before a referendum is held, says the new UBP chairman.

"I do not think the party will take a position on Independence,'' Mr. Gary Pitman told The Royal Gazette .

"It would be very difficult for the party to take a position on it when you've got opposing sides on the issue. That's my impression.'' Instead, the party would help to disseminate the information of a Commission of Inquiry, which is to examine the pros and cons of Independence and the status quo, but make no recommendation one way or the other.

An Independence referendum is expected before the end of the year.

Mr. Pitman, the 45-year-old president and treasurer of Chevron International Ltd. in Bermuda, recently took over the chairmanship of the UBP from Dr. James King.

He got more than he bargained for.

"I thought it would be a nice time to take over the chairmanship,'' he said with a laugh. "It was nice and quiet after the election. Then this little thing called Independence came along.'' But Mr. Pitman said he was generally pleased with the outcome of the recent House of Assembly debate on the Independence referendum bill, and did not feel the UBP had been damaged.

"It is on our agenda -- it's gotten there,'' he said. "Where it came from? A number of people are trying to take credit. It's gotten on the agenda and I personally feel it needs to be dealt with.'' Mr. Pitman said he did not think it was a bad time to deal with Independence.

Forming a Commission of Inquiry would take it off Government's plate and "give time for the Cabinet to get back to work on the Blueprint process.'' Cabinet Ministers had earlier expressed confidence all 110 promises in the UBP's campaign Blueprint could be fulfilled during the term of the Government, but Mr. Pitman was less sure.

"It all depends on when the election comes,'' he said. "All we can do is move along and get as much done as possible.

"We will most probably succeed in getting the majority of these items done, but we won't complete them all before the next election. It's a very ambitious Blueprint.'' Born and raised in Bermuda, Mr. Pitman attended Warwick Academy before earning a Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of New Brunswick. A Certified General Accountant, he was promoted to president of Chevron in 1990.

His UBP involvement began with canvassing in Sandys North. Later, he moved to Warwick West, where he worked on the campaigns of Sir John Sharpe and the Hon.

Quinton Edness.

For the last few years, he has been involved with the party's central operations.

The UBP chairman normally serves a two-year term, and Mr. Pitman said the UBP had struck committees on race relations, women's involvement, and youth as it prepares for the next general election.

Keeping the party in a state of "election readiness'' was also a priority, he said.

Another priority would be ensuring that a committee and chairman was in place in each constituency, something that was difficult to do in Progressive Labour Party strongholds, he said.

Improved communications were also important, and the UBP would hold at least two conferences this year. One would likely deal with Blueprint progress, the others with race relations or Independence education.

August 21 is the 30th anniversary of the UBP. A formal recognition banquet for past MPs and party officers was recently held, and the emphasis would likely be on fun in remaining observations.

Mr. Pitman said he saw his ability to bring about cohesion in a diverse group as his strength as chairman. "My skills are people skills,'' he said. Married with two daughters, Mr. Pitman lists his enthusiasms as deep sea fishing, gardening, theatre, and travel.

"I was going to take up golf this year, but I think that will have to wait,'' he said.

IN THE HOT SEAT -- The emergence of Independence as an issue meant Mr. Gary Pitman got more than he bargained for when he took over as United Bermuda Party chairman.