This is a continuation of the House of Assembly report of the lengthy debate that started last Friday and ran overnight into Saturday as MPs spoke on the UBP's motion of no confidence in the Government led by the Premier. A vote at the end of the debate saw the motion defeated by 22 votes to 11. Extensive coverage of the earlier part of debate appeared in Saturday's Royal Gazette.

PLP backbencher Randy Horton said: "I believe firmly they should not be given full citizenship while they're here," he said. "That is something indeed they should earn."

He said he knew this week's rallies would not have the impact they might have because the "optics" were wrong, noting all the white protesters present.

He went on to commend Janice Battersbee, one of the key organisers of the protests, calling her a "staunch PLP supporter" who has been active in party meetings.

Mr. Horton said he was "disturbed" by the Premier's dismissal of the rally, alluding to Dr. Brown's comments on Tuesday that he'd been to larger and longer demonstrations .

"He was on the other side protesting," he said of Dr. Brown's history of activism.

"Our honourable Premier has not been checked enough," he said in conclusion. "I don't think we've held him accountable enough."

Government MP Dale Butler, who was later to resign from his Cabinet post after the early morning vote on the motion, told the House that the Premier should have consulted the UK before his controversial decision, but admitted Dr. Brown was not the type to constantly seek permission.

"It's not part of his modus operandi," he said.

Mr. Butler praised this week's rallies as "democracy in action", and noted that he saw "Bermudians" at the protests rather than white people.

"I'm not even surprised or upset or want to belabour the point that the group was mostly white. So what?"

He read a selection of letters he received this week aloud in order to demonstrate the variety of viewpoints on the no confidence motion.

Mr. Butler then told the House that he'd initially joined the PLP as a 16-year-old because of his perception that the party was committed to working people and to the law. He then launched into a condemnation of the Premier's actions, calling his lack of consultation with Cabinet "reprehensible".

"As a Minister I am very disappointed I was not consulted," he said. "I was absolutely stunned I think we all were when we were not informed."

He concluded his speech by asking for an apology from the Premier, and withdrawal of the motion should Dr. Brown comply.

"The Premier should apologise to the House, his Cabinet, and the people of Bermuda," he said. "Withdraw your motion; I would like to accept an apology."

UBP MP Pat Gordon-Pamplin took issue with Mr. Horton's comments from earlier in the evening on the "optics" of this week's demonstrations, when he noted that the two rallies were predominantly white.

"Isn't this Government, the PLP Government, the Government of all people of Bermuda?" she asked.

She called the Premier's actions "indefensible", asking: "Do you believe might should override right?"

Ms Gordon-Pamplin drew murmurs from the Government MPs across the floor when she mentioned the Finance Minister, E-Commerce Minister and Education Minister as "options" for leadership.

She went on to discuss reports of the four Uighurs' training in Afghanistan and Tora Bora, but said we know little about how intimately they were involved in any terrorist activity. She expressed concern that the US, who had detained the four men, had now washed their hands of them.

"If I had spent eight years of doing something wrong, I would want to put it right," she said. "We are all humanitarians within this honourable House and I believe in the country at large."

Ms Gordon-Pamplin was highly critical of the decision to give the Uighurs citizenship when there were expat workers who have put "time, energy and money" into Bermuda, but who will never be full citizens.

"Why can we not have something that helps our people that have been here, that helps them first?" she asked.

She closed by saying that the PLP Government has an obligation to every single Bermudian regardless of ethnicity.

Government backbencher Neletha Butterfield told the House that the Uighurs controversy had given her one of the most difficult times of her political career.

She said her constituents, including young disaffected men who felt the Island was doing little to help them, were demanding to know why the decision was taken to let the men come here.

"I'm going to have a rough time explaining a lot of things to them," she said, adding that one young man had told her she was alright because she was "not in the crowd that had made that decision".

The former Minister said: "That's the pulse of the neighbourhood. It's put us all in a very bad position."

Ms Butterfield said sometimes decisions affected everybody and that sometimes apologising was the right thing to do. She added that there were "too many in our country that have pain, that are angry and that are hurting".

"Sometimes when you make decisions in life you actually cause people to try to work it out and it's not working out as much as we like," she said.

The PLP MP said she hoped she never got to a point where voters were chanting for her to go. "If it ever happens to me, I'm gone," she said. "Something has to be wrong." She said when so many people were protesting "we have to stop and listen".

Ms Butterfield said of the Uighurs controversy: "This has been a huge pill to swallow. Everybody has a different question and you have got to find an answer. It's been reflected on the street. It's been reflected in our young people.

"As the young people are being disruptive, they are looking at us. When they ask me what's going on, I have to try my best to see what I can answer them with."

She told MPs: "The honourable Premier did rise this morning and said he had regrets. Regrets can turn into an apology. I strongly believe it.

"Not just the Cabinet Ministers deserve it, not just the backbenchers deserve it, but the people of Bermuda deserve an apology."

Ms Butterfield added: "The honourable Premier needs to remember that we in this honourable House were all elected to serve and represent our people."

The backbencher said the Uighurs decision could cause people to lose confidence in the Government. "Some good may come out of this but in the meantime I think an apology to this country would be good so that we can move on."

Former Premier Dame Jennifer Smith told MPs that only the Premier knew why he took the decision he did. "Only he can describe his thought processes. It's quite possible that he actually didn't think about consulting Britain."

She said she would like some assurance or acknowledgement of the need to follow rules and respect the Constitution.

"I don't need that for me," said the Deputy Speaker. "There are many, many young people in this Island who admire and emulate the Premier and I really, really do not want another generation to grow up and think that the end justifies the means."

She added: "People do judge you by your actions. You don't have to be perfect but when you do make a mistake you do have to say to those watching you and who model themselves on you: 'it was wrong when I did that'."

Dame Jennifer said she could not trust that the motion was not an attempt to sack the Government so could not vote for it. "I have every confidence in the Government and people of this country," she concluded.

Environment Minister Glenn Blakeney said there had been flaws and mistakes in the way the Uighurs situation was handled and that such errors could be critical "because we don't yet know how it's going to play out".

But he said he would not support any motion against the Government. Mr. Blakeney said two individuals had taken a political risk. "For what? Why?" he asked.

He said that though proper protocol had not been followed it was because the Premier took a tough stance on the things he believed in.

He put his support behind the Premier and called his decision "bold".

"He took a bold risk, the biggest risk of his political career," he said.

"For me it wasn't very outside of his character because he thinks outside of the box.

"He was thinking Bermuda."Mr. Blakeney continued: "As I started out saying, we are a blessed country and not withstanding the challenges we have. What's humbled me is my personal experiences".

Mr. Blakeney spoke about his son who has physically difficulties and another son who spent time in jail and said it was painful for him. The Minister said he met the Uighurs and spent time with them.

"I had the opportunity to meet the Uighurs with their interpreter. I feel confident that they don't present a security risk. And sometimes an error on the side of conscious is a good thing."I think Minister Burch and our honourable Premier did what they thought was in the best interest of the country. It may be wrong but it was the noble interest."

UBP MPCharlie Swan said: "We look to leaders who have ability, experience. I am having a little difficulty at what's transpired of the past week.

"We have a Premier now who is very bold and mentioned righting wrongs as one of the things his party and he would look at doing during his tenure.

"These are all honourable things. I just sometimes have questions."

He continued: "This motion was addressed to deal with the Premier. I wanted to talk on that issue of leadership. If one's trying to right past wrong these are things that governments have to do.

"It is the other side that has to do something about it."

Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Paula Cox said while she didn't agree with how the decision was made, she could not support a vote that could jeopardise the government.

"It is time to speak of many things and I am going to have a crucial conversation and a candid conversation. The last week has been an interesting week. I ask myself was it necessary and it is a resounding no."I think it is time for us to be more concerned about not cutting corners and it is also important for us to know that justice must also be done."

She continued: "I have never been a Stepford Wife. I have never been someone who has been brainwashed. That has never been my style up to now and that will never be my style."

Ms Cox talked about the decision that she was left out of last week.

"Now the honourable Premier and the Minister have taken a very dramatic, liberal and creative interpretation of their powers. Others may say they acted ultra vires but I don't think so. "I'm not understanding the fact that we heard it was an immigration issue. I find it inconceivable to think that you can talk about getting prisoners and to bring them into Bermuda and for that not to be seen as foreign policy? It goes a little beyond an immigration issue.

"I believe that boldness has magic and genius in it. I believe that we want to be seen to have people who are shrewd, smooth, savvy and strategic."She continued: "To me Ibelieve there's ministerial accountability at all levels. What time is that because I know that people are watching us and we have a rising public voice. "People also need to learn that they should respect our leader. No leader should have had to go through what I saw the honourable Premier go through. You support even when you don't always agree. That is so you know where I stand."Ms Cox said she had problems with the motion launched by the UBP. "That is because then you look at the constitution and the relevant section, it is not as absolute and strict as it may seem. However what do you think? Look at the front bench. Look at the backbench. Look at those who sit in another place."The deputy premier said she didn't think the House was the correct place to debate the issue and suggested a delegates conference could have been organised. "This is not the time of the place to have a lynching of the party leader. "I do not even think there is a forum in the political sense. I cannot support coming to the House to take out the PLP party that the PLP government. This is my prescription. "With that it gives me great pleasure to end my comments and to indicate that I will not be supporting this motion."

UBPdeputy leader Trevor Moniz spoke briefly about "the mess" the Premier has caused to the Island as a result of his decision. "The fact of the matter is that we as an opposition have it and our responsibility if we believe that the leader is not the right person to be Premier. There are clearly people who think we should have done something else. "We felt it incumbent on us to give it the heaviest in terms of a motion that we could give it."

PLP backbencher Patrice Minors said she too couldn't support a motion that could force the PLP out of power. She told the House she had received many e-mails about the topic with people on both sides of the fence but the one that stuck out said "keep the party together". "There was nothing more that had to be said after hearing that", she said. "What I will say is that I cannot and I will not exercise a vote that goes against this government. I am one that is pleased with the accomplishments that this Government has made. This Government is one that has it's people at heart."

UBP MP Darius Tucker applauded Dr. Brown's go-getter mindset and attitude of wanting to get things done. "I am sure that the Premier has realised that some decisions were made that weren't in the best interest."He broke with the majority of his party, saying he would vote against the motion of no confidence. He said it was not his right to decide the leadership, and admitted his constituents might not be happy with his decision.He added that his UBP colleagues knew he had thought long and hard about his decision."My colleagues know when I toy with something, I toy with it," Mr. Tucker said.He said that while he felt the PLP should choose its leader, the Opposition "has an obligation to make sure the Government does an effective job"."It is not our responsibility to destablise a Government or the country," he added. "This country is very precious and dear to me. I will honestly say that."He said that the Uighur controversy had opened up "another can of worms", but that the Government would have to deal with it.

PLP MP Ashfield DeVent told the House he felt this week's protest rallies were "a good thing" for Bermuda, adding that he would like to see blacks and whites marching in unison in future. "Maybe one day for something important enough, maybe the independence of this country, people will march together," he said.He maintained that the no confidence motion would not pass, saying: "There's no way that anybody could actually pick this [Opposition] side over what we have here. Whether they were telling the truth or not people have told us they don't want to get rid of us."

PLP MP Walter Lister said the Uighur controversy had shown him that the Bermuda constitution needs to be looked at again. He added that Bermuda and the UK are "bumping up against each other"."The present set-up between Bermuda and Britain is not working," Mr. Lister said. He defended the Premier against allegations of autocracy that arose this week following the detainee decision. "We talked a lot about dictators today or through the last week," he said. "If one man is a dictator, he is not in this House."He said the deal may mean Bermuda was in a better position to negotiate with the US, but said "the way it was done I don't think it may have been the correct way".

UBP MP Cole Simons slammed the Government in his speech, adding that he had made his feelings clear in the media this week."What has become clear to me is that this Government has not learned," he said. "We have not learned, despite all the anxiety within our community, all the marches, the people that came out today this Government is still very dismissive in their attitude and their thoughts about the entire issue."He alluded to the Premier's recent comment that 'this too shall pass', saying: "This is not going to go away."

Mr. Simons said the Premier had yet to come out and say whether Bermuda had made any substantive gains following the Uighur resettlement.He also addressed the strained relationship between Bermuda and the UK, and expressed anger that the Premier had been so dismissive of the Island's colonial relationship when young Bermudians can take advantage of cheaper tuitions at British colleges as a result.He also took the Premier to task for claiming he was certain the detainee resettlement was an Immigration issue. "No one is going to tell me that the Premier did not believe that this did not involve foreign affairs," he said.

Premier Dr. Ewart Brown was the penultimate speaker of the night.

He apologised to the people of Bermuda and the House of Assembly this morning during an impassioned defence against a motion of no confidence aimed at ending his leadership.

Dr. Brown told the House and a full public gallery that the Opposition had ostensibly brought the motion to remove him as Premier of Bermuda, but claimed the UBPhad ulterior motives."They want to depose me as leader of the PLP and they want the Government," he charged. He said he was "sincerely regretful" that his actions had caused dismay and divisions, but said he had not meant to provoke such a reaction.

"I meant no harm," he said. "I meant no disrespect. I apologise to the members of this House and the people of Bermuda."

He defended himself against allegations brought by some Opposition MPs during the night's debate that he circumvented the law by bringing the detainees to Bermuda without consultation, saying: "No one has cited the law that I was supposed to have broken."

He added that he and Sen. David Burch, the only other Cabinet Minister aware of the Uighur plan in advance of their arrival, "genuinely believed" the four could resettle as an internal Immigration matter rather than one for the UK to approve. Dr. Brown accused the Opposition of "callously" using the Uighur detainees, whose innocence and gratitude he emphasised, to undo the PLP a statement that UBP deputy leader Trevor Moniz vigorously denied, saying the Premier was trying to impugn the motives of his party.

The Premier asked why the UBP wasn't up in arms that a demonstrator at one of the protest rallies this week called backbench MP Zane DeSilva an "n lover" or that another shouted in Mrs. Brown's face."There was not one word about the hateful signs one could see," said Dr. Brown.

He said: "Take a picture of their supporters and organisers on Tuesday and colour it black and white. Superimpose it on the pictures of the racially charged mobs in the deep southern US in the early 1950s."

He added: "That's why I say they have no moral authority."

The Premier claimed the protests this week were the work of the UBP, adding that he saw "rancour, hatred and disrespect" at the rallies.

Mr. Moniz jumped to his feet again when the Premier accused the Opposition of trying to steal the Government, citing the well-known Malcolm X adage, "by any means necessary".

Dr. Brown said the Opposition and its supporters chose to turn out for a march designed to "depose the Premier of the country" but failed up to show up for demonstrations on education, crime and drug use.The Premier told the House that he did not wish to leave Bermuda's fate entirely in the UK's hands, saying that the Island needs the US friendship "like we've never needed it before"."I apologise if my love for my country and my desire to maintain friendships that are essential for our economic survival made me look at the Bermuda Constitution liberally instead of saying: 'May I please, sir'," he said.

Dr. Brown told the House that even if his actions weren't ordained by the Queen, they were ordained by "a higher power"."If I had known what was going to transpire I might have acted differently. What I can tell you is that in spite of what has transpired I'm ever confident that it was the right thing to do. "I honestly now believe it was the ordained thing for Bermuda to do. I honestly believe that this is where the fates have led us."