Independent.

And he took a swing at his Parliamentary colleagues for choosing to axe him from the group.

Smith's South Mr. Moniz -- suspended from the party at the weekend -- left the door open for his plans to change in the future.

He said: "I was elected as a UBP MP by the people of Smith's South -- and I have no reason to do anything other than continue to represent them as I have done in the past.

"I've no intention of jumping ship -- I represent what the UBP is about more than they do.'' But he added: Obviously, these are early days, but I've never really altered my course on what's right and what I think the UBP stands for and I'll continue to do that.

"My branch chairman is aware of this suspension, but the branch has always been fully supportive of the positions I've taken. They will be looking at it, but it's early days yet.'' Mr. Moniz made his first public statement only days after the Opposition suspended him from the Whip indefinitely -- but he remains a party member.

Mr. Moniz' crusade to set up a Register of Interests for MPs and Senators is understood to have played a role in his suspension -- as did a failure to turn up for party meetings and the caucus.

And he was one of the McDonald's rebels who voted with the then-Opposition PLP against his own side to ban ex-UBP Premier Sir John Swan from opening fast-food franchises from Bermuda and was a vocal opponent of Independence and the referendum on the issue set up by Sir John.

"As a matter of strategy, I don't see what the point of suspending me is.

It's acting as if it's a private club and `we're going to keep you out','' he said. "The timing is strange and people won't be able to figure out what it's all about -- but the UBP needs to give some thought to what it's doing and where it's going.

"It never happened to me or any of my friends in the past, so I don't see why they're doing it now.'' Mr. Moniz said that he had been increasingly concerned about the "reactive'' role of the UBP in Opposition and the lack of motions brought to the floor of the House of Assembly.

He added: "The issue which stands large in my mind is leadership and what the party stands for, if it stands for anything.

"That's what I've had difficulty trying to figure out. I know where I stand on the issues, but I'm not sure where the Parliamentary group stands.'' Moniz hits out at UBP Mr. Moniz said he had pushed for a greater commitment to social issues by the UBP in the run-up to the last Election -- but insisted he had been ignored.

And he admitted his loyalty to the party had been questioned for some time.

"I'm not your typical partisan party politician. My thinking isn't `us against them', it's what is the best thing for Bermuda and the best thing for all of us.'' Mr. Moniz added that he was also concerned at the party's decision to "sit on the fence'' on the UK's offer of full UK citizenship to the citizens of its Overseas Territories. "We should clearly have offered a position of leadership and, all things being equal, this is a wonderful offer and we should accept it.'' But he said some in the party had "their own private issues in connection with their ability to make money'' -- which led to a muted response to the offer.

He insisted: "It's a very important issue for the people of Bermuda and for the UBP. But nobody took a firm position in favour except me and I think that was a mistake. I've been told I haven't played my part as part of the team.

I've said I'm prepared to support the party in what they do, but they haven't done anything.'' No caption