of errors in the Paget West by-election.

First, the United Bermuda Party got itself tangled in knots over its selection of a candidate, with many of the people approached running away from it as fast as they could.

Then some 40 members of this UBP stronghold decided to select Sen. Patricia Gordon Pamplin over UBP veteran Ann Cartwright DeCouto, an acrimonious decision which did little to solidify the already shaky UBP base of support and saw all sorts of people mull runs as Independents.

Having been selected, it appears that Mrs. Gordon Pamplin failed to properly resign her seat in the upper house before being nominated.

This mistake -- and it does seem that Sen. Gordon Pamplin did fail to get her resignation in on time -- is embarrassing for the UBP; a party which prided itself on good management now cannot fill in its paperwork properly. At best it is temporary sloppiness, at worst it is a symbol of the Opposition's complete disarray.

Now it is the Progressive Labour Party's turn. The party now wants the Supreme Court to disqualify Mrs. Gordon Pamplin as a candidate, thus depriving Paget West of any candidate other than the PLP's George Scott.

And it is urging her to step down before Monday's court case. The reason? Not for important Constitutional grounds, but to save "unnecessary court time and the public expense entailed in a by-election''. Incidentally, it would also increase the PLP's already unshakeable majority to 27 in the House of Assembly.

Enough already. The UBP seems to be losing the by-election on its own without any assistance from the PLP. Why not just let the voters decide? `GREEN PAPER' EDT `Green Paper' This week's White Paper should win unanimous support on one issue -- the environment.

Foreign Secretary Robin Cook proposes that Britain and the soon-to-be Overseas Territories establish an Environmental Charter and standards for preservation of the environment.

Britain also indicates that the Overseas Territories should participate in international arrangements, including the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of Environmental Importance. Another convention, which should be vitally important to Bermuda, is the United Nations Climate Change Convention; so far, no Overseas Territory has signed up.

Britain proposes to assist the territories in updating environmental legislation, help secure additional funding for environmental projects and identify environmental priorities, which in Bermuda would include the preservation of open space and the safeguarding of the coral reefs and fish population.

A cooperative approach between all governments and activists via an Environmental Charter would be a good place to start coordinating efforts.

Bermuda should take a leading role in its development and implementation.

Bermuda should also move quickly to sign on to the international agreements above. Bearing in mind that the Island's biodiversity is already endangered (just this week we heard that one species of tree frog has become extinct and the Island's entire citrus stock is under threat), there is no excuse for delay.

As the White Paper says: "Failure to put the best arrangements in place now could mean that early in the next millennium much remaining human and natural diversity will be lost.''