the business sector. The interaction with the business community, started under L.F. Wade continued - raising the Party's credentials as a future government that would work to ensure a sound business environment. On 20 October 1998, the date of the much-anticipated general election was announced as 9 November 1998. The party won 26 seats and 54.3% of votes to form government, in the first change of government in Bermuda's history. Jennifer Smith led the party to its first victory against the conservative United Bermuda Party, which had controlled the territory since universal franchise and a constitution was gained in 1968, but was split by bitter infighting resulting from Premier Sir John W. Swan's forcing a referendum in 1995 on independence from the United Kingdom (74.12% voted against independence, resulting in the resignation of Swan and his cabinet and - along with further UBP infighting due to the attempt by Swan and his partners to take over and continue to operate a McDonald's franchise on the United States Naval Air Station Bermuda, in contravention to Bermudian law, after the United States Navy withdrew from Bermuda in 1995 - fatally injuring the United Bermuda Party). The party having achieved the goal of the founding fathers and reached the pinnacle of electoral success set about the mission of building 'A New Bermuda.' Immediately, the government moved to make substantive changes in key areas, including: amendment to the Election Act eliminating annual voter registration; the introduction of the political office of Attorney General which required the establishment of Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) as the chief law officer responsible for Crown prosecutions. Another change was the re-introduction of bi-weekly garbage collection. On 18 August 2000, Premier Jennifer Smith tabled a paper, proposing constitutional amendments, including the establishment of single-seat constituencies. This was in keeping with a PLP platform initiative to ensuring that Bermuda's democracy enshrined the principle of "one person, one vote; each vote of equal value". This goal had been consistently stated from the establishment of the PLP in 1963 under the objective of constitutional reform. In November 2000, the Party Leader faced a challenge to her leadership by Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson. The Party Leader defeated Hodgson by a vote of 2 to 1. On 11 October 2002 the House of Assembly passed the Boundaries Commission Report which included recommendations for 36 single seat constituencies. In November 2002, Premier Jennifer