onstitutional Conference
5. The Royal Commission of Enquiry headed by Lord Pitt to enquire into
the disturbances of December 1977 recommended that a Conference should be
held to identify constitutional matters that should be resolved prior to
the next General Election (probably in May 1981). This Conference was held
in Bermuda in February, adjourned and reconvened in July. The UBP and PLP
reached agreement in February on a wide range of constitutional issues but
failed to resolve the issue of the Commonwealth Residency Vote (CRV)
whereby British subjects who have been resident in Bermuda 3 years or more
are qualified to vote at elections: the PLP consider that the right to vote
should be restricted to Bermudians. Both sides agreed to put their respec-
tive cases to the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary and to abide by his
decision. After meetings in June the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary
decided that Commonwealth citizens should be qualified to vote if they
possessed Bermudian status or if they were registered as electors on 1 May
1976. Thus while the vote was to be phased out no elector who had been
qualified to vote at the last election on 18 May 1976 would be disenfran-
chised. The ruling has been well received in Bermuda and the Conference
has now been concluded.
Independence
6. In 1977 the Bermuda Government published a Green Paper on independence.
A Government White Paper is expected to be published in November. There is
no evidence of any widespread desire among the people of Bermuda to move to
early independence.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.