A former PLP candidate and lawyer yesterday warned Bermuda faces a stark choice between full UK citizenship and Independence.

But Philip Perinchief claimed Government was sitting on the fence over the issue.

And he said Government had "no choice'' but to put the issue of citizenship or going it alone to the people, through a General Election or a Referendum -- or face trouble down the road.

Mr. Perinchief said: "With the imminent offer of UK citizenship, the PLP Government has no choice but to deal with the issue of Independence in this, their first term of office.

"The timing is not within their control -- the day of reckoning is at the doorstep and they have to deal with it.

"If the PLP Government is not going to hold either a Referendum or an election within this year to determine the wishes of the majority of Bermudians, then the issue will have to be decided by the Premier and Cabinet or MPs in full session.'' And he warned: "Should the Premier and the Cabinet accept the offer then all Bermudians will become UK citizens and the issue of Independence will go underground and assume dangerous and sinister proportions.

"It will become a ticking timebomb and a cause celebre for a national liberation movement.'' Mr. Perinchief was speaking on the eve of release of Britain's White Paper on its rewrite of relations with its remaining colonies -- which is sure to include some offer of full UK citizenship for holders of the current second-rate British Dependent Territories Citizens' passport.

But Mr. Perinchief predicted if Government were to refuse the offer, it would give Britain an excuse to try and push the Island out of the fold.

He said: "Should the Premier and the Cabinet not accept the offer, then Bermuda will become isolated as Britain moves to ready itself to go fully into the European Union and divest itself of its last colonial remnants.'' Mr. Perinchief demanded to know "when and by what means'' Government would tell the Island of its future.

And he said: "A last-minute decision either way or continuing silence and vacillation are prescriptions for disaster and not very astute political strategy.'' Mr. Perinchief added that his view was that "the present conservative Cabinet'' would come down in favour of accepting full British passports.

But he said: "If it's left to a full session of Parliament, then the decision may well, one way or another, cause a major split in these early stages of this Government.

"There may well be a divergence of opinion among the very strong backbench of the present Government.'' But he said the simplest way to determine the wishes of Bermudians was to hold a Referendum to avoid "the expense and confusion'' of making it a General Election issue.

Questions on the issue put to Premier Jennifer Smith through Government Information Services on Monday were still not answered last night.