HAMILTON, Bermuda--The Progressive Labour Party (PLP) Tuesday swept the One Bermuda Alliance (OBA) out of power in the general elections.
The result prompted former Premier Michael Dunkley to step down as OBA leader and his losing deputy to quit politics altogether.
The PLP won 24 of the 36 seats in the House of Assembly, while OBA took the other 12, which meant that none of the five independent candidates – including former Premier Paula Cox – got any success at the polls.
In addition to holding on to the 17 seats it won in the 2012 election, the PLP captured seven others from the OBA, including some regarded as safe seats for the former ruling party.
PLP leader David Burt was on Wednesday sworn in as Premier – the youngest in Bermuda’s history.
While Dunkley won his seat, his deputy in Government and in the party, Bob Richards, lost his to the PLP’s Christopher Famous.
The Royal Gazette reported this morning that Dunkley resigned as party leader after the election defeat.
Meanwhile, the defeated OBA deputy leader, who first entered the House of Assembly as a Member of Parliament (MP) in 2007, announced that he would no longer continue in active politics.
“I’ve done my best. This has accelerated my retirement from politics,” Richards said. ~ Caribbean360 ~
