Premier Alex Scott will likely see some troubling similarities in the result of Wednesday's General Election in the Cayman Islands ? which saw the governing party tossed out of power ? with his own drive for Independence.

McKeeva Bush's United Democratic Party lost five of the nine seats it held in Cayman's 15-seat legislature while the Opposition People's Progressive Movement added three seats to to the six it held in the last session.

News reports said the UDP was seeking to limit the Governor's Constitutional powers through legislation while the PPM wanted to put the changes to the voters through a referendum.

There were also reportedly concerns about how Government contracts were being tendered.

To be sure, Bermuda is different from the Cayman Islands and local issues will always influence voters.

But the election result suggests, just as polls in Bermuda have consistently, that voters want the right to have a direct say on major constitutional changes.

That is surely as true for Cayman's wish to adopt a Constitution more in line with Bermuda's as it is for Mr. Scott's desire to take Bermuda to Independence.