to head the Ministry of Community and Cultural Affairs has drawn criticism.

Sen. Yvette Swan, who is off the Island and has yet to be sworn in as a Cabinet Minister, has Bermudian status. She is married to Bermudian Mr.

Malcolm Stanley Swan and has lived on the Island for more than 25 years.

But she was born in Jamaica, and callers to radio phone-in shows in recent days have said that makes her unsuitable as Bermuda's Culture Minister.

"Community and Cultural Affairs should go to a Bermudian,'' said a disgruntled organiser of the annual Bermuda Day Parade, who did not want to give his name.

"Sen. Swan does not know about Bermuda's culture,'' he said. "I cannot go to Jamaica and become Culture Minister there.

"As a veteran Heritage Day participant and Floral Pageant Day Parade organiser I would feel better sitting down talking with a Bermudian rather than a foreigner.'' It was true that a former Bermuda Premier, the late the Hon. Sir Edward Richards, was born outside of Bermuda, as was civil rights activist and MP the late Dr. E.F. Gordon, the man said.

But they were elected by Bermudians, whereas Sen. Swan was appointed, he said.

Sen. Swan, an optometrist who was first named to the Upper House in 1993, could not be reached for comment.

But Dr. Saul said he gave "no credence'' to the complaints.

"She's been here a quarter of a century,'' Dr. Saul said. "She's married to a Bermudian and has Bermudian children.'' Sen. Swan should be "measured by the way she performs.'' The Premier said it was the Community Affairs aspect "that really makes this portfolio.'' Many Bermudian blacks had their roots in the West Indies, and it was snobbery to say a Jamaican-born person could not handle the post, Dr. Saul said.

"So much of our culture comes from the United Kingdom,'' he said. "The rest of it comes from the West Indies.'' And a distinct Bermudian culture continued to develop over the last couple of decades, he said. "There is a (Bermudian) culture, whatever that means to people, and it needs to be celebrated.'' Sen. Swan represented part of "the mosaic'' that was Bermuda.

Meanwhile, Dr. Saul said he would finalise his Senate appointments by the end of this month.

Two of five Government Senators have been confirmed -- Sen. Swan and the Hon.

Lynda Milligan-Whyte, who is Government Leader in the Senate and Minister of Legislative Affairs and Women's Issues.

Sen. Lawrence Scott has been named UBP caucus chairman, a position that requires membership in Parliament. "Unless there's any dramatic thing, he would probably stay on,'' in the Senate, Dr. Saul said yesterday.

"It would be easy to just reappoint automatically the next two (Sen. Scott and Sen. Gary Pitman) and then find someone to replace (former Government Senate Leader the Hon.) Mr. (Gerald) Simons,'' Dr. Saul said.

"I'd like to approach it by consulting as widely as I possibly can.''