The Progressive Labour Party pushed its percentage of the popular vote to 46.4 percent in yesterday's General Election, while the United Bermuda Party barely held onto 50 percent of the popular vote.

In terms of seats, Bermuda is back to the days of 1980-83, with 22 UBP seats and 18 for the PLP. For the first time since 1985, there are no Independents or members of the National Liberal Party.

Total turnout was 77.59 percent, up from the 74.3 percent who went to the polls in 1989.

Total votes cast were 51,083, up from 42,352 cast in 1989.

The United Bermuda Party polled 25,527 votes, compared to 21,174 votes. The PLP's votes increased from 15,548 to 23,710, a percentage increase of 52 percent.

By contrast, votes for the National Liberal Party sank from 4,166 or 10 percent of the vote, to 1,449, just 2.8 percent of the vote.

Independents fared even worse, with a meagre 397 votes -- just 0.8 percent of the vote, compared to 1,464 votes and three percent of the poll in the last election.

The closest vote came in Warwick West where the PLP's Dr. Ewart Brown slipped past veteran UBP politician the Hon. Sir John Sharpe -- one of two Cabinet Ministers to lose their seats -- by 0.4 percent and 14 votes.

The safest seat was Paget East where Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan and the Hon. John Stubbs polled 89.9 percent.

The highest number of votes cast for one party was in Sandys South where the PLP's Mr. Walter Roberts and Mr. Walter Lister collected 2,253 votes.

The constituency with the highest percentage turnout was Southampton West with 83.6 percent. The highest number of votes cast in a constituency was Warwick West, with 3,818.

The smallest percentage turnout in a constituency came in Pembroke East Central where 71.2 percent of eligible voters appeared. The lowest number of votes cast was in Paget West, with 1,812.

The MP with the highest percentage of the vote was Sir John Swan who had 46.1 percent of votes cast. The candidate who received the highest total number of votes was Mr. Walter Lister, with 1,144 votes.

One of the biggest swings came in Hamilton East, where NLP Leader Mr. Gilbert Darrell's share of the vote dropped from 22.7 percent of the vote in 1989 when he topped the poll.

The Hon. Gerald Simons, the other Cabinet Minister to lose his seat, saw his vote increase from 667 votes to 832, but lost his seat.

Independent Mr. Stuart Hayward, another poll topper in 1989, watched his share of the vote plunge from 30.2 percent and 676 votes to 11 percent and 299 votes this year.

Other Independents fared even worse. Mr. Albari Assalam picked up four votes -- down from five when he last ran in 1985 -- in St. George's North. Mr. David Burch gained 23 votes in Warwick West while Mrs. Patricia Gordon-Pamplin had 68 in Warwick East.

Seven incumbents lost their seats, including one from the NLP, one Independent, three UBP MPs and two PLP MPs.

One candidate, the UBP's Mr. Maxwell Burgess, is returning to the House after losing his seat in 1989. There will be 13 new people entering the House of the the first time. Eight will sit on the Government benches while the PLP will add five new members.

Of the new MPs, three were UBP Senators -- Mr. Burgess, Ms Pamela Gordon and Mr. Jerome Dill -- and two PLP Senators Mr. Alex Scott and Mr. Trevor Woolridge will be going "up the hill''.

The number of women MPs increased from four to six, but will make up just 15 percent of the representation of the House. Ms Gordon and Ms Renee Webb join Mrs. Lois Browne Evans, the Hon. Ann Cartwright DeCouto, Ms Jennifer Smith and Mrs. Grace Bell.

The number of blacks in the House also increased from 24 to 27 while the number of whites declined to 13. The UBP will have 12 white members and 10 black, while the PLP has 17 black members and one white.

The earliest constituency to report was Paget East at 8.50 last night, while Sandys South was the last, finishing its count at about 12.15 this morning.

OCTOBER 1993 ELECTION