Party claim it had won the group's election endorsement.

Spokesman Miss Anna Faria said the organisation had not and would not endorse any party in the run-up to the election.

The claim was made by PLP Hamilton West candidate Mr. Julian Hall at an election rally on Monday.

He used it to whip up the Hamilton Parish crowd into an anti-Press uproar. The PLP had been endorsed by the Portuguese Association weeks ago, he said, but the fact had not rated "mention in the pages of The Royal Gazette .'' It was the second contested statement by the candidate in the election campaign.

On Monday, the United Bermuda Party branded as "an outright lie'' Mr. Hall's statement in a PLP TV advertisement that the UBP had a "slush fund'' to fly students back to the Island for the October 5 vote.

Yesterday, Miss Faria said the PBO has never told its members to vote for one party instead of another.

"We have dealt with the PLP in the same way we dealt with the UBP and the NLP,'' she said. "We've approached all three political parties to hear them state their positions on long-term residents.

"I'm curious as to how Mr. Hall misinterpreted our meeting to say that we endorsed the PLP, or any party for that matter.'' Yesterday, Mr. Hall admitted: "It was wrong.'' He said he had heard a radio report on a PBO meeting with then Senator Alex Scott and his party's efforts to work for the interests of long-term Portuguese residents.

"I misunderstood their stance in thinking that they actually endorsed the PLP and Alex Scott's candidacy,'' he said. "The phrase endorsing the PLP was obviously wrong.'' Mr. Hall's comments were made as his party leader Mr. Frederick Wade apologised to the the Portuguese Bermudian community at a Press conference.

Mr. Wade said that when Mr. Hall made his endorsement remark he was referring to the fact that the organisation had expressed support for Mr. Scott's work in the Senate.

The Portuguese Bermuda Organisation rose to prominence on the political scene last winter as the work permits of dozens of long-term Portuguese residents were not renewed because of recession pressures.

Yesterday's controversy took place as the PBO issued a statement challenging all Parliamentary hopefuls to state publicly their policies regarding long-term residents and their children.

"We urge that each political party take a stand to commit to resolve this moral and humane issue of long-term residents once and for all,'' Miss Faria said.

"We recommend that pro-active policies and guidelines be established in order to avoid the escalation of present immigration problems to other sectors of the blue and white collar community.

"We urge our voting membership... to confront their Parliamentary hopefuls and discuss these concerns.

"Candidates should realise that voters will not be misled by token representatives, but will vote for candidates based on merit.'' OCTOBER 1993 ELECTION