Bermuda is uniquely prepared to move to independence the leader of the United Nations Decolonisation Committee said last night. And Julian Hunte, who is heading the Special Committee of 24 (or SC-24), told a public meeting that Bermuda should not unduly worry about the costs of setting up a foreign affairs department.

The St. Lucian told the audience the St. George?s Cricket Club: ?The key consideration is the preparation. Many former territories, and you can include mine in that, were not that constitutionally or economically prepared as Bermuda to move to the next level of political advancement.?

He said Bermuda was uniquely positioned and had a high literacy level which would help people fully absorb the implications.

Bermuda also has the benefit of associate membership of CARICOM to draw on to get tips from other nations which had gone for autonomy said Mr. Hunte. He stressed his group was not here to intrude or offer solutions but to offer information. However he pointed out that the UN had an historical mandate to promote self determination in territories still ruled by others.

He said his island still maintained its links with the UK via a Governor General who was the head of state who represents the Queen while the Prime Minister was the head of Government and Britain?s Privy Council had been retained as the ultimate court of appeal.

However he suggested Bermuda could look to the Caribbean Court of Justice as the ultimate appellant court if it wished. To those who feared the costs of autonomy Mr. Hunte, a former Minister of External Affairs, International Trade and Civilian Aviation, said by linking trade and diplomacy, costs could be saved. He said the budget of that ministry, comprising 40 individuals for 2004/05 was approximately $300 million while external affairs including upkeep of missions cost $5.9 million. ?We don?t have missions all over the world. That wouldn?t make sense.?

Instead the island put missions in key capitals such as London, Washington, New York and Brussels and in places with a large expatriate St. Lucian population.

In other areas it was possible to share resources with other territories said Mr. Hunte.

Bermuda Independence Commission chairman Bishop Vernon Lambe, who hosted the meeting, said his committee was still gathering information but he said talks with the Bermuda Monetary Authority, the Police and Civil Aviation, had dispelled fears that independence would drastically affect those bodies.

And BIC member Diana Kempe said a fact-finding delegation to England had learned that Bermuda could retain the Privy Council at small cost if it split from Britain.

Bishop Lambe welcomed the fact that the audience were of roughly equal numbers in terms of racial representation.

However many among them raised racial grievances in supporting an end to the colonial system.

Guilden Gilbert Sr. spoke of returning to Bermuda in the late 1950s which was ridden by segregation and prejudice.

Speaking from the floor Joanna Pitt said she wanted a clear understanding of the range of options available to Bermuda between staying with the status quo and going to full blown autonomy.

However BIC member Rolfe Commissiong said Britain had said only those two options were available.

David Hughes Lumumba said the independence cause was about extending freedom and democracy and growing up and those who spoke about the costs were missing the point.

?It?s too expensive to become a man? It?s really nothing to do with the money,? Mr. Hughes Lumumba said.

He added the whole political system needed to be changed after branding cabinet government a constitutional dictatorship.

Howard Saltus said singing ?God Save our Gracious Queen? was an embarrassment.

?Many of my fellow Bermudians jump up and down and say ?I am proud to be a Bermudian?. I am not proud to be a Bermudian in this present status. I am ashamed.?

The audience also spoke about the method of deciding the independence issue. Mike Marsh of Bermudians for a Referendum said the campaign had collected 13,000 signatures to back what he called the ?purest form of democracy?.

A second meeting hosted by BIC and featuring the SC-24 is scheduled for tonight from 7-10 p.m. at the Somerset Cricket Club.