Despite the voters' overwhelming rejection of Independence at last week's referendum, the issue is far from dead, a National Liberal Party spokesman said last night.

Businessman and former NLP chairman Mr. Charles Jeffers said his party took issue with the anti-Independence movement who now believe that Bermudians do not want Independence.

"We in the NLP do not believe that the issue is dead,'' he told The Royal Gazette yesterday.

"The anti-Independence proponents would like to think that the (referendum) result indicates that Independence should be a dead issue but we do not agree.'' Mr. Jeffers said the "misleading and malicious propaganda'' that the anti-Independence campaigners put out had a profound affect because it scared Bermudians by focussing on issues such as job security, increased social problems and loss of international business.

However, Mr. Jeffers said that Independence had little connection with the country's economic standing.

Furthermore, he said that as long as Bermuda continued to have a fair justice system and political stability, Independence, by itself, should not change the country negatively.

Additionally, Mr. Jeffers said UBP cabinet ministers and backbenchers who opposed Independence were also major contributors to the no vote although they did not provide any solid evidence to back up their stance.

He said the PLP's abstention crusade also contributed to the no vote because many of their supporters who felt it was their civic duty to vote, decided to vote no because they believed the issue should be decided by a general election.

"The NLP believes that a number of voters did not go to the polls for a number of reasons,'' Mr. Jeffers continued. "The change in the date and the aftermath of Hurricane Felix must have confused and deterred some. Many voters felt that they were not clearly informed on many of the issues surrounding Independence and some voters felt that the issue of Independence should have been a non-partisan issue from the beginning.

"...the NLP believes that politicians and political parties must be guided by the wishes of the people.

"It is also incumbent on those leaders to ensure that they are acting in accordance with a correct interpretation of those wishes.

"...although the NLP does not intend to pursue the Independence issue on its own, we are prepared to have our members work with non-partisan groups or committees who wish to pursue the Independence issue.