Government's bid to have Bermuda become an Associate Member of Caricom has met with some reservations from the backbenchers of the ruling party.

And the motion, which was originally scheduled to be debated in the House of Assembly on Friday will not, as widely believed, be debated tomorrow.

The motion expired on Friday because of House of Assembly rules which require that a bill will have to be tabled again if it is not debated after three months on the order sheet.

While the Opposition United Bermuda Party (UBP) and some members of the ruling party seemed to be unaware of the motion's expiry, it appears that the Government has had some difficulty convincing all its members to come on board.

The UBP told this newspaper last week that it would opposed the bid when it comes up for debate.

Parliament goes into summer recess after tomorrow's session and Caricom and other outstanding matters will not be taken up again until at least October or November.

Caricom advocates within Government will have until then to try and address concerns of a number of ruling party backbenchers.

Seven out of nine Progressive Labour Party (PLP) backbenchers contacted yesterday gave a "no comment" response or said they were undecided on the Caricom issue when asked for their position.

Among the balking backbenchers were Hamilton East MP Derrick Burgess, who is a member of the Caricom Committee set up a year ago to investigate the issue and educate the public.

On Friday Social Services Minister and head of Government's Caricom Committee, Nelson Bascome, tabled the Committee's discussion paper setting out the regional body's history, background and the case for associate membership.

Mr. Burgess is also a senior executive (first vice-president) of the Caribbean Congress of Labour, but yesterday he had "no comment" on whether Bermuda should forge ahead with the plans spearheaded by Premier Jennifer Smith.

Government whip Ottiwell Simmons, also a member of the committee, however, gave an unqualified "yes".

"I am favourable to Bermuda joining Caricom - absolutely," he said. Deputy Speaker Walter Lister was the only other MP who gave his unqualified support for the bid.

The polled group also included Dale Butler, Wayne Perinchief, Stanley Morton, Derrick Burgess, Neletha Butterfield, Arthur Hodgson and Reginald Burrows.

Elvin James is off the Island and could not be reached. And Arthur Pitcher, Rev Wilbur Lowe and Delaey Robinson did not return calls by presstime.

Ms Butterfield, who has just returned from the British Virgin Islands after representing Government at a ten day Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meeting of a grouping of countries belonging to the Caribbean, the Americas and the Atlantic, said she had a position but was not telling.

There was a feeling among the majority of the backbenchers contacted said that "internal" problems had to be sorted out first before getting involved in Caricom.They declined to be more specific, but it appears that differences with Premier Jennifer Smith, who has spearheaded the initiative may be at the root of the divisions over Caricom.

Dale Butler, MP for Warwick East, and also a member of the Caricom committee, was more talkative. His initial response was "no comment" and that he was still evaluating his committee's discussion paper.

"I haven't taken a position for or against," Mr. Butler said. Locals are looking internally and not externally. "I think we need to look externally - the Canadians have abandoned us, the British have abandoned us and the Americans have abandoned us."

But he added that he had been consulting with his constituents and there was some "apprehension".

"The general feeling is 'not at this time. Let's deal with the internal issues.' When it comes to the bigger picture there is a lot of resistance."

He said based on the discussion paper, Bermuda has "no choice" but to join Caricom. "I'm trying to find a way to say to my constituents let's get on with it. But the constituents are looking at the local picture."

Wayne Perinchief, an Independence advocate, said that he did not see how associate membership differed much from the Island's current observer status, except that it was more expensive.

And he echoed Mr. Butler's view that people were apprehensive. Mr. Perinchief added : "Bermuda may get lost in the competing interests of the other Caribbean countries. They are so much more astute at political maneuverings. We are neophytes when it comes to international relationships and I just don't think we are going to be full political partners with the Caribbean countries. There's a definite lack of leadership in that area."

Still Mr. Perinchief said he has not yet made up his mind. "A day in politics is a long time."

Of all the backbenchers spoken to only Mr. Butler seemed to be aware that Caricom will not be debated tomorrow.

And in what could be taken as an indication that the group has already aired their reservations to the party leadership, he said that he understood that the debate had been postponed until the fall because of the local population's "apprehension".

"I am not surprised Minister Bascome has decided to postpone debate on it to ensure we are in a comfort zone on the issue without people feeling that it has been thrust on them," said Hamilton West MP, Arthur Hodgson who has already gone public with his reservations.

Asked for a definitive position statement, he said : "It's not me so much it's a question of ensuring Bermudians are together. On any of our relationships with foreign countries we should speak as Bermudians and not as a political party."

Southampton East MP Reginald Burrows said that he too was undecided, but sounded like he was leaning strongly towards a "no" position.

"There's a whole lot of things we need to straighten out in Bermuda before we get involved with somebody else," he said. "I don't see waiting a year or two is going to hurt us in any way."

Transport Minister Ewart Brown insists that all is well. "There were some procedural issues that took a while to work out but there's no lack of support for the motion."