Island's MPs to pass the Independence Referendum Act and get on with the vote.

Mr. John Campbell, the senior partner at Appleby, Spurling & Kempe, and the Hon. Charles Collis, the senior partner with Conyers, Dill & Pearman, said the current uncertainty was harming international business.

Faced with opposition from at least two backbenchers, Government's passage of the referendum bill is not assured if the vote goes ahead tomorrow, as scheduled.

Mr. Campbell, speaking personally and not on behalf of his law firm, said Bermuda's international sector had been under "savage attack'' recently, due to the prolonged Independence debate and the new tax on law firms and others who serve exempt companies unveiled in the February 15 Budget. "I think Bermuda has the ability over the next few months, if not over the next week, to damage itself quite badly,'' he said.

Independence was on the table and the Country was "absolutely committed'' to holding a referendum, he said. If United Bermuda Party backbenchers either abstained or voted against the measure, "I don't believe...that they are acting in the best interests of their own party, or the best interests of Bermuda.

"I think we're probably all of a view that we must move forward with this referendum bill and make a decision on the question of Independence as soon as possible and get it behind us. Whether we emerge as an Independent country or maintain the status quo, at least we'll know what we're dealing with.'' Mr. Collis, a former Government Leader in the Senate, said the Independence referendum bill had gone so far that "it's inevitable.'' "If we don't deal with the issue now, it will raise its head next year and the year after, and the year after that,'' he said. "Therefore, I think I'm probably in favour of the bill passing, on the belief that the referendum on the issue will result in a vote against any proposal for Independence.

Hopefully, that will then settle the issue for a substantial number of years.''