created by both political parties hoping to influence a few voters. We think it is important for the public to keep its critical faculties very active and to watch for statements and actions which are designed to either unduly influence or to mislead the public.

Perception is everything in politics and politicians will work on the pubic's perception in order to better their own lot. But it has to be remembered that perception is not always reality and people will have to keep their eyes and their ears open and judge for themselves what is really happening.

Remember that this is going to be a desperation election. The United Bermuda Party has to be desperate to hold on to the power which it has held for over 30 years. The Progressive Labour Party can taste victory and has to be desperate to prove that it really is what it claims to be, "the Government in waiting'' after what has been a seemingly endless row of defeats at the polls.

Remember too that a party out of power has the advantage of criticising while not having to govern.

The pressure to win can lead to unusual statements and unusual acts. But Bermuda has a well educated and sound public and we can only hope that people will think for themselves and separate the political cant from whatever direction from reality.

Right now there appear to be two quite different scenarios taking place in each of the two political parties.

Convinced, probably correctly, that it cannot lose the major business vote, the United Bermuda Party is striking out at establishment giants like the Bermuda Telephone Company and Cable and Wireless. It seems to us that the UBP is trying to signal the people that it is not the party of the establishment, which it is so often accused of being, but the party of the people. In very many ways it is that, certainly in the sense that it has always been the party of the majority of the people.

The PLP, on the other hand, seems frightened that the UBP, which is prone to damaging itself, might actually have some successes. Therefore anything which looks like a UBP success is instantly shot at by the PLP, apparently in the hope of creating confusion around any success story. That, of course is not good for Bermuda because it deprives the Country successes.

We think that kind of PLP action is nowhere as clear as in recent attacks on the Bermuda Hospitals Board.

We do not think either party when it does these things is acting toward good government or toward being a constructive Opposition. Both seem to be bent on pure politics. We think this is likely to continue until the election but we firmly believe that Bermudians are quite capable of figuring out what is going on and of making their own decisions.