The UBP has floated the issue of proportional representation as Bermuda seeks to update its Constitution.

Government Minister Renee Webb last night challenged the UBP to come clean on where the party stood on the issue of one member one vote of equal value as the PLP Government sought to end twin-member seats.

However Shadow Legislative Affairs Minister John Barritt said the UBP supported that principle.

He said: "The purest form of one man one vote of equal value is proportional representation. It should be put on the table.'' Under that system the party gets a proportion of seats in Parliament equal to the votes they gained.

Ms. Webb responded: "First we are trying to get the principal in place. How it is going to be done remains to be seen.'' She added: "I would still like to know how people feel about what we are trying to achieve. What people's response to it is.'' Ms. Webb was then asked by The Royal Gazette if that was the case then why couldn't the issue be put to public meetings.

She said: "Sometimes you have to do what's right. If you took a referendum and the Bermudian people didn't want one man, one vote of equal value it wouldn't make a difference.'' Ms. Webb said the PLP had been elected with a mandate to end dual seats.

And she attacked the UK Government for inconsistency on the issue of constitutional reform.

She said when she raised the constitutional question of dual citizenship as an opposition member two years ago she was told by the UK government that a House of Assembly debate would suffice before London sanctioned the change.

And she said lowering the voting age to 18 had also been passed by that route.

Ms. Webb said she didn't understand why the British Government required further consultation because the proposed changes -- including single seats and an ombudsman - were already in place in the UK.

Mr. Barritt also said it was time clear rules should be established about how constitutional change could be done in future.

He said: "To bring about change of fundamental rights should require a two-thirds or three-quarters majority in the House.'' He said a constitutional conference should address this question as well as look at P.R. and other issues such as independent appointment of the judiciary and freedom of information.

He said the PLP should come clean on how many MPs it was seeking to have under the new system.

He said: "There's no person in Bermuda who believes the PLP doesn't already have a number in mind.'' He said the debate should start from there but he warned that slashing MP numbers would mean there were fewer checks and balances for the Government.

Ms. Webb said a constitutional conference had been ruled out by the UK Government as a 1970's throwback.

She said the UBP should accept that it was no longer in Government. "We are not interested in what they have to say.'' She said: "They have sat round more tables than when we were in opposition.'' Renee Webb John Barritt