Former Opposition leader Kim Swan has continued his calls for the issue of gaming to be decided by referendum following a statement by Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell.

Mr Crockwell said abandoning the promised referendum on gaming was the right choice, but Mr Swan said his statement only reinforced the notion that the OBA intend to bypass their democratic principles to “bulldoze forward” with pro-gaming legislation.

“Ironically in many modern jurisdictions the issue of gaming is decided by a referendum similar to that which was promised the people of Bermuda by Government and tabled in the House of Assembly,” Mr Swan said. “Parliamentarians who are elected to uphold our democracy should be the ones most up in arms by the actions of the OBA Government.

“Our democracy must be respected, protected and upheld and it is the people of Bermuda — who are being urged to sign the petition to reinstate the referendum to restore a covenant once made with the electorate — that can make the difference.”

The OBA had long promised a referendum on gaming in Bermuda, but they scrapped the plan late last year stating that the Opposition PLP had threatened to disrupt the process — an allegation the PLP has fiercely refuted.

Mr Swan, together with BEST chairman Stuart Hayward, political activist Jonathan Starling and Michael Ashton, last week launched a petition calling for the decision to be made by referendum.

Mr Crockwell said on Thursday that while the campaigners were “not wasting their time” he did not see Government “wavering” on its decision not to hold a referendum.