Party would go along with appointments made to an interim drugs authority due to be appointed by the Premier.

But he hit back at claims his party was holding up moves towards forming the interim committee and accused Government of shutting the PLP out of the process.

He said his party would go along with the proposed appointment of banker Mr.

Alastair MacDonald as chairman of the interim committee, but said the party would proceed with making its own recommendations to the 10-member committee.

Mr. Wade made the announcement while responding to criticism by Health Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness that PLP "bickering'' was holding up the establishment of the committee.

But it seems likely that Government and the Opposition will clash when the authority is appointed later this year. The authority cannot be appointed until legislation giving it statutory powers is passed by the House of Assembly.

"We are anxious to get things moving, so we will accept the Premier's choice for a chairman,'' said Mr. Wade yesterday, adding the party would go along with his appointment. "We will also submit a few of our own names, both for chairman and the committee.'' He also said the party had not been properly consulted over the appointments to the committee.

He said Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan first wrote to him on February 14 saying he proposed to make Mr. MacDonald the chairman of the committee but the terms of reference -- "to initiate and review any of the matters in Dr.

Archibald's proposals'' -- were vague.

Mr. Wade said he replied by saying he did not agree with the method of appointment and asked for more precise terms of reference. He then met with Sir John who continued to press for Mr. MacDonald's appointment and again asked for the terms of reference, which were sent a month later, on March 25.

The terms were speedy implementation of the Drug Authority, development of priorities for the implementation of the drugs strategy and the creation of initiatives to implement the strategy's recommendations.

"As soon as he sent the terms of reference, he went away,'' Mr. Wade said.

"We have not been holding it up. He delayed sending the terms of reference and then he went away.'' "I will now answer his letter and comment on the appointment of the chairman and will suggest names for the chairman and members of the committee.

"The problem was not that I was opposed to the appointment of Mr. MacDonald as chairman,'' he said. "I was opposed to the method.'' He said he would not insist on Opposition appointments to the interim committee but maintained the PLP should be given a certain number of appointments to the authority, with Government receiving a majority.

He also rejected Government drugs consultant Dr. David Archibald's proposal that the authority should be non-political.

He said it would be impossible to find 10 non-political Bermudians for the committee. Every Bermudian worthy of being appointed would have political views of some kind or another.

Dr. Archibald has said it is essential that the board be non-political so that "the average Bermudian would feel a great sense of confidence in its objectivity, competence and integrity''.

He also recommneded that the board represent business, labour, communications industry, voluntary organisations, youth, religion educators and other persons who have demonstrated real concern about the future of Bermuda''.

Mr. Wade said it was not his intention to recommend the appointment of legislators or senior party officials to the board. He said he might recommend some potential PLP candidates who would be asked to work on the authority instead of running for the House.

"All we want is to have a fair say,'' Mr. Wade said. "We are the Opposition party and we do not want to put ourselves in a position where we are subject to the Government and the mistakes they may make.'' But the Opposition's position is likely to lead to further clashes with Government, which wants to follow Dr. Archibald's appointments proposal.