Government plans to remove a constitutional clause barring people with foreign allegiances from running for political office is likely to run into opposition from the United Bermuda Party when proposed changes come before the House of Assembly.

Opposition Leader Pamela Gordon said the UBP was against changing the requirement, which sparked controversy when Minister of Transport Ewart Brown was elected as an MP while remaining a naturalised American citizen. Dr. Brown was later forced to abandon his allegiance to the US.

And Ms. Gordon said the party had objected to Dr. Brown's election in principle, and not just because of a technicality.

"I believe that when anyone consciously swears an allegiance to another country, regardless of where they were born, their loyalties do not necessarily rest with the country of their birth,'' Ms Gordon said.

"Their commitment should be to their country of birth if that is where they want to be a representative. It is a principle applied around the world.

"The Government says it wants to give one man one vote and bring the country in line with international standards, but when it suits them they remove something like this which is widely accepted internationally.'' MPs must be sworn to their own country, she said, in a manner that is not perceived to have any potential conflict.

Referring to the baselands issue, Ms Gordon said an American-Bermudian MP would have opposing loyalties.

"Would he be pro-Bermudian, pro-American or would he have to abstain because of the conflict of interest?'' she said.

"A man should not serve two masters; people have to make a decision, and there's nothing wrong with that. This change is something that could be brought forward only if countries are prepared to open their borders and boundaries.'' Any changes to the constitution will require approval by the British Government which, Ms Gordon says, could pose problems for the change which is not widely embraced worldwide.

"The constitution can't be in contravention to laws and precedents set by the UK government and it would be contradictory if the UK law is not the same,'' she said.

"This is why we're pushing for a constitutional conference,'' said Ms Gordon.

See Editorial, Page 4 Gordon condemns move to scrap allegiance clause Ms. Gordon also referred to the PLP's minority report at the 1966 Constitutional Conference which stated the party's position that any changes to the document should be decided in the form of a referendum. This time, Government plans to pass amendments with a vote in the House of Assembly rather than by taking the issue to voters.

Ian Davidson, a British Labour MP and member of the British-Bermudian branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, told VSB News yesterday that an amended constitution would most likely be "rubber stamped'' if it was not controversial.

When contacted by The Royal Gazette , Attorney General Dame Lois Browne Evans said that Government was not prepared to discuss the proposed amendments until it had met and decided what to say.