night, urging Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan to withdraw the Independence Referendum Act.

And Government Whip and caucus chairman Mr. John Barritt said the United Bermuda Party appeared "headed for a showdown''.

"I think it would be the best thing for this Country at this particular time if it was withdrawn,'' Mr. Woolridge said of the Independence referendum law.

"I think the whole thing should be dropped.'' Mr. Woolridge voted with Government when the Independence Referendum Act 1994 squeaked through the House of Assembly in a 20-18 vote on February 15.

But the bill is set to return to the House on May 6 after it was amended in the Senate. Mr. Woolridge would not say whether he would support the bill a second time.

When it first came before the House, "I voiced my strong objection, knowing the issue still had to go through the Senate,'' the longtime opponent of Independence told The Royal Gazette .

"I anticipated that it would not have a rapid passage. Therefore, I felt the thing to do was to let a little time elapse for people to come to their senses and realise that we can't force things on people.'' Independence was making international business uneasy, he said. Government should be concentrating on the return of the Bases, and getting "the economic life of the community moving, and getting people employed''.

Premier Swan returned yesterday from the Risk and Insurance Managers Conference in New Orleans to face growing UBP dissent over his Government's plans for a Commission of Inquiry and referendum on Independence.

Backbenchers Mr. Trevor Moniz and the Hon. John Stubbs voiced their harshest criticisms to date about Government's approach in an article that appeared yesterday in the Mid-Ocean News . Mrs. Ann Cartwright DeCouto has quit Cabinet over the issue. And Education Minister the Hon. Clarence Terceira has spoken out strongly against Independence, while saying he would not vote to defeat the Government.

Sir John could not be reached for comment last night.

But when contacted by The Royal Gazette , Mr. Barritt agreed the UBP was in disarray.

"I still see my job ... as to try and bring my colleagues back into caucus to discuss where we are going, and where they think we ought to be going, and to arrive at a consensus,'' he said. "But I have to say that from where I sit this evening, the outsider might think this a mission impossible.

"I think the public can be forgiven for wondering whether or not this was a team they elected in October,'' he said. "If it was, and we still are, we seem to be scoring a lot of own goals.'' Mr. Barritt said he planned to "persevere,'' but was "disappointed ... the big issue seems to be party unity or disunity. The public deserves better Government than this.'' The UBP Parliamentary group is next scheduled to meet on Thursday morning, but an earlier meeting is possible in light of recent events.

Mr. Woolridge said it was "a growing feeling amongst the community'' that Independence talk should be shelved. And the caucus was elected to reflect constituents' views..

Independence was not mentioned in the run-up to the October 5 election, and "I have not had any approach to me from my constituents about passing this,'' he said.

Comments by Transport Minister the Hon. Maxwell Burgess in a front page article in The Royal Gazette on April 20 were "tantamount to blackmail,'' Mr.

Woolridge said.

Mr. Burgess said the UBP should support the Premier on Independence or face likely disaster in a general election he predicted would result from defeat on the issue.

In March, the Senate approved an amendment to the Independence Referendum Act from Independent Sen. Alf Oughton. It would assure the referendum was decided by a majority of people entitled to vote, rather than simply a majority of those who actually cast ballots.

The House must debate the amended legislation after it resumes on May 6.