The UK's Foreign Affairs Committee has been asked to investigate political broadcasting regulations on the Island following HOTT 107.5's breach during the general election campaign.

An appeal for tighter legislation is one of 22 principles of reform tabled to the House of Commons committee by the Voters' Rights Association.

VRA members were presented with a summary of the "strongly worded" FAC submission at a meeting at Christ Church Warwick on Tuesday. The report raises 22 "areas of concern" ahead of the Committee's visit to the Island next month as part of an audit of Britain's 14 Overseas Territories.

The FAC is to examine standards of good governance on Bermuda, transparency and accountability, the role of the Governor and regulation of the financial sector.

Geoff Parker, VRA president, said members want to push a Voters' Bill of Rights through Parliament but need the support of 51 percent of the Island's 21,000 registered voters. The organisation is also calling for a reform of the Parliamentary Election Act and the establishment of an independent Election Commission.

Mr. Parker said last night: "The main focus of the submission deals with the Voters' Bill of Rights. There are ten articles of rights which will be turned over to our legal panel to be developed, with the aim of going to Parliament at some point hopefully this year. At this stage there may be some which may not go forward while others may be added.

"The other sections of our submission are various things we feel need some amendments. One of those is the Parliamentary Election Act, to reform some of the technical side of the Act, to make it fairer as far as Parliamentary registration is concerned."

Among the items to be included in a Voters' Bill of Rights would be a call for fixed-term Parliamentary elections every four to five years and absentee ballots.

Mr. Parker said: "Having a specific date as they do in the United States is fairer as it does not give an unfair advantage to a government in power. If a government calls an election date they may already have their election programme in place."

He said absentee ballots would also be a fairer voting system for those people overseas, such as hospital patients or people travelling on business.

Mr. Parker said: "In Estonia they have created a card in a wallet which can be used on the Internet to vote. There's no reason why a technically-advanced country like ourselves can't have an absentee ballot."

Item Six of the FAC submission concerns reform to the Island's broadcasting legislation.

Mr. Parker said: "This issue was emphasised during the last election. It took a whole week to get the Broadcast Commission to investigate and then stop the HOTT 107.5 situation.

"Something like this gives an unfair advantage to whichever party is doing the programming. To take a whole week is ridiculous, it should have been investigated the same day, and so we want to see legislation tightened up in order to have a watchdog effect."

The VRA also wants to increase the Ombudsman's powers. Mr. Parker said: "At the moment if a minister or junior minister decides there's not an issue to be investigated, the ombudsman can't go forward. But no one should be above the law."

Another area of concern submitted to the FAC is the role of the Attorney General. Mr. Parker said: "We shouldn't have an Attorney General with political influence.

"If you are appointed by a party rather than an independent authority then there is some perceived allegiance to that party. If cases go before them for prosecution there is always the possibility of an individual being leaned on by a party. It's important for our justice system to be isolated from politics."

Other areas of concern include a reform of the Island's antiquated corruption laws. Mr. Parker said: "If the Privy Council and local judges say our laws are so far out of date that they are useless, it's important we listen to that and get them brought up to date."

He said: "We also support the Opposition's call for an independent inquiry (Royal Commission) into the Bermuda Housing Corporation to find out where the money went. There's millions missing but no one seems to care. We want closure – to find out where this money went to."