Premier Ewart Brown has told Progressive Labour Party supporters that a "smear campaign" is under way to stop his party winning the General Election.

"A smear campaign is something that experts in it can do well," he told a meeting in Smith's. "There are some people in Bermuda who actually think that I have cedar beams in my house. They believe that.

"This is a campaign that began three years ago, long before I even attempted to become leader of the Progressive Labour Party.

"As time goes by you are going to hear the truth. When you see the names that will emerge you will find out that all of the players who appear to be so prominent now were bit players but smear they will and they will continue."

Dr. Brown did not explain which "players" he was referring to or in what context.

But he went on to tell the public meeting at Somersfield Academy in Smith's — which was packed with PLP supporters on Tuesday evening — that the United Bermuda Party and "their media" were out to get him

He spoke on the same issue last night at a public meeting in Warwick, telling party supporters there: "I'm not the demon that certain people are determined to make me out to be."

He went on to suggest that the UBP's real name was the Filthy McNasty Party and that its strategy to win power was "just a scam".

He complained about headlines in this newspaper — including one which said he had "branded" this year's Music Festival a success — and said they showed clear evidence of bias.

Opposition Leader Michael Dunkley said last night that the Premier was more interested in grandstanding than talking about real issues.

"Over the next weeks of the election we would like to see a national focus on the issues and the candidates and what they bring to the table," he added. "Let's keep it clean. Bermuda will be better off for it on December 19 and beyond."

PLP candidate LaVerne Furbert, running in Pembroke South West, also blasted the media in an emotional address at Tuesday's meeting.

"The media in Bermuda is very dangerous," she said. "The media in this country — The Royal Gazette, the Mid-Ocean News, the Bermuda Sun, VSB and ZBM — has no respect for this Government and you have to be very careful, people, about what you read and what you hear. And we should not repeat it because more often than not it's lies."

ZBM cameraman Arnold Manders told the meeting that Bermudian journalists were often ignored or not given a chance. "We have foreign journalists who are brought here and don't understand," he said. "Until we raise our own journalists our story will never be told."