down for charitable status by the Charity Commissioners.

Coalition spokesman Robert Pires said the group was seeking to raise funds for campaigning and to pay for a scholarship for children of long-term residents.

The group wants Government to give long-term residents increased rights including the right to vote.

Mr. Pires said: "We have had funds from members of the public sympathetic to what we are doing.

"Clearly the objective of the Government is to frustrate our efforts to raise funds.'' He said the scholarship would help the children of long-term residents through college because currently they are barred from holiday work until they get full status.

Lawyer and Opposition MP Trevor Moniz said charitable status was needed to allow the Coalition on Long-Term Residents to appeal to the general public for funds.

He said the Charity Commissioners had initially deferred the decision even though legally they must either grant status or reject it. He said they then rejected the group's application.

"It's difficult to appeal when you don't know the reasons why we went wrong,'' said Mr. Moniz.

Asked if the group was too political to become a charity Mr. Moniz said: "You can get political charities. It's not party political. You can say world poverty and hunger is political.

"It's the equivalent of a charity that works for refugees in England.'' Now the group is waiting to hear from Minister of Health Nelson Bascome about its appeal.

But Mr. Moniz said it was too early to suggest the Coalition was the victim of political manoeuvrings.