Michael Dunkley has been elected as the president of the Mid Ocean Club for a third time.

The former leader of the UBP replaces outgoing president Shirley James after he was elected at the club's AGM on Wednesday night.

James had been backing her deputy David Ezekiel to take over, but Dunkley had secured the backing of the majority of the major shareholders after collecting enough proxy votes in the build up to the election.

As well as electing Dunkley as president, several of his supporters were also elected, with Richard Cox and Alan Dunch among those taking seats on the Board.

In the days leading up to Wednesday night's vote emotions had been running high with James accusing Dunkley of acting in an underhanded manner in obtaining the backing of large shareholders who were no longer 'active members of the club'.

She also accused Dunkley and his supporters of working behind the scenes on a 'campaign targeted to delete my vice-president David Ezekiel'.

It was a campaign that she described as 'despicable and deeply offensive'.

That emotion spilled over into the AGM, and was evident yesterday with several club members expressing the view that the outcome of the election would split the club.

Many have already rallied behind Ezekiel, claiming the result was a 'travesty which left them embarrassed to be members'.

One member even went so far as to describe the events seen at the AGM as a 'sham'.

Others claimed to have been sickened by the whole affair, and were sure that the entire episode could not 'finish well for anyone concerned'.

The two main protagonists meanwhile, Ezekiel and Dunkley, have kept a dignified silence.

Dunkley, who has remained silent throughout, and vehemently denies employing any underhanded tactics in his desire to be re-elected has always maintained that he was only ever acting in the best interests of the club.

In a letter to shareholders sent before the AGM, which was printed in The Royal Gazette, Dunkley made his feelings on the subject clear.

"This is about what many people feel is best for the club and it is being undertaken by shareholders who have every right to take this approach," he wrote.

"Our club faces some very serious challenges in the future and has gone through a difficult period in the recent past.

"It is now time at the AGM to elect a Board that possesses the leadership, experience, energy and support of shareholders, members and staff to act on their behalf."

When contacted yesterday the new president of the Mid Ocean Club did not wish to comment on the events of the last couple of days, merely re-iterating his belief that as a private club, any internal matters should remain private.

Ezekiel too did not wish to be drawn into the row.

"As a member of the club I can't divulge what went on in a private club meeting," he said.

"However, what I can tell you is that it was well attended with more than 200 members present and at the end of the meeting Mr Dunkley's slate was approved based on the proxies that he had collected prior to the meeting."