An American think tank has heavily criticised Premier Alex Scott over the Independence debate, accusing him of a ?persistent inability to provide adequate and balanced information? on the issue.

In a strongly-worded statement released to 12,000 media organisations across the globe, the Washington-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) questioned Mr. Scott?s ?personal standards of objectivity and fair play.?

Referring to a recent petition presented to the Premier by campaign group Bermudians for Referendum, the COHA accuses him of ?playing reckless poker as he defiantly muffles the voices of over 15,000 Bermudians calling for a referendum.?

The organisation claims to have historically supported every independence campaign where a majority of the population have called for this. However, it claims to have taken the opposite stance when it comes to Bermuda as ?incomplete and tainted proceedings? are being witnessed on the Island.

The press release goes on to condemn the Bermuda Independence Commission (BIC) as ?mainly a caricature of a professional inquiry, conducted in a manner in which seriousness of purpose and accountability could not flourish.?

The BIC Report released in September 2005 is condemned as ?partisan? and ?mortally flawed and little short of being worthless.?

The COHA, an research organisation founded in 1975, aims to monitor political, economic, and diplomatic issues affecting the Western hemisphere.

The press statement on Bermuda was written by two interns ? Sun Ah Kim of Dankook University, South Korea and Diana Rodriguez of the University of California ? with supervision from COHA editors. Mr. Scott was invited by to respond to the COHA statement, but had not taken the opportunity to do so by press time.