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Referendum or election: the great debate kicks off

"I have every intention of holding a referendum but I cannot ignore the fact that Dr Alfred Sant is stating that he will not abide by a referendum result."

Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami was addressing a public forum organised by ‘IVA Malta fl-Ewropa’ to mark one year since its foundation date.

The seminar was held in Valletta’s Freedom Square.

In an upbeat mood, Dr Fenech Adami said that the referendum could and would take place after the negotiations package was known to everyone. But he added that he simply could not ignore Dr Sant’s insistence that an election was the way forward on the European Union question.

He also said that the decision on Europe was not one to be taken by the political parties.

Labour leader Alfred Sant, who also attended yesterday, first refused to answer a direct question from the Chairman of the meeting about his views on the referendum, but later said that the Malta Labour Party’s decision was clearly similar to that of the Nationalist Party.

He said that both Dr Fenech Adami and Foreign Minister Joe Borg had pledged that they would continue to campaign for European Union integration if a referendum was lost.

"So why can’t we take a similar stand on the referendum?" he asked.

Dr Sant reiterated that a special relationship for Malta was possible.

Dr Joanna Drake, IVA’s main spokesperson, argued that Malta’s place was in Europe because one had to look to the future. She cited the realities faced by other small countries such as Iceland. She went further and said:

"If we stay out of Europe, we will also have to request a special concession to export Chewing gum."

She pointed out that Malta now more then ever needed the security and peace afforded by accession.

"Who will guarantee our security?" she asked.

She continued that accession would mean a level playing field with Maltese representatives taking equal decisions with mega nations such as France and Germany.

"Malta can take advantage of its position in Europe and be at par with other much larger nations," she said.

Dr Toni Abela, speaking in his inimitable populist style and on behalf of CNI, argued in favour of a referendum but he said that the legal framework did not exist. He also queried the technical aspects of the ballot on European Union accession.

He added that Malta would lose out on accession and that the government was misleading the general public over the possibility of funds. He referred to an article in The Economist which reported that Malta and Rumania were the two applicant countries set to end up with a raw deal following the Nice Treaty.

Speakers from the floor queried Dr Sant over his position on the referendum and the Swiss in the Med standpoint, others queried Dr Fenech Adami on the alleged misuse of MIC funds .

Dr Drake who concluded the forum, took a cue from the commencement of winter time:

"Let us look to the future, let us put the clock forward not back."