United Bermuda Party MP Trevor Moniz has apologised for his charge that the Parliamentary Registrar Sabrina Phillips had been "handpicked" for the job by the Premier.

The remarks drew a demand from Mrs. Phillips that Mr. Moniz apologise or face a defamation lawsuit. And both Premier Jennifer Smith and the Bermuda Public Services Union condemned Mr. Moniz's comments.

Mrs. Phillips told this newspaper that she had accepted the apology. But some observers say that Mr. Moniz needs to do more.

"I wish to apologise for any embarrassment or undue distress that may have been caused to the Parliamentary Registrar, Ms Sabrina Phillips and her family as a result of my comments," Mr. Moniz's written statement said.

"My statements that the post of Parliamentary Registrar had not been advertised, and that Mrs. Phillips had not been subjected to an interview process, I now accept were incorrect, although when I made the statements I believe I had been reliably informed to the contrary. I had no intention to attack Mrs. Phillips' character or capabilities of which I have no knowledge."

Former leader of the National Liberal Party (NLP) Charles Jeffers told The Royal Gazette that the statement was not good enough.

Mr. Moniz, the president of the Bermuda Bar Association, had alleged that Mrs. Phillips, a daughter of former Progressive Labour Party (PLP) candidate Eugene Blakeney, had obtained her job through "grace and favour" and was handpicked by the Premier.

"Is he apologising for the embarrassment or is he saying he was wrong ?" asked Mr. Jeffers. "Forget the embarrassment. He should apologise to all concerned, because she didn't hire herself. No matter what inside track you have she could not have hired herself. So he is really talking about the people who allowed her to get through the process."

"I accepted it as is," said Mrs. Phillips. "The matter of defamation is over."

Ms Smith had demanded in a statement that Mr. Moniz apologise to the Governor, the Parliamentary Registrar, the Civil Service head, the Secretary to the Cabinet and the Public Service Commission.

"No comment," was Mr. Moniz's reply when asked whether he was prepared to apologise to anybody else.

Calling Mr. Moniz's comments "incredibly irresponsible," and "entirely reprehensible", columnist Bryant Trew called on Bermuda's politicians to "act with dignity" when in election mode especially with regards to civil servants.

"Political point scoring by tearing down other people is ridiculous," Mr. Trew said. The Premier has also called on UBP Leader Grant Gibbons to make a statement distancing himself from Mr. Moniz's comments. Dr. Gibbons declined to add anything to his earlier statement that Mr. Moniz was speaking on his own behalf.

That, said Mr. Jeffers, was That, said Mr. Jeffers, wasanother bad political move.

"I think he should have gone a step further and say that the UBP rejects his whole theory. They should have come out more forcefully rather than just leave it floating. What he's done by not coming out and very forcefully saying he rejects it, he's leaving that question mark out there as to whether or not the UBP believe what he's saying. And in an election year a cloud of doubt can have some influence on some people.

"He needs to come out and say whether he agrees with Trevor or disagree. He should state what the party's position is on this matter."

Mr. Trew agreed, sayingDr. Gibbons' statement was a "complete cop-out".

Said Dr. Gibbons: "I don't really see any need to add anything more, quite frankly."