Independence campaigners took their fight straight to the top yesterday -- lobbying MPs at the House of Assembly.

Lawyer Phil Perinchief took a stand outside the house in his bid to persuade the legislature to table a motion which would allow for a referendum on the issue.

Mr. Perinchief, his brother Takbir Sharrieff and Rolfe Commissiong handed out the bill to MPs as they arrived for yesterday's session.

They are hoping an MP will table the bill in the near future but it made no appearance on the agenda yesterday.

Mr. Perinchief called on MPs to have the fortitude to table the bill but he said it would depend on members political or financial ambitions.

His own brother, Wayne Perinchief, is a PLP backbencher.

"Our position is that the Government is fiddling whilst Rome burns. I will never let this issue of independence rest, neither will I allow any MP to ignore the wishes of the people,'' said Mr. Perinchief.

"I want to make this Government and each individual MP to be held accountable for the destiny of this country.'' The move came as the British White Paper on the future of the UK and the overseas territories was tabled in the House of Assembly, but carried over to next week's session.

Mr. Perinchief cited a survey conducted by Walton Brown, which claimed that 55 percent of those asked preferred independence to the offer in the paper.

And he said arguments that independence would have a bearing on the White Paper were duplicitous, adding that the White paper would be null and void if his bill was tabled.

And fellow campaigner Mr. Commissiong said the presentation of the bill was an historic event.

"We feel it is incumbent on our leadership to allow people to decide,'' he said.

"We are imploring our MPs to take this issue seriously, whether they use our bill, an amended version or a new bill, people must be given the choice.'' The bill, called Independence Referendum Act 1999, calls for August 2 to be the day for the referendum vote, or November 9 -- the anniversary of the PLP election victory.