Speculation was last night mounting that Deputy Premier Paula Cox would announce her candidacy for the leadership of the Progressive Labour Party today.

PLP stalwart LaVerne Furbert, who is backing the Finance Minister for the top job, told The Royal Gazette yesterday: "I think it [the announcement] is tomorrow."

Ms Cox told a press conference on July 26 that the public would hear from her on the subject soon after Cup Match. Last night, she said she and her team had been meeting regularly at their HQ and reiterated: "My announcement is imminent."

Senator Walton Brown later sent an e-mail to members of the media, advising Ms Cox would "make an important announcement" at a press conference this morning.

It is understood Ms Cox has placed adverts outlining her intentions with local broadcast media, though she doesn't yet appear to have a presence on Twitter, unlike rival Terry Lister who is using the social networking site to court young voters.

Ms Cox is believed to be the strong favourite among long-serving party members to replace Premier Ewart Brown when he steps down in October.

Mr. Lister, who launched his Premiership bid last month, is said to enjoy support from the international business community and several backbench MPs.

A poll conducted earlier this year for The Royal Gazette found that the third contender, Dale Butler, was the public's number one choice for Premier, with 36 percent of people in favour of him leading the Country. But it is party delegates, selected by the 36 local PLP branches, who will get to decide the next party leader at their conference at the end of October.

Ms Furbert, the party's assistant secretary general, predicted yesterday that lawyer Ms Cox would get at least 85 percent of the delegates' vote.

"I have already gone on record regarding my support for Minister Paula Cox," she said, adding that it was not because she believed there should be another woman at the helm, but because of the Minister's ability.

"As I see it, Ms Cox is a more of a team player than the other two announced candidates. While many continue to chastise Ms Cox for her 'cog in the wheel' statement, I personally admire Ms Cox for being a team player and that is how I understood her comment to mean — she is a member of a team."

She continued: "I believe Ms Cox has handled all of her portfolios well, and in spite of the rhetoric spewed by some in the community, she has been an outstanding Minister of Finance. As I see it, Ms Cox's commitment to the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party has been unwavering and unlike some Members of Parliament, she has always put principles before personalities."

Former Attorney General Phil Perinchief, who is backing Mr. Lister, said the contest was far from a done deal. He likened the race between Ms Cox and Mr. Lister to the Clinton-Obama battle for the US Democratic presidential nomination battle.

"She [Ms Cox] is finding herself in the position that Hillary Clinton was in when Barack Obama jumped ahead of her. He stayed ahead."

Mr. Perinchief added: "I think people may have had a perspective late last year that certainly isn't the perspective I'm getting from people since the announcement of Terry Lister's launch.

"I think most people are saying basically that it shouldn't be a foregone conclusion about the succession of anybody any more. That's really old PLP politics. The new thinking is that the candidates should roll out their platform, roll out their stall, and allow people to objectively decide who they wish to take them forward."

Mr. Butler said last night: "There is strong support for Paula Cox, there always has been. But Mr. Lister's recent comments have given Bermudians a greater insight into who he is and what he intends to do. I'm sure our delegates will evaluate both of them, as indeed they will evaluate me as well."

Ms Cox has been an MP since 1996 and was the first PLP Minister of Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety. She has since held the Education and AG briefs and took over at the Ministry of Finance after the death of her father Eugene Cox, who previously held the post.