A national discussion on Independence should not begin until the country agrees on how Bermuda should go about changing the Constitution, insisted the Opposition United Bermuda Party (UBP) yesterday.

And UBP leader Grant Gibbons accused Premier Alex Scott of making ?many vague and contradictory remarks? on how his administration will take Bermuda to Independence.

Dr. Gibbons said that the two parties differed in that Government wants a General Election to be the gauge of public sentiment on Independence, whereas his party supports a referendum.

?The United Bermuda Party believes in the principle of self-determination for all Bermudians. At the core of this belief rests the conviction that the people themselves must determine Bermuda?s destiny, not the British Government, not the United Nations and not PLP Government Cabinet Ministers,? he said.

?The United Bermuda Party also 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 rational, if the people themselves don?t make the final decision.?

Mr. Scott called for a national discussion on Independence at the PLP?s Founders? Day luncheon on Sunday.

He later said that the PLP still maintains that a General Election would be the way to go but that Government would be guided by public opinion ? a position repeated in the Government?s formal submission to the Governor on constitutional change.

Government also told the Governor that it had found that the arguments for a referendum ?fell short of being persuasive.?

?Over the past few days, Premier Scott has made many vague and contradictory remarks regarding how his Government will proceed with moving Bermuda toward Independence,? Dr. Gibbons continued.

?Yesterday he noted that the PLP had always supported a move to Independence via a General Election, but then he also said, ?That is our position now, who knows what it might be in the future.?

?Today, following the release of the PLP Government?s formal submission to the Governor on the procedure for further constitutional change, we know that the PLP Government still supports taking this country to Independence via a General Election.?

Dr. Gibbons said that it was ?crystal clear? that ?Government doesn?t trust the people of Bermuda to make the decision on Independence themselves, whereas the UBP trusts the people to vote directly on the issue in a referendum.?

He added that Government should have learned a lesson from electoral reform.

?Their arrogant and inflexible approach to constitutional change then created enormous controversy and division in our community. The British Government was concerned enough about the lack of consultation at that time to initiate a thoughtful discussion of how further change should be made. This process has not yet been completed,? he said.

?But it appears that the PLP Government is quite happy to move ahead and retain the status quo, which allows 12 Cabinet Ministers to promise that they will listen carefully and then in reality do exactly what they please. And based on this Government?s track record, they could take Bermuda to Independence with barely a nod to public opinion.?

Many people in the community had ?reacted with fear at the thought of discussing Independence,? the Opposition Leader claimed.

?Part of the concern and fear stems from a belief that the process chosen by the PLP Government will be exclusive and divisive. To address that fear, the PLP Government must ensure that there is a process in place that is clear from the beginning, that can be trusted and that puts the final decision in the hands of the people.?

He added: ?We believe that the PLP?s approach of deciding the direction of Bermuda through an election would only heighten divisions and would create a major impediment toward reuniting our people behind the outcome.?