slammed by Shadow Legislative Affairs spokesman John Barritt.

He said the Opposition's views should have been sought -- and called for a new-style voting process for proposed elected Parish Councils instead of the old first-past-the-post system used for Parliament.

Mr. Barritt was speaking after Health and Social Services Minister Nelson Bascome said PLP MPs and branches had been asked for picks for the Parish Councils.

He said: "We were very disappointed to learn this was how Government chose Parish Councils.

"The PLP are talking about inclusion -- we have 14 MPs and 44 percent of the vote.

"They've ignored a sizeable proportion of the electorate and it seems a very poor way to go about this.

"This smacks of anything but inclusion -- they are not practising what they're preaching.'' The list of 100 councillors hit the headlines last week after former Government board member Mark Selley hit out at the racial make-up of the appointees, with only around 10 percent being white.

Mr. Bascome said afterwards that MPs and PLP branches had been asked for nominations -- and denied there had been a racial bias in choices, although he admitted the PLP's support was still largely black.

Mr. Barritt said: "We would have thought they would at least have had the courtesy, if they're going to ask MPs, to ask us if we had any recommendations about who should serve.'' He conceded that in his Devonshire area, his former UBP branch committee chairman Giorgio Zanol had been re-appointed to the council -- and that Mr.

Bascome was recognised as "a community-based person''.

But Mr. Barritt added: "That's not the point -- it's the method. I'm sorry we've been shut out of the process.

"It really is discouraging to see the Minister take such a strict line.'' He claimed the UBP had tried to find people "who were representative of the community'' -- and he did not recall ever being consulted on who should sit in his area.

Mr. Barritt said: "We have taken the approach that our members should feel free to serve on Government boards and bodies -- the Opposition took another view, which did make it difficult to get representative boards and bodies.'' He added that he accepted the appointments were interim ones for around a year as Government intends to introduce Parish elections.

Mr. Barritt said: "We understand these councils are interim, but they will have some input into things in the run-up to voting.'' And he called for Mr. Bascome to "start thinking outside the box'' for voting arrangements, suggesting systems where people can vote -- or not -- for a slate of candidates.

Mr. Barritt said: "We would get elected bodies which are more representative of what people want than the old first-past-the-post system.'' He added: "And this is crucial if we're going to reform Parish Councils -- the next step could be only those who pass the party litmus test, whatever that might be, card-carrying or financial contributors. It would be a real pity if it comes down to that.''