Overseas politicians attending a Commonwealth forum in Bermuda accused Government of continuing to play political games yesterday after it distributed its manifesto and 500-day report to delegates.

Just a day after Government was charged with turning the friendly annual conference into a political arena with one of its opening speeches, it handed out its General Election manifesto to members.

And yesterday, delegates attending the seminar said they had never known the like of it before.

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in New Brunswick, Canada, the Hon. Bev Harrison said the seminar was not the place for politics.

He added: "I have been to a lot of Commonwealth conferences both in other countries and internal ones at home in Canada and I have never seen them used as political forums before.

"The speech yesterday by Ira Philip was certainly not what is done at these seminars, nor the distribution of this stuff, the manifesto and 500-day plan.'' Government came under fire on Monday after former journalist and ex-Progressive Labour Party Senator Ira Philip delivered a blatantly biased speech to the delegates on the current situation of the political scene in Bermuda.

His scathing attack on both the UBP and the media was labelled "embarrassing'' and "inappropriate'' for the conference, which is this year being held in Bermuda for the first time and is solely organised to enable members of the Commonwealth around the world to discuss the best methods of achieving democracy.

But one overseas delegate, who did not wish to be named yesterday, accused Government of "hi-jacking'' the conference for their own political means.

He said: "I am concerned that the CPA is being used by the Government here as a political arena. Nobody at this conference is interested in the political views of Government.

"Handing out their manifesto is totally out of order.

"There was a strong feeling of hostility at the bias shown on Monday and this doesn't make it any better.'' Another delegate, Stanley Lecornu of Jersey in the British Channel Islands, said he was not surprised by the expression of political bias.

However, another foreign delegate, who did not wish to be named, said the Government was showing itself to be "insecure'' and "inexperienced''.

Leader of the Opposition Pamela Gordon said she had been asked by some of the delegates at yesterday's conference to distribute the UBP's manifesto in an attempt to re-dress the balance.

However, she said she had no intention of following in Government's footsteps.

She said: "I am somewhat embarrassed that our Government does not seem to have determined what its role is.'' The Royal Gazette last night tried to contact a number of Government MPs, as well as forum member Senator Michael Scott, particularly those involved in the conference, for comment on the manifesto being handed out, but failed.