The Opposition United Bermuda Party has slammed the comments of St. David's PLP candidate Lovitta Foggo who warned a vote for the UBP is a vote for blacks to be enslaved.

During Monday night's PLP rally at the St. George's Cricket Club, in an emotionally-charged speech, Ms Foggo cautioned: "A UBP vote is a vote back to the plantation. It is a vote that will return the shackles to our feet!"

Speaking to The Royal Gazette, Opposition MP Wayne Furbert said he was shocked by the teacher's statement, especially since he's known her for years.

He explained: "It's crazy. I find those remarks disgusting and I was ashamed and hurt when I read those remarks from Lovitta Foggo.

"How in the world can an intelligent young lady like this who is a teacher to be putting out such remarks? I find it amazing."

Ms Foggo had added: "We must hasten to employ measures which ensure that our people and our children know that a UBP vote is a vote back to the plantation.

"It is a vote that will keep us as slaves because the UBP has one aim; to ensure we, the working class, the underprivileged, never get our fair share of that economic pie!

"For the UBP, money and wealth is meant only for those that controlled the economy when slavery was alive and kicking and for the descendants that control the economy today. Emancipate yourselves!"

Mr. Furbert pointed out: "'keep us as slaves?' to me, she's saying she's in slavery right now.

"This sort of racial rhetoric has been heard over and over from PLP candidates since 1998.

"I'm surprised at Lovitta, I've known her for a long time. Both our daughters dance together.

"I'm shocked to think that 'Wayne Furbert', when elected, would take my people back to slavery – how can someone even think of something like that?"

Attempts to get reaction from Ms Foggo were not successful by press time last night.

"However, Mr. Furbert said he believes Ms Foggo didn't really mean to give such a speech.

He speculated: "I don't really think she meant that at all, that's the shocking thing about it – she knows no one's taking her back to slavery, but it's all for political expediency.

"But if she does mean those statements then she makes me wonder what's going through her mind."

He charged that it is the PLP who is intent on taking people's minds back to slavery and pointed out that Bermudians had nothing to fear under a UBP government.

"I came from a working background and I'm still here and I'm not in any crazy ideology trying to say that I'm going to enslave my people economically – the UBP is nothing but letters. The UBP represents who I am right now."