long time financial supporters in the corporate world were advising the leadership to file for bankruptcy and dissolve the organisation.

Today, says the party hierarchy and supporters it is back from the brink of near extinction and has a fighting chance thanks mainly to Ms Gordon's leadership.

And she is being lauded for her willingness to serve the party and the Country selflessly.

"Ms Gordon inherited the leadership at a very difficult time," said party chairman Wayne Furbert. "The party had been riddled with internal bickering and it was clear to everyone within the party that the PLP had taken advantage of this and were gaining momentum fast."

But Ms Gordon, who has the distinction of being the Country's first woman premier and the youngest leader ever, has left her party in a stronger position as a result of her leadership, Mr. Furbert added.

"We are more united and more focused. We have a clearer sense of what we stand for, and how we need to develop for the future."

Former Cabinet Minister Quinton Edness echoed those sentiments and said it was worth remembering that when Ms Gordon took over the leadership of the party in 1997, the UBP was already "well on its way to being out of favour with the electorate".

"It had so many problems internally," he said. "You certainly can't blame her for losing the election. She did take over knowing full well it was going to be an uphill battle."

Mr. Edness said that Ms Gordon can also be proud of the fact that the party is now "very inclusive and very centrist". And he added that she was "magnanimous" for staying on in Parliament after stepping down as party Leader.

"Most leaders usually step down with the intention of getting out of politics," he said.

Ms Gordon herself has said that she could not step down without first restoring the organisation to financial solvency, establishing a strong, united team and stabilising the party.

Those goals accomplished she decided in July that she would step down as party leader and preside over a seamless transition.

"Mostly, it was important to ensure the debt was paid because there was no way I could have stood down leaving a huge debt that was incurred on my watch," Ms Gordon said when asked why she had not stepped down earlier.

"What was so amazing about this was we had to get very creative about the way we went about raising funds. It brought us to a whole new realisation of how we could work together as a team."

The party found itself owing close to a million dollars after the 1998 General Elections when a number of significant financial supporters failed to honour their pledges.

Her resignation is effective today when the new Leader of the Opposition party, Shadow Finance Minister Grant Gibbons, will be named.

Ms Gordon and other UBP leaders are making much of the fact that the leadership change is being handled seamlessly without public speculation.

"We've accomplished what we wanted to accomplish - a seamless transition where there wasn't a lot of media speculation," said Shadow Health Minister Kim Young. "I think that's healthy. It's a nice accomplishment."

Mrs. Young went on to praise Ms Gordon as a "great role model for women" and agreed when asked that her leadership after the General Election defeat in 1998, was primarily responsible for the UBP's continued existence today.

"She could have stepped down and let somebody else carry the burden. She didn't," said Mrs. Young.

"She's kept us together and put us in the position now where we can be a viable alternative to Government."

Ms Gordon is retaining her seat in the House of Assembly, saying she is still willing to serve. But she declined to comment when asked if she would run in the next election - likely to be fought under a revamped single seat electoral system.

In March 1997, Ms Gordon was thrust into the Premiership by her colleagues soon after David Saul's shock announcement of his resignation.

Her appointment as Premier came just four years after she had entered the House of Assembly to represent Southampton West after winning the leadership by acclamation from her caucus colleagues.

And other, more seasoned, politicians bowed out of the race for the top job.

"She came into the breach when the party needed her," said former Premier Sir John Swan. "And she worked hard and developed a great deal of respect in the community."