Bermuda's two major parties.

Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan, leader of the United Bermuda Party, delivered a stark warning. If the Progressive Labour Party was elected on Tuesday, "Bermuda as we know it would not be the same Bermuda'', he said.

Sir John said the PLP had never successfully run anything. "The confidence factor would be gone, and the business would be gone with it.'' Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade expressed confidence the PLP would top its record of 18 House of Assembly seats and form the Government.

The recession had shattered the notion that the UBP was invincible in its ability to manage the economy, Mr. Wade said.

A senior Progressive Labour Party member's comments about how the party would deal with civil servants if elected shook the Island, Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan claimed last night in an election speech.

Incumbent Mr. Eugene Blakeney's comment was a "sickening indication'' of how the Progressive Labour Party would run Bermuda, Sir John told Sandys Rotary Club members.

"Never has this Country been so shaken,'' Sir John said. "I could see that from walking around the Island and listening to civil servants.'' Sir John also attacked the statement at a news conference held earlier. (See story below.) And he assailed the PLP's campaign platform, saying key planks were missing from it -- suggesting "a hidden agenda''.

Citing recent comments by various PLP candidates, he said plans for income tax, large increases in Cabinet Ministers' salaries, a "creative borrowing'' scheme, a national airline, nationalisation of hotels, and a casino -- all should have been included in its platform.

Instead, "they've cleaned it up and said: `We're going to do a selling job'.'' But in a statement by the PLP last night, Shadow Finance Minister Mr. Eugene Cox ruled out "income tax as a term of reference'' in any review of Bermuda's tax structure.

And Mr. Cox "stated categorically'' that the PLP had no plans to nationalise hotels.

Furthermore, "We have long stated that any moves to take this country to independence would be left to the electorate to decide at some future election.'' He added, "The latest round of allegations in the UBP disinformation campaign attempting to delude some members of the public, heightens the need for a Code of Ethicc and guidelines that a PLP government would introduce, as stated in the PLP platforms and reiterated by the party leader.'' Sir John further noted at his press conference and again in his speech last night that just before the campaign began, Pembroke West Central candidate Mr.

Philip Perinchief said the PLP was working on a plan to introduce income tax.

After revealing the "secret PLP plans for taxation,'' Mr. Perinchief "was promptly muzzled,'' Sir John said. "Within days, the rest of the PLP party members were also fitted out for their muzzles.'' Sir. John went further at the Rotary dinner, saying the PLP's restriction on candidates speaking freely on policy issues implied the party might even try and "muzzle'' the Press if it came to power.

Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade told candidates that all statements on policy matters were to come from the party in writing, not from candidates.

Turning to other "worrying'' policies, Sir. John noted Mr. Wade had recently said a PLP government would phase in a full-time Cabinet and salary increases.

Sir. John said "creative borrowing,'' as recently advocated by Hamilton West incumbent Mr. Julian Hall, "would lead to the same kind of fiscal bankruptcy that surrounds Bermuda in the US, the UK, Canada, and the Bahamas,'' Sir John said.

Through Shadow Tourism Minister Mr. David Allen, "the PLP proposed a national airline without showing where the money would come from to support an idea that has produced bankruptcy in country after country where it has been tried,'' he said.

Also, "a leading PLP member has called for the nationalisation of hotels and the idea of a casino.'' Sir John said the fact the PLP refused to support Government's National Drug Strategy suggested the party would be "soft on drugs''. The PLP said it would produce its own drugs report, "which it never did''.

Recently, PLP Southampton West candidate Mr. Terry Lister said it was party policy to increase the number of work permits to 8,000 from 4,700, Sir John said. This was "a contradiction to everything that they say that they stood for,'' and an example of the party's "hypocrisy,'' he said.

Now, Mr. Eugene Blakeney had "let slip that they intend to apply a political loyalty test to every member of the civil service.'' Giving a detailed analyses of the PLP's election manifesto released on Monday, he said it contained 74 items lifted from previous PLP platforms, 29 items lifted from the United Bermuda Party's platform "Blueprint for Bermuda,'' and 33 items that were "already the policy of this Government and are in place and working.'' More interesting though, were the items omitted, Sir John said. "It includes a menu of items they wish for, but dare not speak about in the midst of a campaign,'' he said.

But Mr. Cox said: "The Premier is a desperate man in desperate times for the UBP.'' OCTOBER 1993 ELECTION