‘Unacceptable that MPs hide behind conscience’ - AD

Alternattiva Demokratika chairperson Michael Briguglio today said MPs had to stand by the decision of the people after shiftng their responsibility to decide on divorce onto the electorate.

AD held a press conference down the hill from Hastings garden, where the Sette Giugno celebrations were being held. The event was not open to the public, as police officers stationed around barriers blocked entry to anyone who did not have the proper authorisation or an invite. Members of the press were asked for a press card by the police.

Briguglio said MPs on both sides of parliament were currently engaged in a wrangling war with the media over how they will vote in the upcoming parliamentary divorce vote. “The issue is simple. Over 53% of voters want the introduction of divorce in Malta. Parliamentarians, who did not have the courage to take a decision on divorce and shifted the responsibility onto the people through a referendum, should stand by the result of the referendum,” he said.

“Those who are not ready to vote in favour should resign. Any manoeuvring is simply unacceptable,” Brigulio said..

Briguglio said that AD will be watching MPs carefully and ensure they do on take the electorate "for a ride". He called the way police had cordoned off Hastings Garden "disgusting" and "shameful", and that they had kept common people away from MPs.

AD home affairs and justice spokesperson David Friggieri said Malta was experiencing a Constitutional crisis. “It is unacceptable in a democracy for MPs to simply brush off journalists' questions about their voting intentions. It is equally unacceptable for them to simply refer the population to their conscience, as this creates an irresolvable tension between the democratic process and faith-based reasons which can never be solved through dialogue, an essential component of modern democracies.”

He said that for these MPs faith will always trump any other considerations, including a clear referendum vote, thereby undermining the democratic process itself. “The parliamentarians already acted according to their conscience when they passed the choice onto the public in a referendum. The public made that choice for them, and now they must respect it,” he said.

Friggieri also hit out at the manner in which some MPs, including the Prime Minister, are engaging in what he described as "mathematical democracy". “On the one hand they assured us that the bill will pass because the numbers add up, while on the other they are being evasive about their individual voting intentions.” He said that democracy is not something that is upheld on voting day’ but “must be upheld through a daily democratic institutional system, especially with the media.”

Friggieri also called on the media to keep pressuring MPs on how they plan to vote, “irrespective of what Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi might say is fair or not fair.”

AD international affairs spokesperson Prof. Arnold Cassola said the behaviour of MPs was unacceptable by EU standards, which he said required full transparency and openness from the elected representatives of the people.

He denounced the "coalition of confessional MPs" from both sides who abdicated their responsibilities when they refused to legislate on divorce and shifted the onus onto the people to vote. "GIven that the people have spoken clearly and decided, this irresponsible coalition is trying to deny the people their legitimate rights. Let us not let them succeed in their effort, which goes against the basic tenets of democracy. The will of the people must prevail and any MP who has conscience problems has an honourable way out: that of resigning immediately."

Members of left-wing NGO Moviment Graffitti were also present for the press conference.