would not make Independence a major issue in the next general election, should Bermudians reject it in the August 15 referendum.

And former Progressive Labour Party MP Mr. Julian Hall drew applause from just over 100 supporters at Devonshire Recreation Centre when he announced: "The campaign for Independence begins on August 16.'' Mr. Wade, who has said on more than one occasion that the PLP would not raise Independence in the next election following a `no' vote, opened the door for an about-face when questioned by a supporter.

"Why shouldn't we bring this up if it's a `no' vote?'' the man asked at the rally, part of the PLP's campaign to get supporters to abstain from voting in the referendum.

Mr. Wade said it would depend on when the next election was held. "If there is a substantial `no' vote in August, and Sir John calls an election in September, then it would be in our view not wise to have Independence as an issue in that election,'' he said.

"I don't think we can ignore the `no' vote and go to the next election and win on an Independence platform.'' But if the next election was not held until 1998 -- the longest the United Bermuda Party Government could wait before being tested at the polls -- "things may change in the process'', Mr. Wade said.

"It depends on the timing.'' Mr. Wade's statement not only marked a change in a PLP position that was stated during debate on the Independence Referendum Act, it appeared at odds with comments made by another PLP speaker on the same platform last night.

Dr. Ewart Brown MP said that a difference between the PLP and those presently advocating Independence in the United Bermuda party was that the PLP embraced Independence as a matter of principle.

"Independence to the present proponents of it is not a principle,'' Dr. Brown said. "It's a matter of strategy.'' Mr. Wade said the current plan was to leave Independence on the agenda, but to shift the focus in the next general election to electoral reform.

Responding to concerns about his plan to take Bermuda to Independence over three general elections, Mr. Wade said it was "nonsense'' to say that would take 15 years.

"We've had three elections in Bermuda in five years,'' he said. "We could certainly have two elections or more in that period of time.'' Campaign for Independence begins on August 16, says Hall Earlier, Mr. Wade had said the PLP would not raise Independence as a major issue in the election following a `no' vote. If elected, it would spend the first one to two years of its term educating Bermudians about Independence, then call a new general election with Independence as the sole issue. If it won that election, a Constitutional Conference would be convened in London and enabling legislation for a new Constitution would be passed in Parliament. A third election would then be held prior to Independence Day.

Mr. Hall assured the crowd that regardless of the outcome on August 15, the issue would not go away. But it was important that PLP supporters abstain from voting, he said.

"It doesn't matter what the result is, as long as it's an insignificant result, and the campaign for Independence begins on August 16, 1995,'' he said.

Dr. Brown, vowing not to bow to those who say he should resign his seat over a controversy about his eligibility as an MP, waved his Bermudian and American passports in the air, one in each hand. Those who wanted to take one or both away would have to get through God, his family and friends, and the voters of Warwick West, he said.

He told the crowd Bermudians would be much worse off if they let the UBP take them to Independence.

"I would rather sprint through hell in a pair of gasoline shorts, than give Independence in Bermuda to the United Bermuda Party,'' Dr. Brown said.

Other speakers at the open-air rally included Shadow Human Affairs Minister Ms Renee Webb, Shadow Tourism Minister Mr. David Allen, and PLP central committee member Mr. Rolfe Commissiong. The moderator was Mr. Cromwell Shakir.