the bad year has been of the United Bermuda Party's own making. The UBP does not seem to understand that it is virtually impossible in a democracy to lead the people in a direction they do not want to go. Of all the world's political parties, the UBP should know that best, having been dragged by Sir John Swan through the Independence referendum debacle against the wishes of the great majority of the party's followers.

But we live in a time when it is fashionable to be a victim. As long as you can blame someone else for your difficulties, you do not have to take responsibility yourself. We think that's the real reason the United Bermuda Party has begun a series of advertisements taking credit for its achievements during the last session of Parliament and passing the blame for its defeats.

Once again it is time to blame the messenger. The UBP ad says: "...too many stories in the news lately have been focused on party and political differences and not on the substance of what has been accomplished for the Country.'' Premier Saul is quoted as saying: "There is far too much publicity given to negative things... I'm the Premier and we want to tell people the good news.'' There seems to be an implication that the "good news'' was ignored which is totally untrue. It was given good coverage and fair play both by this newspaper and by the broadcast media. The fact is that the news of chaos in the UBP, which Premier Saul thinks of as bad news but the PLP probably thinks of as good news, far outweighed the achievements he lists. Information that the political party which has ruled Bermuda for more than 30 years is coming apart at the seams in a three-way split has to be of greater news value than the fact that a ruling party was able to pass two or three predictable bills, no matter how valuable those bills are.

In any case, one of the bills, the Education Act, is generally highly controversial and has still to be passed by the Senate, while the Base Lands Development Act contains elements which will make news for years to come. It too, was very nearly rejected in the House of Assembly. A third important bill which deregulates the telecommunications industry has also run into trouble in the Senate and may not be approved until November.

The Government was elected to pass such bills and what is very sad is that the Government is in such tatters that it finds it necessary to advertise that it has done something other than fight itself to a standstill. The ad speaks volumes about the state of the United Bermuda Party.

What the ad does not tell us, of course, is that tourism is still in decline, the "sex and sin'' advertising campaign which was supposed to jump start the industry has not yet worked and that the uncertainty and instability in the Government has seriously eroded the confidence of the international company sector.

The real problem seems to be one of reality. Premier Saul is quoted as saying that, "There were three little hiccups -- but there were lots of good things done.'' We have to wonder if Dr. Saul really thinks of a vote of censure against himself and two other major losses in the House as "three little hiccups''. We hope he does not because we prefer to deal with reality.