The United Bermuda Party (UBP) will abolish a politically appointed Attorney General if returned to power, party leader Grant Gibbon confirmed yesterday. But it will take a `wait and see' position on Bermuda's Associate Membership of Caricom.

The UBP has strongly criticised the move to a politically appointed Attorney General and opposed Bermuda going ahead with Caricom Associate Membership.

"On our platform we will return to a non-political Attorney General," Dr. Gibbons said.

That would mean reverting to a justice system without a Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

"We certainly over the last few years have looked at the situation of a political Attorney General and are not convinced that it has resulted in an improvement to the criminal justice system and we really do not see any benefit to Bermuda so we feel that we would like to move to a non political Attorney General."

Government made the decision to have a politically appointed Attorney General, to be chosen from among the legislators, soon after the 1998 elections.

The DPP's office, provided for under the Constitution if Bermuda has a political AG, was created and the Opposition has frequently alleged that it is politically influenced.

If, as expected, Bermuda formally joins Caricom before the July 24 poll, a UBP Government would "have to look very carefully at what commitments the Smith Government has made with respect to Caricom and take decisions at that point," Dr. Gibbons said.

"My sense is that we would look at the situation at the time. But as you know we saw no benefits from being an associate member."

The UBP opposes Caricom membership saying that cultural ties already exist with the Caribbean nations and that membership may entail exorbitant costs on trips abroad for meetings.

"We need to spend a lot more time with out other partner - the United States, which is a very important trading partner," Dr. Gibbons said yesterday.

He would not say whether a UBP Government would cancel Bermuda's membership or let it lapse. "Unfortunately neither the UBP nor the people of Bermuda are entirely clear on what commitments have been made on our behalf."