|
James Debono
The sight of Labour Party delegates discussing the EU constitution with their comrades in the party’s kazini in between a couple of lager rounds, would be fodder material for any political satirists.
But the MLP’s leadership has denied Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici’s request for discussions on the EU’s Constitutional treaty in the MLP’s clubs. The Party has limited discussions to four assemblies for party delegates. This does not preclude Labour delegates from informally discussing the Constitution in the kazini where some amount of the lobbying is bound to take place.
Writing in Le Monde Diplomatique political observer Bernard Cassen notes that through sheer volume, the treaty establishing the Constitution of Europe fails in its mission to “bring Europe closer to its people. Its English version contains 474 pages, counting all the appendices, protocols and declarations. Reading the Constitution would be a daunting prospect for the Labour delegates who will be expected to approve the Constitution in June. To make their life easier the MLP has provided the delegates with three reports two of which were written by former deputy leaders and heavy weights George Vella and Joe Brincat.
The Malta Labour Party has the merit of being the only political party in Malta which will be submitting this Constitutional ‘monster’ for the approval of its delegates. Yet there are clear signs that the internal discussion is being orchestrated to pave the way for a qualified ratification of the EU Constitution. In fact George Vella is clearly inclined in favour of a qualified approval of the EU constitution by the MLP. Speaking to the press in March, MLP leader Alfred Sant insisted that the MLP’s parliamentary group could either vote ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘abstain’ or “approve while expressing certain reservations.” The last option is the one recommended by Dr George Vella.
In its conclusion George Vella’s report states:“A negative vote will put serious doubts on the party’s credibility especially when considering that the party committed itself to respect the popular will after the last general election.” The Vella report is very blunt in pointing out the disastrous consequences of negative vote on the EU constitution. “A no vote might be welcomed by some of the party’s diehards but it will not go down well with pro-EU Labourites and with floating voters.” Vella also warned that a ‘no’ vote will have a negative impact on the party’s international credibility. The Vella report warns, “if we vote ‘no’ for the Constitution the MLP be associated with extremist parties in Europe.” The Vella report also paves the way for appeasing the more Eurosceptic wing in the MLP. In his report Vella expresses several reservations on the Constitutional treaty, but according to the same report the party could still vote ‘yes’ while expressing these reservations in parliament. “If these reservations are not cleared after the documents are studied by the party, these reservations should be clearly stated in parliament even if the party opts to vote in favour of the ratification of the treaty”. The report prepared by Dr Joe Brincat and Dr Pawlu Lia clearly states “the adoption of the EU Constitutional treaty will not be in breach of the Maltese Constitution.”
So far the MLP’s spokesperson for foreign affairs Leo Brincat and the MLP’s international secretary Joe Mifsud have expressed themselves in favour of the approval of the EU Constitution. They have done so in comments they gave to MaltaToday over the past three weeks. Leo Brincat had called on MLP delegates to take note that the three party officials on foreign affairs: international secretary Joe Mifsud, the MLP spokesperson on European affairs George Vella and himself are on the “same wavelength on the issue.”
On the other hand, so far only Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici and Labour MP and former leadership contender Anglu Farrugia have spoken against the approval of the Constitution by the MLP. In comments he gave to MaltaToday, Farrugia declared that Labour MPs should either vote against or walk out of parliament when the issue is raised in parliament. Farrugia also objected to the constitution because it contains no reference to God and Christianity. This declaration prompted a valorous defense of European secular values by former Deputy Leader Joe Brincat in last week’s issue of MaltaToday. Brincat insisted that “God needs no Constitution.” The other contender in the 2003 leadership race, MEP John Attard Montaldo will make his views known in an article which will be appearing in L-Orizzont next week.
While the ratification of the EU constitution will legitimise the MLP leadership in the eyes of pro-EU Labourites and floating voters, it could also offer a platform for those opposing the party’s leadership. During last Tuesday’s edition of TV programme Int X’Tahseb? Labour MP Evarist Bartolo said that personality clashes could be the real motivation behind opposition to the ratification of the Constitution. The debate on the Constitution could also herald the formation of an organised eurosceptic current in the MLP. Answering questions put to him by MaltaToday in a press conference in March Alfred Sant himself declared that as in any European Party there are different currents in the MLP. KMB’s declaration in an interview published in this edition of MaltaToday that he will continue pressing the party to renegotiate the membership agreement even if the party approves the Constitutional treaty in June, does not bode well for those who would like to kill this issue in the party before the next election.
Unlike the MLP, the Nationalist Party has not felt the need for any internal discussion and has expressed itself in favour of the Constitution without consulting its members. The only critical voice came from former PN general secretary Victor Ragonesi who in an interview with MaltaToday described the Constitutional treaty as “too cumbersome.” According to Ragonesi there is “no similar Constitution in the world and some of its clauses contradict each other”. Alternattiva Demokratika-The Green Party, which like most other European Green Parties has endorsed the Constitution, is the only party in Malta calling for a national referendum on this issue.
In the end, the more sophisticated French comrades could save the MLP from a lot of internal bickering. Answering questions put to him by MaltaToday in March Alfred Sant declared that one of the reasons why the Party did not rush into declaring its position was that it wanted to follow the ratification debate in other countries like France. There will be little use discussing the issue in the MLP if the most politically literate country in Europe ends up rejecting the Constitutional treaty as this will blow up the whole project to give Europe a Constitution apart.
Alfred Sant himself might be waiting for the French results before entering the fray. Back in March he had declared that he will intervene in the debate at a later stage and that he will be in a listening mode for the next weeks. Rather than allowing debates in the kazini, the MLP leadership could be counting on the deliberations made in the Parisian cafes on whether the EU’s Constitutional treaty is too neo liberal for their tastes.
|
