For they faxed a complaint to The Royal Gazette suggesting voters were too stupid to differentiate between one-man band Parliamentary candidate Philip Perinchief and his PLP candidate brother Wayne.

And a mention of the name "Perinchief'' and a call for income tax in the same headline sent party spin doctors running for the fax machine.

The two Perinchiefs, not unusually, have different first names, different political labels -- and are standing in two different constituencies.

But Corey Butterfield, the man charged with public relations for the PLP, insisted: "The fact that the PLP is also running a candidate with the name of Perinchief ...dictates a need for stringent attention to detail so as not to confuse the electorate into thinking comments emanating from one source are the possession (sic) of another.'' The Royal Gazette article, correctly, said that Independent Philip Perinchief -- not his brother Wayne -- was a "former PLP candidate'' now running "a solo campaign'' in Pembroke West.

Ex-top cop Wayne Perinchief is a current PLP candidate standing in Pembroke West Central -- where his brother ran for the PLP in the last Election.

The PLP PR man complained: "The reporter classified Mr. Philip Perinchief as a former PLP candidate.'' He then went on to agree that Phil Perinchief has indeed run for the PLP before.

But he added: "We would like to make it clear that although Mr. Philip Perinchief has run for the PLP before, he is not aligned with the Progressive Labour Party in any manner.'' The report -- on Mr. Perinchief's personal platform for the election -- made just one reference to the fact he had once stood for the PLP.

Mr. Butterfield added Philip Perinchief's "philosophies, statements and intentions do not form any part of the PLP platform, A New Bermuda, and as such we do not accept any reference between (sic) the PLP and Phil Perinchief.'' He then issued a call for clarity and a lack of ambiguity.

INDEPENDENCE IND