In a democracy, citizens are encouraged to express their opinions. This fundamental freedom is associated with freedom of association, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion. The existence of these freedoms contributes importantly to the proper functioning of the party system in a democracy.

Unfortunately, the exercise of these basic freedoms by the citizens often results in creating serious policy conflicts for any Government operating in the framework of the party system. These continuing conflicts, readily understood in societies with a longer history of party government, create significant challenges for Bermuda governments. This article looks at the nature of some of these conflicts which have arisen during Bermuda's experience of eight years of government under the Progressive Labour Party.

The Progressive Labour Party first won election to government in November, 1998. The victory was a result of good planning, effective branch organisation and excellent public relations. The PLP campaign plan was developed by a campaign committee that comprised the most senior and experienced members of the PLP. Chief among these were party leader Jennifer Smith, Alex Scott, Eugene Cox, David Allen, Walter Roban, this writer as campaign committee chairman and deputy chairman Larry Burchall.

As chairman, I assembled the many decisions taken by the campaign committee into a comprehensive plan which was endorsed by the party delegates conference without objection.

The campaign plan emphasised canvassing and public relations. The goal of the canvassing was to identify PLP support and hard core UBP members. In this way, the nature of the undecided would be revealed and strategies could be developed more effectively to persuade them to vote PLP.

The creation of a first class public relations team was achieved by the appointment of RF Communications to handle the advertisement and Mr. Roy Boyke from Trinidad and Tobago to handle the associated Public Relations. The team of Boyke and RF Communications created an image of the PLP as a well organised team that was capable of winning and running the government.

The first priority of the PLP as government was to assure Bermuda voters that they could manage Bermuda's sophisticated economy contrary to the pre-election claims of the UBP that a PLP victory would result in an economic disaster.

Hence with the PLP victory, a fundamental challenge was whether the PLP could gain the cooperation of Bermuda's major businesses. A major step in accomplishing this goal was achieved by adopting the policy recommendation of Minister David Allen to initiate policies designed to stimulate the Hotel and Restaurant industry which had been in decline for almost two decades. It was recognised that if the hotels could be stimulated, it would have a positive domino effect on virtually all the major Bermudian businesses whose support was in doubt.

The tax concessions were granted and several hotels, including the Fairmont properties, the Reefs and Cambridge Beaches immediately took advantage of the PLP offer and made substantial investment in their plant and equipment.

A major surprise to the majority of Bermudians was that the international companies displayed total confidence in the new PLP government by showing no inclination to withdraw from Bermuda. In fact, the PLP victory saw an increase in the number of international companies who wanted to set up locally.

But the emphasis on the introduction of policies that maintained the confidence of Bermuda's business leaders meant that social problems did not receive the attention promised in the election campaign. The clamour for affordable housing and extensive training to fill jobs held by foreign workers continued unabated. As fast as the PLP created or encouraged the creation of housing, the unsatisfied demand grew even more rapidly. Most independent analysts now agree that the inability of the PLP to solve the housing shortage, reflected the substantial importation of foreign labour in response to the demands of a rapidly expanding economy together with a marked slowdown of Bermudians entering the workforce. Of course those opposed to the PLP as government declined to offer these explanations preferring instead to attribute the whole matter to PLP incompetence.

In addition to the need of the PLP to meet the social issues which came predominantly from their own supporters, the newly elected PLP had to learn the processes of government. This should not have posed much of a problem given the fact that they had inherited a civil service, which under the Westminster system of government, was obligated to serve them as faithfully as they had the UBP.

However, even though many heads of the civil service were totally supportive of the PLP, 35 years under the UBP government had resulted in the institution of procedures and policies that too often were not supportive of the goals and objectives of the PLP. Still, that did not mean that the existing procedures and policies were all wrong. It only meant that they needed to be reconciled to the way the PLP wished to operate. This conflict was an inevitable but frustrating result of government under the Westminster system.

The challenges of the PLP have not been made easier by the Opposition United Bermuda Party. Again, under the system of Party Government in a free society, the opposition is expected to point out the faults of the government in power.

A major strategy of the UBP to downgrade the PLP was achieved by claiming that the PLP government was corrupt. This charge has continued to play in UBP propaganda despite the fact that the charges of corruption were investigated by the Commissioner of Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions who found no basis for the charges of corruption. The UBP have complained bitterly with respect to the PLP refusal to back off the Independence issue even though three UBP premiers have supported the concept.The opposition are very vocal about the continuing housing shortage which existed under their governance and stretched their ability to deal effectively with the shortages.

But the crowning achievement of the UBP with respect to their attacks on government is the blaming of the PLP for Bermuda's long history of racial exploitation of blacks by the white minority. If there were Oscars given for incredible propaganda, the UBP success in blaming the PLP for Bermuda's racism would win "going away".

It is perhaps somewhat amusing that the UBP has no comments with respect to how the PLP has performed in the management of some of its primary responsibilities of government. The fact that the PLP has blown apart the pre-election claim of the UBP that the PLP would not be able to manage the economy gone without comment by the opposition.

There has also been no comment on the continued buoyant economy and the need to import workers in order to feed this economic growth. They have also quietly ignored the excellent management of the fiscal system which has required a very slight reliance on the need to utilise existing credit to finance government initiatives such as its support to the tourist industry, improvement of transportation and investment in housing. But that is to be expected from an opposition party.

The problem in Bermuda, given our limited experience with the two party system, is that the UBP strategy is receiving far more credence than it deserves. As result, the PLP may be the only government in modern history that is fighting for its life despite a remarkable performance in the successful management of an economy that has no economic resources other than Bermudians and which is entirely dependent on the export of services.

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