Portuguese community leader Robert Pires yesterday claimed he was still waiting to be told what the criteria was for selecting honorary fellows at the Bermuda College - despite numerous requests to the board.

Mr. Pires, a board member, said he raised the issue back in May in a bid to find out why only one person of Portuguese heritage had been chosen as an Honorary Fellow in the past 25 years.

He said he had asked on a number of occasions to have the selection process explained to him, but each time he had been rebuffed.

And he said a report drawn up by Deputy Chairman of the board Senator Patrice Parris had not answered his questions.

Mr. Pires voiced his concerns publicly over the College's selection of fellows last month after claiming that none of his concerns had been debated properly by the board and had not been entered into the selection committee's minutes.

Mr. Pires alleged that the college was being discriminatory towards the Portuguese community, and should therefore not expect Portuguese parents to send their children there.

And in a letter to the The Royal Gazette, in response to a Letter to the Editor written by E. Simmons, of Sandys, Mr. Pires said he was still no further forward.

He said: "The crux of the problem is that my numerous attempts to have the processed explained to me were repeatedly rebuffed to the extent that during the September 25 board meeting the chairman even denied that he had ever authorised that I should be given a report outlining the Honorary Fellows selection process.

"A report was prepared, however, after I pointed out that the April 24 board meeting minutes reported that he had instructed Senator Parris as deputy chairman to prepare such a report.

"She did not do so until six months later, at which time, Senator Parris failed to address in her report any of the points I had originally raised.

"I have since asked for further information but she has refused to answer and neither has anyone else at the college."

Last night, Senator Parris said she had answered all of Mr. Pires' questions in private, to him, and said she would not comment in the media.

Chairman of the board Jan Spiering was not on the Island to comment last night.