THE Government is about to unveil its road map to Independence and now Premier Alex Scott wants all Bermudians to weigh in on the debate over whether Bermuda should cut ties with Britain.

But in an exclusive interview with the Mid-Ocean News, the Premier steered clear of the question of whether a referendum would be necessary for Bermuda to go independent ? he said talking about that now would be "putting the cart before the horse".

Mr. Scott said the Cabinet was about to consider a document to be used as an outline of the Government's line on Independence, drawn up by Deputy Premier Dr. Ewart Brown and Senator Neville Tyrrell, who head the Government's Independence Committee.

As soon as the framework had been approved by Ministers, he added, it would be published to set the ball rolling on the Independence debate.

The Premier said his aim was for Bermudians to be thoroughly informed of what a move to Independence would mean, so they possessed the facts on Independence and not just perceptions.

"My Deputy Premier Dr. Brown and Sen. Neville Tyrrell have to come back to me with their outline of the way forward," Mr. Scott said. "And I'll put that to Cabinet. If Cabinet feels comfortable with that outline, then that's the outline we'll use to encourage Bermudians of all political, social and religious stripes to get involved in the discussion.

"At the earliest possible moment we'll share it with the public and we'll invite them to put forward their suggestions on the outline. It's not about myself or Government ? this is our discussion. All I'm doing is to facilitate. I don't design, I don't restrict, I just encourage.

"I think that what's happened in the past is that people have taken a decision on Independence and if you'd asked many of them to give three strong points, they would only be able to give you perceptions, not a factual critique of what Independence is really about.

"Everybody's got to be involved in the discussion. We believe that in a democracy such as Bermuda, we've got to be able to support and encourage the discussion of any subject, especially the most important subject of sovereignty or the maintenance of the status quo."

More than 100 letters have been sent to Government House, as the result of an e-mail campaign urging Britain to insist on a referendum as the mechanism for going Independent.

Asked if he would be comfortable with moving to Independence without a referendum, Mr. Scott said: "I would feel comfortable with any method that Bermudians feel they are most comfortable with in making the decision.

"We've come up with a solution that is very local. There are those proponents who say a General Election and there are those who say a referendum, but that's down the road.

"I think first it's to understand the nature of the subject and then we can talk about how we take the decision. To start debating the end game before we know the rules of the game would be putting the cart before the horse, and it would be counter-productive.

"I will be listening closely to what Bermudians have to say as we begin discussing the subject."

The Progressive Labour Party has long held the policy that a General Election could be used as the mechanism for achieving Independence, while the Opposition United Bermuda Party supports a referendum.

The UK's policy, stated in a 1999 White Paper, is that Britain would back moves to Independence "when Independence is the clear and constitutionally expressed wish of the people".

Earlier this month, Mr. Scott travelled to San Diego for the Risk and Insurance Management Society's (RIMS) annual conference. He said none of the stakeholders in the reinsurance industry he met there had brought up the subject of Independence.

"Key members of the reinsurance industry have said in specific terms, it's good for them doing business in Bermuda and they have few reservations about how we are managing our affairs," Mr. Scott said.

"I think the financial sector and our international business guests have been most mature about it. They've accepted that it's an idea to discuss.

"It certainly will lead to the maturing of our society to have that discussion. An editorial writer in one of the papers said Bermudians can come to the same subject from entirely different perspectives. In this case, the editorial writer said that black community would see it one way and the white community another way.

"I would say that our international business guests on the island would see it from a third perspective. And I can't see anyone coming from the US, the 'seat of democracy', who dramatically declared and established their Independence from the UK, having any reservations about a country that wants to follow suit."

After publication of the Government's outline, Mr. Scott said it would be time to "let the discussion begin".

"We will encourage and work with the media to encourage the concept of discussion," the Premier said.

"We will invite the Opposition to play a key part in the discussion. Churches are important, schools are important, workmen's clubs, service clubs, the business sector, the tourism sector. These are the movers and shakers of our community and we will be inviting them to contribute.

"I think that when we look back on the product of such an exchange, we will all be very impressed with what we accomplished."

He added that Government was compiling historical information on the Independence issue, including former Premier Sir John Sharpe's Green Paper on Independence, drafted in the 1970s, as well as information from the time of the Independence referendum of 1995.

Premier Scott has said previously that a system of British law would be maintained in a move to Independence ? and he made clear to the Mid-Ocean News that this would include maintaining a right of appeal to London courts.

"Independence, to my way of thinking, if we are to take that step, is to develop Bermuda, not hurt Bermuda," Mr. Scott said.

"And if a full segment of our economy, the financial sector, looks to British jurisprudence as an important tenet in their operation here when they need to have legal recourse, they feel comfortable with British law and the ability to seek appeal with the Privy Council, well I haven't heard an argument against continuing with that British jurisprudence."