Electoral reform and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission will go a long way toward resolving racial division, according to Kim Swan, the former leader of the United Bermuda Party.And he insists that the white community should do more to end racial polarisation.Mr Swan ignited a vigorous online debate last week when he lamented the existence of what he called “racial en bloc voting” patterns which effectively means that the vast majority of white voters have always voted for only one party.He described such voting as a “crippling social menace” which is retarding the country’s social progress.The latest political opinion polls conducted by MindMaps for The Royal Gazette found that 88 percent of the white community would support the One Bermuda Alliance in a General Election. Just 52 percent of black voters said they would vote for the ruling party, while 30 percent said they did not know who they would vote for, or refused to say. Another 15 percent of black voters said they would vote for the OBA.“That shows a greater willingness (by the black community) to look in that direction,” said Mr Swan. “While whites have always gone in one direction.”He added: “The time has come for the white community to march toward the black community.”Ultimately, he said: “The solution goes beyond the vote as the white community in Bermuda need to more demonstrably move towards the black community, socially and politically and this in spite of the race rhetoric endured in recent years. We need to understand each other better and that isn’t a quick fix.”Mr Swan, who was elected as a UBP MP, says that the UBP had tried to address the race issue, to no avail.“Ironically, former leader Dr Grant Gibbons put it best in 2002 when he said ‘The legacy of slavery and segregation persists. Prejudice and glass ceilings have not disappeared. There is unfinished business between black and white Bermudians we cannot deny that ...’” Mr Swan continued.“Since 2003 we have less marginal seats to contest and far too many safe seats which are foregone conclusions, and race has been the determining factor. That in itself robs the voter of proper representation because of the complacency of knowing that you will win no matter what.”But he also pointed to the “marginal” constituencies in St George’s, Hamilton and Warwick as “examples that defy the racial polarisation” and “where the voting preferences of persons ebb and flow on the performance of the incumbent and less wedded to party affiliation. The constituencies have been the balance of power in Bermuda for decades.”Asked what more could or should be done to address racial polarisation, Mr Swan called for electoral reform and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission.“First we can consider undertaking a Bermuda model of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to heal real wounds and cause our people to see each other for their true value and potential. This has been called for before but usually after divisive and hard fought elections which were often nasty,” he said.The online debate over his call to end racial bloc voting showed that people often reacted defensively when the issue of racial polarisation is brought up.“I just want us to find the will to address it.”Mr Swan added that Bermuda should explore a proportional representation electoral system “or even a unicameral system such as in Jersey in the Channel Islands to move away from the racial gridlock”.Mr Swan has also called on the media, particularly The Royal Gazette, to campaign against “racial en bloc voting”.Editor Bill Zuill has rejected that suggestion saying it could mean the paper telling people how to vote.“I was trying to encourage the Gazette to take as much interest in this issue as they did the Right to Know (campaign),” said Mr Swan when asked to elaborate on his proposal.Powerful institutions like the media, and the Island’s banks could work together to address our racial issues, he said.“The media, especially The Royal Gazette, are an important institution in Bermuda. It is incumbent on the media to appreciate the impact that this practice has on the psyche of our people,” Mr Swan continued.“A recent editorial by the Gazette mentioned the hardening of the vote on race but I was left feeling we are resigning ourselves to accepting polarisation and the way it divides our families.“In addition, it is important that we encourage neutrality, objectivity on the part of the media and a suitable campaign to promote greater balance in voting practices; encourages Bermuda to embrace Truth and Reconciliation; and compares other Commonwealth models to see if Bermuda could benefit from electoral reform.”Mr Swan has tabled a motion in Parliament calling for a TRC. It reads: “That this Honourable House take note of the benefits of establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the existence of racism and encourage the people of Bermuda to work towards overcoming the legacy of our past.”In 2006, the Government and the Opposition United Bermuda Party were united in rejecting a TRC motion tabled by former PLP MP Renee Webb. That motion urged legislators to “take note of the compelling need to establish a truth and reconciliation commission based on the South African model to assist in healing the country of the vestiges of racism”.“While we do not feel that we will have a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, we feel as a government our actions will help to remove the pain and suffering,” said then Community Affairs Minister Dale Butler who had responsibility for human rights.Prior to the debate, Mr Butler told The Royal Gazette that South Africa’s TRC “didn’t work in South Africa”.A year later, the then Anglican Bishop Ewen Ratteray also called for a TRC. That call was supported by the Human Rights Commission and the then UBP Leader, now Deputy Leader of the OBA, Michael Dunkley.