Prime Minister hits out at Italian government's blockade of Lampedusa

Speaking during a political activity held in Tarxien on Sunday, Gonzi criticised the Italian government for its blockade of Lampedusa port, stopping the Maltese armed forces from taking 170 asylum seekers to the island.

The Italian right-wing government had defended their position by arguing that Lampedusa was “not safe” since it was “full up” and could not provide the necessary medical assistance. During his address, Gonzi stridently dismissed these “theories”.

“I do not accept how someone can write that Lampedusa is not safe for rescued people to be taken there for proper care.” He emphasised that Italian authorities have “a moral responsibility” to ensure and provide immediate rescue and timely medical care.

Gonzi also referred to a past incident when Italian patrol boats blockaded Lampedusa’s port and blocked entry by AFM patrol boats carrying rescued immigrants. Gonzi emphasised that this showed huge insensitivity by Italian authorities. “This is especially so when just days earlier, there was a case when people died just under the eyes of Italian patrol boats. “

Gonzi also hit out at the increasing racism gathering momentum on Maltese online comments boards. He said such comments had to be categorically condemned in every way possible.

Gonzi said Malta’s cultural DNA “does not tell us to choose between those who are blonde or dark”, Gonzi said. “It is not what we learned. These are not our values.” He said that Malta welcomes not only tourists, but also “those that come to us half-dead in a dinghy.”

“Kicking the (immigration) ball from one country to the next will only harm the human dignity of the people who need rescuing,” he added.

“I hope that the Maltese people are proud so that when Libyan resumes its proper course we can look back and say that we carried ourselves well and retained our values,” Gonzi added.

Also present for the political event were Nationalist PM Stephen Spiteri and PN secretary-general Paul Borg Olivier.

Asked specifically to talk about the ongoing issue regarding the 2,800 ‘lost’ referendum votes, Borg Olivier conceded that the Electoral Commission had “given advice” to the parties on how to present the writ so that to allow the 2,800 the right to vote.

He said that this same advice was given on April 15, a day before the Opposition Leader presented its divorce referendum motion in parliament. However, he claimed that the Labour Party ignored this advice.

Borg Olivier also maintained that the PL is creating division on the issue, and even that it is trying to create “divisions” within the Electoral Commission.

He said the Electoral Commission is primarily responsible to the Constitution and the country, not towards the party. “It is sad that there are Electoral Commission members that are releasing privileged documents,” Borg Olivier said, hitting out at leaks published in l-orizzont.

Borg Olivier however did not make any reference to the fact that the Electoral Commission (including a PN representative) had voted in favour to a decision to advise the President to delay the issuing of the writ announcing the divorce referendum until after the electoral register is updated.

Speaking on the same issue, Gonzi refuted that he too was responsible for the issue, and reiterated previous statements that the amendment to the motion that he seconded only changed the referendum date.

He said that in his first motion, Muscat (which was signed by all Labour MPs), it was written that the writ that should be called within a week from being approved by parliament. “Nobody told him to change that (the ‘default’ two weeks) from two week to one – why did he?” Gonzi exclaimed.

“Muscat is playing the part of a child who broke a vase, and then, when caught, is blaming someone else,” Gonzi claimed.

Gonzi also said that Muscat’s “amateurism” also extends over the divorce question itself. “The real mix-up is in the divorce question. At a time when we should be talking about the most precious thing - family strength and unity – we are instead mistakenly turning attention away from the real merit of the issue and debating the referendum question,” he said.

He maintained that divorce is not an issue between the Nationalist and the Labour Parties, “but an issue that affects the family, and protecting the vow of permanent marriage from those who want to turn it into just another relationship.”

Family doesn’t have political colours but is important to everyone, Gonzi maintained.

“All Muscat had to say was: ‘I have a mistake in the date’, and we would have gone back to parliament to change it. And I would have said ‘yes’, immediately. But he didn’t!” Gonzi said.

“He didn’t have the courage to correct the mistake, like he didn’t have the courage to correct a referendum question that is going to cause problems in the future,” Gonzi also claimed.