reason is that it is all but impossible in any democratic country to suggest that the people should choose their future by a free vote and then tell the people that they cannot have that vote.

Clearly the bill to provide a referendum should pass the Legislature. The problems with its passage and questions over whether or not it will pass confuse the public since they arise from a split in the ruling United Bermuda Party and a political intent on the part of the Progressive Labour Party.

It is already clear how much of the House of Assembly voting will go, but the UBP votes which are uncertain could defeat a referendum. Three of the uncertain voters are: Dr. David Dyer, a former Government Whip, who has said publicly that the Premier, Sir John Swan, should resign; Mr. Trevor Moniz who is a new and untried and unproven MP with little record of decision making; Mrs. Ann Cartwright DeCouto who has resigned from the Government and as Deputy Premier over Independence and is clearly a very troubled MP.

This does not mean that if the bill passes the proposed referendum will be trouble free.

First of all Independence should never have been brought forward by a Premier who had not included it in his party's agenda and who was not being pressured by the people for a decision. Secondly, it is an issue which may split the ruling United Bermuda Party permanently because it is the most divisive issue Bermuda can face. It seems that while some of the UBP parliamentarians are in favour of Independence, largely the "Swan Men'', the great majority of the UBP's followers are not in favour. There will be people who will be angry at the UBP leaders who vote for a referendum because not everyone thinks a referendum is necessary. Many also agree with Mr. Moniz that a referendum could be highly emotional.

The Progressive Labour Party is no less troubled over the issue. It did not suggest Independence during the last election because it knows that Independence can be the kiss of death at the polls. Yet the PLP's hierarchy has traditionally been in favour of Independence although clearly not all of the people who voted for the PLP at the last election are in favour of Independence.

It may well be that the PLP will have to explain its reasons to angry pro-Independence followers if the House members vote against enabling a referendum. The PLP wants Independence decided in a much more confusing and less clear-cut way at a General Election. Perhaps the PLP hopes to defeat the idea of a referendum and if it were to win the next election then it would move to Independence. That too would be a double edged sword because polls show the majority of voters opposed. But it is always difficult to vote to deprive the people of their say. There will be people who will be angry if they think the PLP has deprived them of an Independence referendum.

That returns us to the suggestion by Mr. Moniz that there is a danger that people will attempt to play "the race card''. In our view, Mr. Moniz is correct. It is clear that "the race card'' was played a great deal during the last election by the PLP and has been played as great deal since.

Clearly the PLP has come to view "the race card'' as trumps and is anxious to play it all the time no matter how much division and destruction it causes.

The PLP is even willing to play the race card where drugs are concerned despite the fact that drugs know no racial or social barriers. MP Renee Webb proved that last week when this newspaper pointed out the PLP's bad behaviour on drugs which led her to defend the PLP, not factually but by crying "race''.

However, where Independence is concerned, we think that some "Swan Men'' will go just as far, although perhaps not publicly. They will choose to ignore the reality of a small island bobbing about in a lonely sea and claim that Independence is freedom. Public decision making has not been helped by the shallow and biased Green Paper cooked-up largely by "Swan Men''. That problem stems from the fact that in recent years the UBP has put forward candidates who put "self'' before service. It seems that some UBP Independence supporters have even suggested resignation from Parliament if the referendum goes against Independence. We might be better off.