With the dust settling on the October 5 General Election, The Royal Gazette this week asked the two parties how the results will affect their approach to the electorate in the coming term.

*** As it begins with a fresh but hard-won mandate, the United Bermuda Party Government has its work cut out for it -- attracting young voters who are mostly black.

For the Progressive Labour Party, which has never formed a Government since it was launched more than 30 years ago, prospects in the next election look better than ever.

As they position themselves for a vote that could come sooner than 1997, the two parties say the principles that have guided them until now will not change.

But the UBP, which has won eight straight mandates on a platform of sound economic management by a biracial Government, must ponder some unsettling facts along with its narrow 22-18 victory on October 5.

First, while it polls nearly all the Island's white votes, the UBP garners only 20 to 30 percent of black votes by its own estimates, and 12 percent by a PLP estimate.

Secondly, both parties agreed that the youth vote went overwhelmingly to the PLP on October 5. The reduced voting age and the time lapse since the last election meant that first-time voters who shunned the UBP were 18 to 24 years old.

Finally, Bermuda's black population is growing more quickly than the white. In 1991, 73 percent of Bermudians were black or of mixed race and 26 percent were white, according to the latest Census. In 1980, the comparable numbers were 71 percent and 29 percent.

With that trend expected to continue, and a handful of votes in a few constituencies deciding the outcome, "the PLP just sits there and waits like the catcher in a baseball game, for the political pitches to come home to its mitt,'' said party strategist and MP Mr. Alex Scott. "We basically aren't changing that much.'' The UBP philosophy would not change, either, said executive officer Mr. Joe Gibbons. But the emphasis would change, as it had in the past. So could the party's structure.

It was likely a higher proportion of the UBP's candidates would be black in the next election, he said.

Attracting young black vote Mr. Gibbons explained: "There seem to be more young black Bermudians out there who want to get involved in shaping the future of this country.

"Perhaps one day will come when every elected member of the UBP is black,'' Mr. Gibbons said. "That could be a natural progression.'' While sticking to its original principle of maintaining economic and political stability in a free market framework, the party would emphasise equality of opportunity and retraining, he said. Also, "I don't think we spent as much time going after the younger vote as we should have.'' How the UBP plans to capture the hearts of black and other youth has not been spelled out.

But with the House of Assembly not due to reconvene until next Friday, the UBP has already shown signs of a change in emphasis.

Most revealing was Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan's comment soon after the vote that Bermudians "don't just want a better-managed economy, but a better-managed society that improves the quality of life.

"There is no sense in a better economy when social problems are getting worse,'' he said.

Removing a "glass ceiling'' for blacks in Bermuda's private sector was named as a top priority.

Faced with one black candidate and one white, the first important appointment made after the election was black Puisne Judge the Hon. Mr. Justice Ward to the post of Chief Justice.

In his Cabinet, Sir John named the Hon. Jerome Dill to head a new Ministry of Human Affairs. Among other duties, Mr. Dill is the first Government Minister specifically charged with improving race relations.

Other newly-elected young blacks named to Cabinet were the Hon. Wayne Furbert in Community and Cultural Affairs, the Hon. Maxwell Burgess in Transport, and the Hon. Pamela Gordon in the post she already held as a Senator at Youth and Sport.

Dr. David Dyer was named the first black Speaker of the House. Another black, Labour and Home Affairs Minister the Hon. Irving Pearman, was acclaimed the new Deputy Premier. On the other hand, newly-elected white MP Mr. John Barritt was chosen as both caucus chairman and Government Whip.

Already, the PLP is ready to pounce on the Government's overtures. Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade said the "ceiling'' in Bermuda was better described as made of steel, though "it has the illusion of being glass to those who are naive.'' Mr. Scott said "the politics of desperation'' were being demonstrated by the UBP. "There are changes, I think, that are being done for cosmetic reasons.'' The UBP would "pay dearly'' if it moved any more than it already had, because "what they will do is frustrate and lose that grassroot UBP supporter,'' he said.

Mr. Scott pointed to a letter signed "White and Fed Up'' that appeared in The Royal Gazette this week. "What happened to the word `United' as in black and white?'' the writer asked. "Remember Mr. Premier there are a lot of white voters in Paget East and without their support you will be out at the next election and so will the UBP.'' The UBP maintains that appointments are made on merit, not racial lines. And Mr. Gibbons said the biracial nature of the UBP meant it remained unique, despite "very rapid'' moves by the traditionally pro-labour PLP to position itself as supportive of international business and conservative management of the economy.

"They were trying to outmanoeuvre us on our own issues,'' Mr. Gibbons said.

The economy and international business "have never been their issues.'' Mr. Scott acknowledged the PLP had moved toward the centre. In its 1968 election manifesto, the party promised an immediate move toward Independence, replacement of the tax system with "taxation based on the ability of an individual to pay,'' and "price controls for utilities and essential commodities.'' The PLP has stepped away in varying degrees from all those stances.

"What we've managed to do is move toward the centre but keep our base,'' Mr.

Scott said. Helped by disaffection in the Portuguese community, he believed PLP support might have hit ten percent among whites for the first time, a claim dismissed by the UBP.

The PLP saw no need to take specific steps to draw more white voters, Mr.

Scott said. Satisfied with a demographic edge, "we can make it known that our doors are open and let the rest take care of itself,'' he said.