The United Bermuda Party believes two additional lay-people should be added to the Government board to select people to be honoured on National Heroes Day.

Last week Minister of Culture Neletha Butterfield announced a panel of five people, comprised of MPs and Senators, will decide who deserves the title of National Hero, based on pre-selected criteria. The panel has two members from the Opposition.

This year Bermuda will celebrate Dame Lois Browne Evans, the only person to be receive the National Heroes Day honour since it was created in 2008.

Yesterday Senator Jeanne Atherden, Shadow Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs, said the United Bermuda Party had concerns about the composition of the National Heroes Parliamentary Selection Committee.

"From the outset, we said the promotion of national pride and the achievements of outstanding Bermudians ought not to be part of partisan politics," she said. "We were very clear from the start of this initiative back in 2007 that it be a community-based exercise, not a politically controlled operation.

"The Minister's plan to appoint a committee of politicians to select national heroes going forward runs counter to our position. Indeed, it seems to run counter to former Culture Minister's plan, which was in line with our proposal."

Sen. Atherden said former Minister Dale Butler had circulated a proposed plan in early 2009 suggesting the selection committee would be "comprised of five members reflective of Bermuda's history, culture and ethnicity (appointed by the minister) for a three-year term to manage the process of naming public properties and recognising national heroes".

The Senator claimed Government's appointment of only politicians to the committee suggested a "deep-seated desire to control everything and a general lack of trust in people outside of its immediate circle of control".

In an effort to depoliticise the selection committee, the UBP has recommended the addition of two more individuals to its ranks. The party believes the Governor should appoint the additional two people and they should reflect Bermuda's diversity and historical legacy.

"It is a shame the Government does not trust the good sense of the community to do this kind of work," Sen. Atherden said. "By agreeing to add two people from the community to the proposed committee, the partisan political component within the process can at least be diminished."