House of Assembly seats in Paget East and Devonshire South were cast yesterday.

The UBP's Central Office said last night 24 votes had been cast in the Paget East primary and 14 in the Devonshire South tussle.

Advance voting was open to registered United Bermuda Party members who will be unable to vote in next Thursday's official poll cast their advance votes at the UBP headquarters in Hamilton yesterday.

There are three candidates in the UBP primary for Paget East and two in the Devonshire South contest.

UBP hopefuls for Sir John Swan's Paget East spot are Government Senate Leader and lawyer Lynda Milligan-Whyte, former Women's Advisory Council chairman and bookshop boss Kim Young and ex-UBP deputy chairman and businessman David Sullivan.

In Devonshire South, formerly held by ex-Premier David Saul, the UBP candidates are dairy chief Michael Dunkley and former bank executive turned restaurateur Joe Gibbons.

National Liberal Party chairman Charles Jeffers has already been nominated to fight the Devonshire by-election for Bermuda's smallest political group.

Mr. Jeffers is on record as saying a respectable showing in the poll is vital to re-establishing the credibility of the NLP as a viable alternative to the two main groupings.

The NLP, however, has ruled out a challenge in Paget East to conserve the party's slender resources.

The Opposition Progressive Labour Party -- unlikely to do well in either seat, which both have reputations as UBP strongholds -- have yet to decide on a game plan or by-election candidates.

But PLP insiders believe party chiefs are unwilling to put candidates in the firing line while several UBP nominees are in the frame.

Instead, it is understood the PLP hierarchy are playing a waiting game until the UBP decide on the two individuals who will fight the seats.