information booklet "to help the Bermudian voters make the right political choice'' in the next general election.

In the 16-page booklet, available from party headquarters and members, the NLP promised that if it became the ruling party it would reduce Government spending; make education, labour relations and the environment top priorities; and reduce drug abuse.

And in a Press conference yesterday, the party announced that Bermuda Broadcasting Company chief engineer Mr. Delano Ingham will head their election campaign.

"Not only does he bring a wealth of knowledge on political campaigning as a candidate in two general elections and 20 years of political activism,'' NLP member Ms Deborah Saltus said, "but he is well known for his great community contributions through the many organisations that he is a member of''.

The NLP also said it has a slate of candidates who "represent all of Bermuda's cultures'' and are "upstanding citizens with integrity and intelligence''.

But it continued to hold out on the number of candidates and who will be running for the party, only saying candidates will be announced "close to the election date''.

However, Ms Saltus said, candidates have been canvassing their constituents since March.

And Mr. Ingham said the party's platform reflects what it learned while canvassing.

He said it was obvious that parochial concerns such as insufficient street lighting have been overshadowed by national issues like the state of the economy, education and the environment.

Therefore, he said, the party was ready to tackle these areas and "12 other prevalent issues''.

The party said an NLP Government would also set up a committee of local auditors to audit every Government department "to determine the real need and justification for their continuation or elimination''.

It would also freeze the salaries of all civil servants earning more than $75,000 a year for two years and restructure Parliament by reducing the number of seats in the House of Assembly and implementing single-seat constituencies of equal votes.

Social services reforms included the introduction of laws that recognise drug and alcohol dependency as a health issue and require insurance companies to cover outpatient services under major medical and subjecting delinquent parents to a "means-test'' administered by the courts.

Government pensions would be kept in line with the cost of living by increasing pensions according to the inflation rate and preparing a pension plan that would meet the basic needs of senior citizens.

In tourism, the party would engage two advertising firms, with one specialising on summer activities and the other on winter. A public relations firm, independent of the agencies would be solicited to operate jointly with a local and international management team.

Any new hotel wishing to operate in Bermuda would allow Government involvement in the selling of its property if it closes and is not sold within two years, and all hotels would be required to give four-month notice of closure for renovations.

In immigration, the party would consider "green cards'' for non-Bermudian spouses of Bermudians.

Other proposals included: Repeal of the Foreign Currency Tax and abolish "inheritance taxes''; Encourage a second-hand vehicle and parts market and introduce an accumulative points system for traffic offences; Create a mandatory drivers education programme in all public and private secondary schools and introduce a road safety programme from primary level up; Establish a Youth Development Committee of 13 to 25-year-olds to advise the Youth, Sports and Recreation Minister; and Adopt the National Drug Strategy's recommendation for a comprehensive multi-service centre for young people called "The Door''.

The NLP also listed a number of recommendations for improving the public school system, including: An assessment programme for all Primary Seven students to evaluate whether they are "educationally equipped'' to go on to secondary school; Putting economics, business ethics and life skills in the secondary school curriculum, with African history, Portuguese and environmental studies available as options; Establishing a national code of discipline that includes corporal punishment monitored by parents and administered by principals; and Establishing boards of Governors or Trustees for all public schools, elected by parents and with autonomy to hire, fire, prepare budgets, and run the school along with the principal. Curriculum policy and standards would continue to be set by the Board of Education.

Mr. Delano Ingham.