Citizenship scheme | ‘PN will stand its ground’ – Busuttil

Following Joseph Muscat saying that the government is willing to extend its hand of cooperation and strike a consensus with the Opposition on the controversial Individual Investor Programme (IIP), PN leader Simon Busuttil has argued that the Opposition would not budge from its stand and will continue to insist that Malta's citizenship is not for sale.

Addressing a PN fundraising event this afternoon, Busuttil said that notwithstanding the Opposition's disagreement with the sale of the Maltese identity, it would nevertheless, extend its hand of cooperation and seek to reach a consensus with the Labour government.

In November the House of Representatives in its third reading in parliament approved the controversial IIP scheme. Amending the Maltese Citizenship Act, the scheme will allow rich exiles to buy the Maltese passport through a €650,000 donation.

The vote saw the PN accuse the government of "steam-rolling" over the opposition. However, in a fresh twist, Finance Minister Edward Scicluna admitted that Malta rushed and it will be corrected, much to the derision of government insiders who said that Scicluna had given the Opposition new leverage.

"In admitting the government's haste of the IIP, Edward Scicluna repeated the same objections tabled by the opposition during its parliamentary discussions," Busuttil said.

The PN leader said that the Opposition had always sought to introduce an investment threshold and a residence prerequisite on the beneficiaries, but the "bullish government had stomped its feat and took advantage of its parliamentary majority."

"The ball is the government's court, the opposition is extending its hand of cooperation and ready to agree a consensus, but its stand will not be compromised."

Opposing MPs from the House of Representatives have been involved in a tug of war over the contentious scheme, with PN members accusing the government of putting Malta's "name to shame" and of "bulldozing over the Opposition and the country."

However, following the government's admission that it rushed on the scheme and Deputy Prime Minister Louis Grech's previous announcement to waive the secrecy clause, the Opposition has insisted that the "government, most notably Edward Scicluna, is echoing the PN's proposals."