Community Affairs Minister Dale Butler has failed to explain what Government would do should a Cuban attempt to defect while here on a cultural exchange programme, according to the Opposition Party.

And his shadow counterpart Louise Jackson said he had made ?preposterous and unsubstantiated accusations? which ?can only be regarded as woefully ignorant at best and paranoid at worst?.

In a written press statement on Tuesday, Mrs. Jackson responded to Mr. Butler?s remarks ? reported in Tuesday?s paper ? that the Cuban National Youth Jazz band which toured Bermuda last month had to be provided with security out of fear that people like Mrs. Jackson would attempt to either kidnap them or persuade them to defect.

Mrs. Jackson branded the comments as ?simply another attempt by this government to attack and disparage the messenger rather than dealing substantively with the real issue?.

?The United Bermuda Party remains deeply concerned about allegations that a member of the Cuban delegation attempted to defect to Canada after completing their tour in Bermuda,? the statement continued.

?While we recognise and support the efforts of anyone seeking freedom, the PLP government has failed to articulate a clear policy on how they would address Cuban defections to Bermuda.

?We are particularly troubled by the Minister?s bizarre belief that Cubans who attempt to defect and fail would not be ill treated upon their return to Cuba.

?This depicts a clear and woeful lack of understanding of the political realities of life in Cuba.?It added that 22 Cubans defected to Canada in August 2002.

?They went into hiding in Canada for days for fear they would be forced by their Cuban peers to return to Cuba. One said ?I would be thrown in jail and never able to work again?.

?This is only one example of 100?s of defectors who know they will be punished and their families punished if they are sent back to Cuba.?

And Mrs. Jackson demanded to know what proof Mr. Butler had to show that members of the community were planning to kidnap the band members or encourage them to defect in order to embarrass the Government.

?Will a police investigation be launched to insure that the masterminds behind this alleged kidnapping plot are brought to justice? Who provided the ?first class security? the Minister provided for the Cuban delegation and who paid for it?,? the statement continued.

?Rather than deal with an issue of great concern to most Bermudians, Minister Butler has resorted to desperate, vitriolic personal attacks and preposterous unsubstantiated allegations. We urge the Minister to stop ducking the issue and answer the questions as befits a Minister elected to serve the interests of the people of Bermuda.?

Mrs. Jackson has been steadfast in her criticism of Government?s cultural accord with the Caribbean nation and presented a series of questions seeking to uncover Government?s position in the event a Cuban tried to defect while here.

Mr. Butler has said that Bermuda would have to accept defectors or refugees from Cuba if they satisfied international legal criteria defining refugees.

But he also said that should any of the visitors attempt to defect while here the cultural accord would be suspended immediately, and probably terminated. Enquiries about whether one of the Cuban musicians did defect in Canada on the way home are continuing.

Mrs. Jackson stated the allegations as fact this week, citing ?very reliable sources?, but appears to have climbed down from the position with the most recent statement.

Mr. Butler could not be reached for comment before press time last night.