As the Bermuda Democratic Alliance prepares for its first big test with the voters at the Warwick South Central by-election, Tim Smith looks at what kind of progress the party has made in the year since its formation.

Craig Cannonier took one look at Michael Fahy and very nearly decided not to join the Bermuda Democratic Alliance.

With his neat short back and sides, studious spectacles and strait-laced suit, corporate lawyer Mr Fahy appeared the quintessential United Bermuda Party politician: the personification of the white elitist image Bermuda's new party was claiming it had left for dead.

Now the pair cite their unlikely blossoming friendship since that frosty first meeting — when it seemed they were as different as chalk and cheese — as an example of where they hope the Island's politics will go from here.

Don't jump to conclusions based on first impressions, they say; and, instead of all the bickering, find some common ground.

"I got in the room and I said, 'Mike, there's no way I'm joining something like this,'" said Mr Cannonier of his introduction to the fledgling group ahead of the BDA's launch 12 months ago.

"I'm looking at this guy. He just represents that old regime, the UBP look. I said, 'Mike, to tell you the truth, I don't like you because of where you are coming from. You need to convince me you are not bringing any excess baggage into this room before I even entertain joining this group.'

"I was wondering if these guys were serious about wanting to make a real change in Bermuda."

To put the former UBP senator and chairman to the test, Mr Cannonier invited him to the salon where his wife was getting her hair done in Washington Mall.

"I wanted to pop him in the middle of regular Bermudians to see if he floated," he said.

"Lo and behold, he floated. We were talking everyday business and I found him to be very, very open with folk and folks were very much open to talk to him.

"I thought they would say they're not talking to this white guy. But the people of Bermuda don't care. They just want to get on.

"From that very first meeting, the two of us agreed that we would be very open and frank with one another."

Weeks later, Mr Cannonier was elected the party's first leader and Mr Fahy its chairman; now they describe themselves as the best of friends.

Mr Fahy, who says he won't be getting a cool hair cut or growing a goatee beard because then he'd be seen as "the guy who's trying too hard", recalled: "I was well aware of what people's perceptions can be.

"But I'm a big fan of saying to people, 'Come in the room and let's get to know each other.' I am who I am and I didn't have to change who I was to impress Craig.

"We believe that if Craig Cannonier and Michael Fahy can do it, why can't everybody else?"

Mr Cannonier added: "Our politics has become so divided, everybody is shouting and nobody is listening. No one has faith in politics any more.

"We just accept anything from our politicians and forgive them afterwards. We have to work to bring that excellence back into the picture."

The BDA is about to find out whether all its talk of a better way has made any impact on the voting public with Sylvan Richards contesting its debut by-election in former Premier Ewart Brown's old Constituency 26 seat next month.

Poll results last month showed the Alliance claimed 13 percent of the vote, compared with 27 percent for the Progressive Labour Party and 20 percent for the UBP.

But some speculate the BDA can cash in on unrest within the UBP, which is split over the selection of by-election candidate Devrae Noel-Simmons and demotion of Senator Michael Dunkley, and claim second place.

Mr Fahy says this would undermine the UBP's position as the official Opposition.

"If we come second, the UBP has got to recognise what they are and what they are not," he said. "If they come third, they are not a viable official Opposition."

The BDA now has nearly 500 members and Mr Fahy says 23 members could be rolled out as candidates if an election was called today.

Names he mentions for the first time are Leon Bascome, Scott Pitcher and Michael Branco, in addition to the three MPs Shawn Crockwell, Donte Hunt and Mark Pettingill, Mr Fahy, Mr Cannonier, deputy leader Kathy Michelmore, former UBP candidates Wayne Scott and Sean Pitcher and party members Dueane Dill and Granville Gibbons.

But former Independent MP Stuart Hayward, now a political commentator, warned the Alliance still has a serious task on its hands upsetting the two established parties.

"As a new political entity in a field where the two existing parties have dominated since the advent of party politics in the 1960s, the BDA are destined to have an uphill to climb.

"They will be targets of MPs and supporters on both sides of the political aisle, and they will be measured even as newcomers against political machines almost 50 years old. So expectations will likely be unreasonably high.

"Many Bermudians will be expecting this new party to bring new issues and new ways of doing politics. Supporters of the existing parties will no doubt criticise the BDA for not excelling at the old ways. They must walk the tightrope between traditional confrontational politics and effective political innovation.

"The BDA's chief challenge will be getting the first of its members elected under its banner — it doesn't help that the first election contest for the BDA will be in the constituency of the former Premier."

Former National Liberal Party leader Charles Jeffers has accused the BDA of being too quiet, but Mr. Hayward argued: "Over this past year the BDA has managed to avoid scandal, speak out on a variety of issues and thus keep their name visible.

"This skill at tiptoeing through Bermuda's political minefield is mostly noticed when it is absent so it's understandable, at least to me, that the BDA has been given little credit on this score. They have also managed to maintain a distinct unity while not suppressing the individuality of members."

Meanwhile Mr Fahy points to ideas on issues such as revitalising St. George's and improving the economy listed on the Alliance's website.

However, Mr Hayward said the BDA needs to do more to explain what it means by its "better way" motto.

"Even if as infrequent as once a quarter, a regular unveiling of the pieces of their platform and how each piece fit into the total 'better way' package would help build their base," he said.

"If the BDA had hoped to capitalise on defections from the other parties, they will be disappointed. But the forces of the status quo are strong in Bermuda, stronger than most people's courage to shift political allegiance.

"Still, the BDA has kept itself respectably together in a hostile political climate. For that they deserve kudos."

Mr Jeffers said the new party has a decent chance in Warwick South Central because, while none of the three candidates have a great deal of political experience, Mr Richards is articulate and well-educated.

And Mr Jeffers said the emergence of Mr Richards could indicate the Alliance has more potentially good candidates waiting in the wings.

"I believe that the quality of candidates can start to play a major role," he said. "We have three relatively young black men without any real political experience, except a little bit for Marc Bean.

"It's going to be interesting to see what's going to happen."