Bob Richards and Kim Swan will go head to head in a United Bermuda Party leadership battle next Thursday after Mr. Swan resigned from the top post yesterday.

Party chairman Jeff Sousa confirmed the pair had both submitted nomination papers yesterday, meaning the contest can take place the day before Parliament reopens with the Throne Speech.

About 50 or 60 party members are expected to vote at a special general meeting, after the UBP's constitution was amended to give more people a say in the election. Mr. Swan will remain interim party leader until the contest.

Mr. Sousa said in a statement: "Mr. Swan's resignation was submitted to facilitate an early election.

"It followed a gentlemen's agreement to do so between him and Mr. Richards during last week's meeting that ratified an array of amendments to the UBP constitution, which included changes to significantly expand the number of electors for the party leader."

Mr. Swan stated: "I have always stated that once the party had ratified changes to the constitution I would encourage ratification of party leader under the revised rules.

"We have a challenge on the table and, given all that the party has experienced, I felt it best for the party to hold the election for party leader prior to the reconvening of Parliament."

Mr. Richards has repeatedly stated that he has a plan to help the UBP recover from a turbulent spell which has included the resignations of five MPs, leaving the official Opposition with just nine politicians in the House of Assembly.

Both have been categorised as non-reformists — but each argues he is the right man to push through change many have been calling for.

Earlier in the week, Deputy Leader Trevor Moniz had said the leadership contest may have to wait until Christmas, but that ideally it would be completed next week to avoid any UBP "bunfighting" by the time the House reopens.

Meanwhile, veteran Opposition MP John Barritt is getting together with his constituents tonight to discuss his political future.

Mr. Barritt — who is continuing to mull over his next move which could see him leaving the UBP — has called a meeting for residents of Devonshire South Central at Christ Church Hall, Devonshire.

He says people in his UBP stronghold have shown disappointment in the fractured state of the Opposition, and he wants to give them the chance to have their say on the matter.

Six weeks ago, Mr. Barritt revealed he was considering his position with the party, and could end up resigning his seat to run as an Independent candidate in the resulting by-election.

He has been a UBP MP since 1993, but has said he has grown tired of Bermuda's stagnated party politics and wants to see all sides of the House of Assembly working together for the better of the Island.

But he has consistently said he will only make a decision after speaking to his constituents.

"There's no major announcement, at least not by me, it's just a meeting with my constituents and a way of staying in touch with them, to hear what they think and what they have to say," Mr. Barritt told The Royal Gazette yesterday.

"In recent weeks, there's been people who have had lots of questions about what's going on."

Asked about feedback from his constituents since he announced he could leave the UBP, he said: "There's no question they are disappointed with what's been going on. They think it's not a positive thing to see a fractured and fragmented Opposition. They believe, and quite rightly, that the system works best when there's a strong Opposition and a credible alternative to the Government."