Former Premier Alex Scott has praised the new US president for "enshrining freedom of information into the fabric of his government" on his first full day in office.

Barack Obama put out a directive to all government department heads last week which read: "The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a clear presumption: in the face of doubt, openness prevails."

Mr. Scott, who promised Bermuda its own freedom of information (FOI) or public access to information (PATI) law when still Premier in 2003, said the memo underscored the importance Mr. Obama attached to the issue of freedom of information and the significance of an open government to its people.

He added: "He was successful in his campaigning because he focused his oratory on those things which were most immediate to the concerns of his fellow countrymen and women.

"Now, on his first day in office he put FOI first. I would like to observe that the President's methodology would benefit us here in Bermuda.

"If, as leaders and Bermudians, we concentrated and came together to work on the issues like sustainable development and FOI — things that challenge us every day — we would soon find that we were working together with our neighbours no matter their race, religion, nationality or station in life. I maintain that Bermuda like the US works best when we work together."

Mr. Scott said it was significant that "one of President Obama's first priorities as the leader of the free world was to enshrine the FOI into the fabric of his government".

He added: "We applaud him and hope that soon we can join him, Cayman and the many other democracies which recognise this fundamental right of the people (whom) we, as parliamentarians or governments, serve."

The backbench MP, a supporter of The Royal Gazette's A Right to Know: Giving People Power campaign for more transparency in Bermuda, said he continued to endorse and feel strongly about PATI.

"I introduced the vehicle of (government TV station) CITV as just one of the tools to achieve what President Obama said to the heads of his government: 'All agencies should use modern technology to inform citizens about what is known and done by their Government'.

"He understands that the information that a government has in its possession is the property of the populace we serve. It is my view that the PATI legislation that our Attorney General currently is drafting will in fact increase the trust level between our government and our people.

"It will inform our citizenry and to quote the President's memorandum: 'A democracy requires accountability, and accountability requires transparency'.

"We must 'catch the wave' of transparency that the free world is riding into good governance; taking full advantage of our computer literate populace and governance.

"I detect in Bermuda a readiness to access the information in government archives. Our populace is just waiting to benefit and become a more informed and positively involved public"