Premier Ewart Brown was challenged on why he has not reached out to the white community in a post-election interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

The BBC’s Caribbean service quizzed the Premier on whether he was making the right steps in his efforts to heal to Bermuda’s racial division.

His plans to help black Bermudians play catch-up “clearly sends a signal to the white community and makes them feel uncomfortable in some respects”, the interviewer said.

Dr. Brown claimed such discomfort was a risk that had to be taken as part of the healing process, but the interviewer argued it could make the problem worse.

The Premier was also quizzed over allegations of corruption in the interview, prompting him to respond that there was no corruption under his Government.

This is the full text of the interview:

BBC: Bermuda’s Premier Ewart Brown has called for a period of healing following a bitterly contested election in which racial tensions featured prominently. Mr. Brown’s PLP won 22 seats, the same as in the last election, while the opposition UBP won the remaining 14. Premier Brown has dismissed opposition allegations that his party won by playing the race card. He told BBC Caribbean that Bermuda has always been divided along racial lines and it’s a problem that must now be dealt with.

Ewart Brown: The Opposition party is a party where 95 percent of the white population has always voted for it. Most of the black people vote for our party, and the swing voters are considered black.

BBC: Well let’s look at that though … if your party is seen as one of black empowerment … the opposition one for the whites … you are now in government, you are going to have to unite the people. Isn’t this going to be a very difficult job if your party has that label as the black party?

EB: No, I don’t think so, I don’t think so. We are the Government of Bermuda. The party has won the Government. Most of our members of our party are black and most of the members of the Opposition party are white. We’ve lived with that. It does make the challenge larger than we would like it to be. But we think it’s doable. We think we can find quiet if not harmony.

BBC: How?

EB: By having these conversations and understanding exactly the historical context and the relationship between the history of Bermuda and present day Bermuda. That’s very important.

BBC: Understanding is one thing though, but taking concrete steps in another thing.

EB: Right, and concrete steps will be taken in certain areas. We will take concrete steps, for example, in seeing that businesses owned by black Bermudians are given certain compensatory types of assistance in order to play catch up. That’s what we are doing. We are playing catch up. We are compensating for the past.

BBC: That move clearly sends a signal to the white community and makes them feel uncomfortable in some respects…

EB: This discomfort is a part of the healing.

BBC: But but it could also make the problem worse…

EB: I don’t think so. We take the risk of healing the country. It’s a risk you have to take.

BBC: But you see, you see Premier, the first thing you are doing is reaching out to your black electorate. You haven’t said anything as yet about reaching out to the white part of your population and that …

EB: That’s because you didn’t raise it.

BBC: So how are you going to reassure white people, who are your people, people who you govern?

EB: Well, we’ve reassured all of our people. And the white population of Bermuda really doesn’t need a great deal of reassurance. The economy of Bermuda in the private sector is probably 90% controlled by white Bermudians so they don’t really need any economic reassurance.

BBC: So you won’t seek to eke away their powerbase?

EB: That’s not my job.

BBC: Perhaps one of the more embarrassing moments for your previous administration was that police dossier making allegations that widespread corruption under your watch. How do you plan to ensure that your next tenure is one that is seen to be transparent and corruption free?

EB: There was no corruption under my Government. None whatsoever. So allegations are free for any and all to make. But that was all part of the effort to win the government. And you will notice that it will disappear, it will evaporate, now that the election is over.

BBC: What for you will be the most important policy or the issues that you will be driving forward now that you are in office again?

EB: The most important one for us is education. We realise that we have a great deal of work to do. We have already begun the reform of our education system because our students were not doing well enough so that will be the primary focus our administration.

BBC: That’s Bermuda’s Premier Ewart Brown. The Opposition United Bermuda Party now say they will embark on much soul searching. The UBP’s outgoing party chairman Shawn Crockwell said they’ll also be looking for a new leader since Michael Dunkley, who led the party into the elections lost his seat in yesterday’s poll.

* See The Royal Gazette tomorrow for the full story and reaction.

* To listen to the interview go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/meta/tx/nb/2115rep_au_nb.ram