opening up Bermuda's telecommunications industry.

Attempts to pass the Telecommunications Act 1996 through the Senate have twice been thwarted and today could be the bill's last chance to become law before the House reconvenes in November.

But last night Progressive Labour Party Senators vowed to halt the bill's passage, insisting it would be unconstitutional to deal with the legislation today.

PLP Senate Leader Milton Scott said: "As far as I am concerned the bill is not before the Senate and any attempt to bring it back will bring the Senate into disrepute.'' Two weeks ago Sen. Gary Pitman introduced the legislation into Senate, but a PLP amendment was passed meaning the bill should go back to the House of Assembly for further debate.

The House does not meet again until November and Sen. Pitman tried to introduce a motion saying the bill could be debated again by the Senate without going back to the House.

But last week, Senate President Albert Jackson recommended that the motion should be withdrawn -- but his ruling was not an outright ban, leaving the bill's future in doubt.

Last night Sen. Pitman, who arrived back on the Island yesterday after a vacation, was locked in talks with Government colleagues in an effort to forge a way forward.

"I would like to move forward on the legislation. It is important to move ahead with this Act. It is a travesty that we are messing around with this piece of legislation,'' he said.

He added that Technology Minister John Barritt had pledged to amend the Act once the House reconvened and he hoped that would satisfy Senators.

But last night Sen. Milton Scott said the PLP believed the legislation was no longer before the Senate as it had been sent back to the House once his Party's amendment was passed.

"It is making Bermuda appear increasingly like a banana republic and the PLP will oppose any move to bring the bill back to the Senate,'' he added.

The Telecommunications Act is designed to open up Bermuda's telecommunications industry to greater competition, allowing other firms such as TeleBermuda a share of the lucractive business.

Licences allowing the new companies to operate can be granted under the old Telecommunications Act, but they would have to be amended once the new legislation was passed.

The telecommunications companies need the licences in order to raise financing to invest in the infrastructure needed for the new systems.