in Pembroke East Central, The Royal Gazette has learned.

Mr. Lines, a UBP backroom stalwart who formerly chaired the Bermuda Housing Corporation, is seen as a surprise candidate for elected office.

Along with Mr. Lawson Mapp, Mr. Lines is set to challenge Progressive Labour Party incumbents Mr. David Allen and Mr. Stanley Morton.

Mr. Lines, of Cooper and Lines, made headlines recently as chairman of the Premier's Task Force on Employment, which is expected to report soon. He is also UBP deputy chairman.

The party would not confirm his candidacy, but a UBP insider said Mr. Lines was considered "a very good catch,'' because he represented the white business establishment that often remained on the sidelines.

"I think it demonstrates, as an example to his peers, that you can't just sit around and criticise,'' he said. "Every so often you've got to roll up your sleeves and get in there.'' As chairman of the Housing Corporation in the 1970s, Mr. Lines oversaw development of Princess Towers and redevelopment of dilapidated housing along Happy Valley Road in the constituency.

The UBP swept Pembroke East Central in 1985, electing Mr. Mapp and Mr. Robert Barritt. But the PLP claimed both seats in 1989.

It was expected Mr. Lines' candidacy would be announced this week.

Today or tomorrow, the UBP was expected to announce two young black candidates to challenge PLP MPs Mr. Nelson Bascome and Mr. Ottiwell Simmons in the Opposition stronghold of Pembroke East.

That would leave only two candidates for the UBP to announce in Devonshire North. Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan must call an election no later than February.

In another political development, St. George's South UBP candidate Mr. Rick Spurling yesterday criticised PLP Shadow Finance Minister Mr. Eugene Cox for his comments about the recession at a news conference on Friday.

While Mr. Cox said the UBP did not seize on opportunities for retraining and other programmes that the recession offered, Mr. Spurling said the PLP was blind to the fact the recession was coming.

In 1989, "the PLP even demonstrated against the United Bermuda Party's recession budget and its preparations for the difficult times ahead,'' Mr.

Spurling said.

"A party which ignored or denied that the recession was imminent would not have taken advantage of the recession to retrain workers,'' he said.

Mr. Spurling also criticised the PLP and Mr. Cox as being "too late'' in voicing support for the Island's international business sector.

"We recognised long ago that it was dangerous to rely solely on tourism as our single foreign currency earner, and we took steps to establish an international business industry,'' Mr. Spurling said of the UBP. "At the time and since then, the PLP attacked our efforts.

"Now that international business makes as much money as tourism does and has helped take up the slack when the tourism industry was adversely affected by the depressed US economy, the PLP is pretending that they are the friends and supporters of Bermuda's international business community.'' The UBP set up training and business courses at Bermuda College years ago, and has encouraged businesses to establish scholarships for young Bermudians, he said.

Mr. David Lines.