Progressive Labour Party leaders should work to reassure voters and grass-roots supporters that issues of political leadership are not decided without their input, the non-partisan Black Alliance urged this week.

The call comes on the heels of the leadership struggle that split the PLP down the middle and saw Jennifer Smith ousted as party leader and premier and replaced by Alex Scott.

The crisis was resolved by PLP delegates, who unanimously acclaimed Mr. Scott the party leader, although the group of eleven rebel MPs were hoping to decide on a leader by an internal vote of the ruling party caucus.

Black Alliance chair Leon O' Brien said questions of party leadership should be "open, transparent and inclusive of all stakeholders".

"We have reservations about the process surrounding the recent leadership challenge," he said. "We would like to send a message to all PLP representatives that the Bermuda electorate deserves a process for choosing the leadership that is transparent in its execution and reflects ethical conduct on the part of those involved."

He continued: "We are therefore calling on all PLP representatives, irrespective of whether or not they are sitting MPs, to engage in meaningful and consultative dialogue with their constituents, in order to ensure that their voters and their core supporters who worked tirelessly to get them elected, do not feel as though they have been unwittingly coerced or co-opted into any undisclosed attempts to compromise the leadership of this country."

But he said the Black Alliance "recognises and acknowledges the value of ongoing evaluation of political leadership that must inevitably occur in the course of the governance of a political party and a government".

Mr. O' Brien said it was "no secret" that the core supporters of the PLP are largely black.

"We urge our PLP leaders as fellow members of the black community, to continue to engage in ethical, consultative and just deliberations that seek to unify rather than divide.

"We also urge the leaders of our community to execute our affairs in such a way that does not result in ongoing divisiveness that historically has impeded our progress as a people."