Ruling party supporters are rallying around Premier Alex Scott in the wake of the announcement of the closure of the Bermuda Housing Corporation corruption investigation.

And some say, the Opposition?s call for heads to roll is playing politics and would undermine the rule of law, if heeded.

?If you don?t have rule by law, then you have to have rule by opinion, or by religion, and God knows where that will take you. We want to stay with the rule of law, and according to the law, nothing happens. And the Premier was right not to go beyond that,? said former Senator Calvin Smith.

Mr. Smith said that he had been angered by the United Bermuda Party?s public statements, especially considering that no elected officials were found to have engaged in criminal activities.

?Both (the Police Commissioner and the DPP consultant Kulendra Ratneser) said that no such things were found, but they said some things were unethical ? what does that mean? This amounts to saying we?re going to rule by rumour and gossip. They had two years of investigation and found nothing.?

He added that the UBP was engaged in smear tactics for electoral advantage.

?Because the UBP wants to win the election, they are going to smear anybody they can in any way. And the proof of that is, just a couple of years ago, they were talking about Dr. Brown bringing in the fast ferries. They asked for a criminal investigation because they wanted to lock somebody up. Well the Police and the Auditor General investigated and found nothing criminal,? Mr. Smith continued.

?They want to win the election by any means whatsoever. There?s all kind of things that can be made to look unethical. I?m glad Alex took the stance he did. In a democracy there is rule by law.?

He noted that the investigation was not carried out by political appointees.

?They can?t tell me they were bought off because they were appointed by England. It was investigated by the most objective people ? as far as Bermuda is concerned ? they were the Crown?s appointees. And didn?t forget the investigators were headed by England?s finest Scotland Yard...

?I?m angry because I see a smear taking place ? I can see people tapping into the local tendency to gossip ? with no other purpose but to win the election and I find it disgusting.?

He questioned why the Opposition was not ?up in arms? about the local case of alleged discrimination against hotelier Billy Griffiths.

?Why are they so strangely silent about that? Why aren?t they calling for an investigation? They are very silent. They are playing a game ? a very dangerous, stupid game. They have a right to uphold the law, and to see that the law is upheld, and to see that the governing practices with respect to Bermuda?s finances are properly handled. When they start saying ?well I can find nothing wrong but it was unethical?... Come on. God help any government that is going to start firing people because of gossip and innuendo.?

Commentator Rolfe Commissiong agreed.

?The Premier is correct in not pursuing or advancing what has been from the beginning a political witch-hunt of the worse sort. There?s no doubt that there were some wrongful practices that occurred at the BHC,? Mr. Commissiong said.

?Indeed practices of a criminal nature. But these incidents have been thoroughly investigated by the Police and the DPP?s office. And the results are well known. If there had been any failures in terms of what is taking place at the BHC level, one would have to come to the conclusion that it has been a failure of the investigating parties.?

Mr. Commissiong added that incompetence or failure to properly oversee the BHC could not amount to corruption or criminal behaviour.

?As to the charge of unethical conduct on the part of a Minister or Ministers, the Premier was thoroughly correct in stating that that alleged behaviour cannot be substantiated, as there is in fact as conceded by the DPP, no relevant laws pertaining to ethical governance that cover this alleged behaviour,? he continued.

?But yet the UBP, after having whipped up the degree of hysteria solely for a political game that they have yet to see realised, continue with the tactics of division and innuendo in an attempt to irresponsibly cause a loss of confidence in the Government. But I am confident that, despite the vain attempts of Mr. Dunkley and the United Bermuda Party, those hopes will not be realised.?

But Mr. Commissiong did question whether quangos such as the BHC were adequately serving the public and noted that they had been set up under UBP governments and a recent report on quangos had highlighted their shortcomings.

And he agreed with moves, indicated by the Premier, to review laws regarding ethical behaviour of Government officials ? elected or otherwise.

?I?m very happy to hear that Dr. Gibbons has recommended that we might take a cue from recent laws... put into effect in Jamaica. Apparently now Dr. Gibbons thinks we can learn something from those islands to the south.?

Ruling party Senator Walter Roban added his voice of support for the Premier?s stance.

?He has stated the legal reality that the report is not a creature of the Government. It is a creature of the Auditor General?s investigation and the Crown?s investigation into the BHC,? Sen. Roban said.

?Under normal circumstances, these reports are not made public. Neither are the investigations of the Crown. And the Premier has explained that quite clearly ? it is not in the Government?s hands. The office is separate and distinct. We all know that it if there was any suggestion of interference by the Government and the Premier there would have been questions of impropriety. The Government and the office of the Premier have acted properly throughout this whole process. And the Premier has made a clear commitment to addressing any findings that may result from the Auditor General?s report or anything subsequent coming from the investigation that he is able to address. Where the Government can act, he will act.?

Mr. Smith and Mr. Ratneser said this week that the investigation had concluded that there were no grounds for criminal charges against elected officials, although instances of ?unethical? behaviour were found.

And the Opposition has called on Premier Alex Scott to name those officials involved in the scandal and root them out. But Mr. Scott has dismissed the calls saying he will not act on ?innuendo and rumour? and that it had been ?unprofessional? to use the term ?unethical?.