referendum will have little influence on the Progressive Labour Party, says Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade.

The Committee for the Independence of Bermuda "is largely one or two people'', Mr. Wade told The Royal Gazette . "They don't have any constituency at all. They just speak for themselves.'' The committee has opposed a referendum, calling for a bi-partisan approach by the Country's two main political parties. But at a meeting last week, chairman Mr. Walton Brown said his position had changed, now that the referendum had been approved by the House of Assembly.

Mr. Brown called on both political parties to urge Bermudians to vote "yes'', when asked if they supported Independence for Bermuda. The referendum is expected in July.

The PLP opposed the referendum bill, and has maintained the issue should be decided in a general election after Government issues a policy paper on the issue. Its central committee is to decide the party's position on the referendum tonight. Mr. Wade said he would likely make a statement tomorrow or Wednesday.

Mr. Wade has said the party has three options. It could urge supporters to vote yes, vote no, or stay home. A "no'' vote would not be a vote against Independence, he said, but against deciding the issue in a referendum.

"I don't think it will have much influence on us at all,'' Mr. Wade said about the public statement by Mr. Brown. "We have very good reasons for doing whatever we do.'' Labour and Home Affairs Minister the Hon. Irving Pearman said a PLP boycott of the vote would be "a real disappointment''.

"One needs to accept that although there are different views on the subject, somewhere there needs to be a statement, yes, we need to move to constitutional change, or no, we don't.'' While Mr. Brown said the PLP was in a difficult position with respect to the referendum, Mr. Wade said the party had been discussing the issue for some time, and members were "on board''.

"When we come out with our position to the public, it will be fully supported by all of the party,'' he said. "We will listen to our branch officers on Monday night and we will make a decision.'' The PLP leader said he was "not surprised'' by Mr. Brown's comments.

"They're not operating on any particular set of principles. We have set out what we want to do.'' Government had no mandate to move on Independence, and passage of the Independence Referendum Act 1995 -- which is to be debated in the Senate on Wednesday -- had not changed that.

The PLP had been consistent from the start, calling for a Green Paper, followed by a White Paper, followed by a general election, Mr. Wade said.

Mr. Brown said many people would disagree with Mr. Wade's view of his committee's constituency.

While a referendum was not the committee's preferred route, "for us, it's really a no-lose situation'', because "the issue will be addressed'', he said.

"We don't have an interest in achieving political power,'' Mr. Brown said.

Mr. Brown said the PLP was "being pulled by two different forces''. One group staunchly supported Independence and wanted it decided favourably by "a referendum or any other means''. The other group did not trust a United Bermuda Party Government to negotiate Independence for the Country, he said.