next general election.

Dr. Clarence Terceira and Dr. David Dyer made the pledge at Tuesday night's annual general meeting for the United Bermuda Party branch.

Dr. Terceira, 68, the former Education Minister who was dropped from Premer David Saul's first Cabinet, said he was asked at the meeting whether he planned to fight the next election.

"I said yes, definitely, I would be running again,'' Dr. Terceira said. "I hadn't given much thought to it until this question arose about the possibility of primaries in our area.'' But when talk of a primary challenge to him and Dr. Dyer arose -- which Dr.

Terceira saw as rumour and "a bit of intimidation,'' -- the UBP veteran decided he would stay on to fight the next election.

Dr. Dyer made the same pledge, Dr. Terceira said.

About 50 people attended the meeting at Admiralty House. While some concerns and questions were raised about the MPs' conduct in absenting themselves from the House of Assembly for the recent vote on Deputy Speaker, "generally speaking we were thanked'' for opposing Independence and "for our last ten years of service to the community,'' Dr. Terceira said.

Dr. Terceira and Dr. Dyer are both members of what has been dubbed "the people's five'' -- made up of anti-Independence campaigner Mr. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge and four MPs who supported him for the leadership against Dr. Saul.

The Premier addressed the meeting and talked about putting the "united'' back in UBP.

"We said, look, we're not out to topple the Government,'' Dr. Terceira said.

"We support the party and...we want the UBP to win the next election. But we also know we're not rubber stamps.'' At the meeting, party worker Mr. John Kyle was elected to succeed Mr. Hal Masters as UBP branch chairman in Pembroke West.

Mr. Kyle, of computer company Gateway Systems Ltd., has been active in the branch for a few years.

Mr. Masters, who works for the Bank of Butterfield, stepped down because he has moved his residence to Pembroke West Central. He said he expected he would remain active in the party there.