deadlock on Independence is "flawed''.

Government feels a referendum must be held to find out the views of the whole population but the Opposition believes the best way is to call another General Election.

This week, the Committee for the Independence of Bermuda offered a third option, stating that an inter-party committee be formed to identify points of agreement and negotiate points of disagreement.

The committee's Mr. Walton Brown Jr. said: "This option will require our politicians to place Bermuda's interests above party interests.'' But the Premier slammed the idea. "The proposal is basically flawed. What it proposes is that the two party leaders, myself and Mr. Wade, get together and if we cannot resolve our differences it should be decided by a General Election.

"This is skewed towards the Progressive Labour Party's proposal for a General Election.'' Sir John said he believed the matter was too important to be decided in this way. He said: "General Elections are held to decide who is going to run the country for the next four or five years. Independence is something that will be forever.'' He added that the Government would not be willing to give up its position so quickly.

The United Bermuda Party's referendum idea is intended to reach the majority of Bermudians to find out if they want independence from the United Kingdom.

Sir John added: "There must be an educational process before any vote. People must be told the pros and cons of independence. The public must understand how this could affect their lives.

"That is what a participatory democracy is all about. The public should have more say in how things are done and it would be fundamentally wrong to take that away from them.''