Down to their last nine MPs following a string of high-profile resignations, plagued by in-fighting among those still aboard the ship and with dwindling support in the branches, the last thing the United Bermuda Party needs right now is a snap election.

But even though some predict the Opposition would get annihilated if the people went back to the polls any time soon — with the Progressive Labour Party seizing up to 30 seats — it's anything but a straightforward decision for the man holding the cards, Premier Ewart Brown.

Dr. Brown is keeping those cards close to his chest, yesterday describing the idea as "always a possibility" and saying he will weigh up what's best for Bermuda and the PLP — but many inside the party, including a number of MPs, simply don't want him to do it.

Yes, the PLP's dominance in the House of Assembly would reach an unprecedented peak, enabling the Premier to leave on a high in October 2010. But not everyone thinks that's what Bermuda, or even the PLP, needs.

Several Government MPs, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Royal Gazette a snap election would be a power-hungry move by a Premier putting his own point-scoring agenda ahead of the democratic needs of the Country.

Some fear he'll use an election to remove his backbench critics, replacing them with younger "yes men" who'll give him an easier ride in the House than he gets from veterans such as Wayne Perinchief, Randy Horton and Ashfield DeVent.

Others say if the dissenters keep their places and the UBP is even more weakened by a heavy election defeat, the PLP will fragment as Dr. Brown's true Opposition becomes his own backbench.

"It will be very bad for the Country. It could also be bad for the PLP because there would be no-one else to blame," said one PLP MP of the prospects of a landslide victory.

One party member said people would be enraged if an election was called when the PLP really needed to regroup following months of internal bickering, warning that such a move would lead to "rapid gunfire" from within the ranks.

Another MP said calling an election would mean the PLP had missed a perfect chance to rebuild and mature, with another saying nobody, least of all MPs, wanted to go back to the polls just two years after the energy-sapping election campaign of December 2007.

However, one snap election-supporting member argued: "It's not like a landslide against the UBP will change much in the way of reducing parliamentary Opposition, we really don't have one anyway.

"To me it would make sense to call a snap election. The UBP and the NewBP are in no state to contest a General Election at the moment, and I would even question if they would be able to field a full slate of candidates at this time.

"Winning another election would accelerate the chaos within the UBP and lead to greater political evolution while the Opposition parties reorganise."

One MP predicted an election must be around the corner, pointing to a host of possible signals, such as the recent appointment of Dawn Simmons as the party's executive officer. Ms Simmons was chairman of the PLP's last election campaign.

Rumours have also been fuelled by the successive resignations of chairman David Burt, Dr. Brown's press secretary Glenn Jones and executive aide Jamahl Simmons.

Mr. Burt and Mr. Jones have both been tipped as possible candidates, although the former has stated he quit for business and family reasons, and the latter laughed off the chance of becoming a politician in an interview on Hott 107.5.

But when Mr. Simmons told this newspaper he would be "very interested in representing the Progressive Labour Party at the next election" as his next move, many speculated Dr. Brown might have tipped him off something is imminent.

Mr. Burt recently called for a discussion of Bermuda's cannabis laws, telling the Bermuda Sun the PLP needs to discuss the hot topic as part of an effort to embrace the party grassroots.

Lawyer Marc Daniels — a young party member previously behind the scenes — appeared in the same newspaper a few days later revealing he was preparing a report which could lead to the PLP ending conscription as part of its next election platform.

The fact two young party members have come forward talking about potential big election issues has not been lost on the old guard looking over their shoulders.

As Dr. Brown said himself in an e-mail to his party members, leaked to this newspaper two months ago: "The Progressive Labour Party must find ways to become a younger, stronger, more efficient and more effective organisation in the near future."

Other Young Turks whose names have been mentioned to this newspaper include campaign chair Curtis Williams, Senator Marc Bean, lawyer Charles Richardson and former election candidate Charles Clarke.

Potential Brownite candidates are also said to have been canvassing already in the constituencies of rebels including Mr. Perinchief and Mr. DeVent, with the hope of getting enough backing to replace the established pair in any forthcoming election.

One MP said of that possibility: "Dr. Brown doesn't like dissenters. He would prefer to surround himself with non-thinkers."

However, one party member countered: "I know some people say that the Premier may use a snap election to flood Parliament with cronies. I don't see that as being realistic.

"There is a strong grassroots element to the party which will fight hard against any further centralisation of candidate selection processes."

That member said a "new guard" had now matured and was ready to replace the veterans which saw the party to its historic first victory more than a decade ago.

Some predict an election would have to wait until next spring, to avoid looking like a cynical ploy to destroy a new political party many hope can establish itself as an alternative to the PLP or UBP.

Others say the Premier would be mad to call an election with his own favourability as low as 27 percent in the latest poll, but that Dr. Brown has proven in the past how difficult he can be to predict.

One PLP MP suspects a snap election could be upon us as soon as December, the two-year anniversary of Dr. Brown's first election triumph as Premier.

"The same way he snuck in some Uighurs, don't be surprised if he snuck in an election," said that politician. "He holds the cards, no matter what we think."