Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan on the pending Independence referendum.

While Mr. Darrell personally favours Independence, he says he cannot speak for the party in calling for a "yes'' vote in the referendum likely to be held this summer.

But like the United Bermuda Party, the NLP supports the referendum and encourages Bermudians to vote, Mr. Darrell said.

Bermuda's main Opposition party, the Progressive Labour Party, has called on its supporters to boycott the referendum. This week Mr. Darrell issued a news release raising questions about Bermuda's colonial status.

While the NLP understood the reluctance of many Bermudians to embrace Independence, it sometimes marvelled at "the reasoning put forward to support their position'', he said.

While described as "a self-governing colony'', Bermuda's legislation had to be signed by the Governor before becoming law.

And the British Nationality Act "created a peculiar relationship between Bermuda and the Mother Country'', he said. "This act prohibits immigration to the UK without special provision, but at the same time, under other UK legislation, Europeans can travel in and out of Britain freely.'' Although Bermuda has a Shipping Registry, "our maritime laws are the UK's maritime laws'', and "it appears that Bermuda is clearly directed in terms of what we should legislate''.

Good air service was essential to Bermuda's tourism, Mr. Darrell said. But the Island received its US routes "at the pleasure of the UK'', and "we are not allowed a competitive service out of the UK, to the disadvantage of Bermuda''.

If Bermuda decided to remain a colony, "Government should commit itself to remove these impediments and any other which may come to light'', Mr. Darrell said.

A "no'' vote in the referendum must put Bermuda "in a position to make some meaningful changes in our Constitution'', he said, while noting "the UK Government has taken the position that it would not permit any substantive change in our constitutional position unless we move to Independence''.