A botched press release from the National Congress of Black Women (NCBW) which contained errors about Premier Jennifer Smith is being blamed on Government Information Service (GIS).

But while the press release contains what appears to be the NCBW's mistakes, the United Bermuda Party is suggesting improper motives saying the NCBW "would not wish to be associated with any act of deceit or fraud".

The congress, a non-partisan American organisation devoted to the political empowerment of African American women is honouring Premier Jennifer Smith at its annual awards brunch in Washington D.C. this weekend.

Its press statement on the award contained certain factual errors which were brought to the attention of the NCBW by the Opposition United Bermuda Party.

The release said: "The first woman Premier in Bermuda's history, Ms Smith is also the first Premier elected from the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party. Prior to the election she served as Minister of Education, a landmark for the Progressive Labour Party in the colonial administration".

But Opposition United Bermuda Party campaign chairman David Sullivan told the NCBW that: "Nothing could be further from the truth.

"I trust that such information was not used by the NCBW in establishing whether our Premier should indeed be a recipient at all."

In a faxed statement he informed the organisation that UBP Leader Pamela Gordon was in fact Bermuda's first woman Premier, that Premiers are not elected and that Ms Smith was not Minister of Education before she became Premier.

"When she became Premier, Ms Smith appointed herself Minister of Education. She was Minister for three months. Ministerial appointment is a privilege reserved to the Premier after appointment by the Governor. Hardly a landmark by any standard." Mr. Sullivan said that "as a woman of African decent (sic)" Pamela Gordon "would certainly have qualified for consideration" as a recipient of the NCBW's Distinguished Honouree award.

"While it would be unfair to hold you or your firm responsible for the motives of any source used to create this release, you can appreciate the accountability required in factual reporting. I am sure you or your firm would not wish to be associated with any act of deceit or fraud," his statement concluded.

Clem A. McKoy, media contact for the NCBW told The Royal Gazette that their press statements in the future would be accurate. "As a matter of fact this was taken from a release we had from Government Information Service," he said.

GIS denies being contacted by the NCBW with a request for information. And Mr. McKoy is yet to fax to The Royal Gazette his source document as requested. The Premier's official GIS-issued biography opens with these three lines in succession : "The first elected female Premier of Bermuda; The first leader of a Bermuda Progressive Labour Party Government; The first Progressive Labour Party Minister of Education."

Mr. Sullivan is off the Island and could not be contacted for comment. Mr. McKoy said the organisation was meeting to discuss the issues raised by the United Bermuda Party and there was as yet no official response on their suggestion that Ms Gordon qualified for consideration. "My personal response to that is there are a number of people all over the world who would be qualified... She would be qualified as the first," he said.

National chair and convening founder of the NCBW, Dr. Delores Tucker, praised Premier Smith's "outstanding record of achievements in the field of politics and government reflecting her deep personal empathy and professional commitment to the needs of the people she serves", according to the NCBW media release. "Premier Smith's work exemplifies the mission of this organisation and this year's convention theme 'A Legacy to Keep'. The Premier will be presented the award in the ballroom of the Washington Hilton Hotel at a gala awards brunch on Sunday. Also being honoured are Gwendolyn Faison, Camden New Jersey's first woman mayor, Linda Chavez-Thompson, the executive vice president of the AFL-CIO and Diane Watson, congresswoman from California.

Ms Smith goes to Washington following the Overseas Territories Consultative Council meeting in London.

She will also be attending the UK Labour Party conference before coming back to Bermuda in early October.