The United Bermuda Party yesterday praised outgoing Governor Sir Richard Gozney’s “open door” policy and “measured approach” and welcomed the appointment of George Fergusson as his replacement.“A great deal of Sir Richard’s four-and-a-half year tenure ran parallel to my year role as Opposition Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition, as he swore me in within a month of his arrival following the December 2007 General Election,” said MP Kim Swan in an e-mailed statement.“Sir Richard’s open door policy, measured approach and the consideration shown in the discourse of our role as the constitutional opposition of Bermuda was noted and appreciated.“Sir Richard provided good stewardship through his role as Governor of Bermuda, during an extremely challenging economic and social period in Bermuda.“From our vantage point through the working relationship we developed, his professionalism and the respect shown to me and my colleagues in the discharge of our duties as Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, to us serves as a good indication of how he handled others as well.”Mr Swan continued by saying that Sir Richard had continued a good working relationship with him when he became “Interim Leader of the greatly diminished but reforming United Bermuda Party following our constitutional malaise in May 2011” which showed that he had an “understanding and sensitivity for complex internal politics of our Island”.On George Fergusson’s appointment, Mr Swan said: “Considering the division of political power in Britain with the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition Government, a Labour Government (PLP) in Bermuda and the pending general election in Bermuda due by March 2013 we feel that the appointment of a seasoned diplomat at this juncture in Bermuda’s development makes imminent good sense.”