A bid to push the Independence issue back into the spotlight will kick off tonight.

The public forum -- called Independence or British Citizenship -- What's Your Choices? -- comes amid a rewrite of relations between Britain and its colonies.

Organiser and Progressive Labour Party maverick Rolfe Commissiong said: "It's the first in what we hope will be a series of forums which deal with this issue as events unfold.

"What we hope to do, at least in the short term, is to create interest in this very important issue -- an issue which will be critical to the future of Bermuda.'' UK Foreign Secretary Robin Cook announced a new, custom-made deal for each Overseas Territory earlier this year, with the possibility of full UK citizenship being restored to the fewer-than-200,000 holders of British Dependent Territories Citizen's passports.

The talks are running in tandem with a worldwide crackdown on "harmful tax jurisdictions'', money-laundering and white-collar crimes like tax evasion, although the UK Government inists the two are not linked.

Mr. Commissiong -- who will sit on the panel at the meeting -- will be joined by ex-PLP candidate Phil Perinchief, standing as an Independent in a bid to remind the Opposition of their commitment to Independence and an an as-yet unnamed member of the international business sector.

Mr. Commissiong claimed debate on the UK plans for a new deal had been "held hostage'' due to the upcoming General Election.

But he added: "The public need to be informed on the salient issues. This will have a direct impact on Bermuda at least potentially, both economically and of course, socially as well.'' Mr. Commissiong said several people -- including Premier Pamela Gordon and UBP backbencher Trevor Moniz -- had said recently that sovereignty was not an issue in relation to the offshore jurisdictions survey, by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, because all so-called tax havens were faced with the same international pressure.

But he added: "If we are independent, a sovereign nation, we're far better positioned to resist these attempts to impose a regime which could be harmful to our economy.'' Premier Pamela Gordon revealed on Monday that Switzerland and Luxembourg -- both OECD members -- had already said they will not be bound by the organisation's final recommendations.

Mr. Commissiong said: "These countries have used their influence and the power of their sovereignty to make their feelings known on these intiatives, which are now being pushed on Bermuda.'' And he added: "Independence must be considered as a viable option in order to entertain an international business sector which, rightly or wrongly, has become the lynchpin of our economy.'' Mr. Commissiong warned that offshore economies depended on tax breaks and confidentiality to attract businesses.

He predicted the traditionally pro-Independence PLP -- which has downplayed the issue recently -- and the ruling United Bermuda Party would be forced to rethink their positions.

He said: "The PLP has said that we would not put Independence on the table during the first five years of a PLP administration. But if events continue to unfold, that policy would have to come up for review.

"As for the UBP, I'm quite certain they are trying to act in the best interests of Bermudians -- but perhaps with the General Election looming, these local considerations are impacting more than they would normally.'' The meeting, organised by Black Star Communications and the Committee for the Independence of Bermuda, will be held in the Leopard's Club, Pembroke, starting at 8 p.m. tonight.