Some weeks ago, the Premier called for a national debate on Independence. The United Bermuda Party recognises that this national dialogue, if handled properly, has the potential to create better understanding and build tolerance within our community. We would be naive, however, not to recognise its potential to divide us.

The United Bermuda Party believes that one of the first steps to ensure a constructive debate is to properly define the process. In another words, we need to determine up front who decides whether we should go independent and how they should make this decision.

The United Bermuda Party believes in the principle of self-determination for all Bermudians. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights describes self-determination as an "inalienable right" of all peoples through which they freely "determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development". At the core of the United Bermuda Party's belief in self-determination is the conviction that the people themselves must determine Bermuda's destiny, not the British government, not the United Nations, not Cabinet Ministers and not MPs.

This is a lesson that we all should have learned from the last round of constitutional change that established single-seat constituencies. At the beginning of that process, the PLP government's inflexible approach to constitutional change created enormous controversy and division in our community. The British government was apparently concerned enough to initiate a thoughtful discussion of how further constitutional change should be made. This process has not yet been completed. In fact, in our submission to the Governor, we recommended that he set up meetings between the principal political parties to work out a Bermuda solution to determine a road map to further constitutional change. We believe this suggestion has merit and should be pursued.

The United Bermuda Party further believes we should not begin to debate the substantial issues of Independence unless the process has been clearly defined and agreed. It would be pointless to go through a lengthy period of information gathering and debate, no matter how relaxed and objective, if after all this the people themselves were to be denied their right to decide the future of our country.

As it stands now, the PLP government could fight a general election in six months with Independence on its platform, win by the same narrow 51.6 percent majority they won last July, hold a disproportionate number of seats in the House of Assembly and then claim they have a mandate to take the country to independence. To date, the British government has not provided the community with any assurance it would object to this clearly flawed process.

Independence is potentially the most divisive issue facing Bermuda. There are many in the community who have reacted with fear at the mere thought of discussing Independence; part of the concern and fear stems from a belief that the process chosen by the PLP government will be exclusive and divisive.

Recent statements by the Premier have been unclear and inconsistent regarding the process the Government intends to follow. And the PLP Government's record of broken promises and misleading statements, well documented over five years, does not give us confidence that we can trust them on this issue.

It is up to any government to prove that they are worthy of the people's trust. The best way for the PLP Government to do this is to commit now, before we begin to examine the pros and cons, to an unambiguous statement of how the issue of Independence will be resolved.

To address the fear of exclusion, all of us, including the British government, must work to insure that there is a process in place that is clear from the beginning, that will not change arbitrarily and that puts the final decision in the hands of the people.

We believe that the PLP's long-held approach of deciding the issue of Bermuda's sovereignty through a general election would only heighten divisions and create a major impediment to reuniting our community behind the outcome. The recent General Election polarised the community, and the distribution of seats in the House of Assembly is not reflective of the much closer popular vote.

Furthermore, voters weigh many factors during a General Election; the party platform, the personal appeal of candidates and the record of the incumbent party are just a few. The significance of our decision regarding independence requires nothing less than a single focus.

The United Bermuda Party believes in and trusts the judgment of the people. The most democratic and least divisive vehicle to insure that the will of the people prevails is a referendum. Only in that way will every voice be heard and every vote count.