Mayhem as hardliners vow to block Gonzi

Hardline anti-divorce Nationalist MPs, spearheaded by Austin Gatt, are set to block any attempt by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi to meet Labour halfway on Joseph Muscat’s motion calling for a referendum before the pending bill is debated by the House.

MaltaToday is informed that hardliner MPs are adamantly against holding a referendum before the bill is debated in Parliament.

In the hope of pushing changes to a number of clauses that would practically demolish the scope of the bill, anti-divorce PN MPs are determined to pressure the Prime Minister into not agreeing to Labour’s motion, that practically spells out the questions to be put before the electorate.

In a surprise statement issued on Monday, and that superseded all comments made at the end of a PN Executive Council meeting on Saturday, Gonzi said that “if there was agreement” on the question to be asked in the referendum, he would back such a motion in line with his position in favour of a referendum.

He added that should the Opposition move a parliamentary motion calling for a referendum on divorce to be held before the bill is debated by the House, “PN MPs would be granted a free vote to take their own decision.” 

Hardline MPs are furious at the fact that Lawrence Gonzi practically shelved the PN’s anti-divorce motion, which clearly stated that a referendum could only be held after the House debates and approves the pending bill.

Saturday’s motion was passed following Minister Austin Gatt’s insistence for a show of hands rather than a secret vote.

The move was seen by those present as intimidatory, as Gatt insisted on “irgulija” (gentlemanly behaviour) over the issue, riding on the Prime Minister’s previous appeal for support in selling the complicated position to the electorate.

Last Saturday, Gonzi told his MPs that his “hands were tied” and that parliamentary procedure impeded him from calling a referendum before the bill was debated in Parliament.

He then went on to address a press conference where he stressed that although he would be voting against the bill, he ambiguously augured that the electorate would be given the chance to decide on divorce through a referendum.

Under pressure by hardliners, Gonzi is also under pressure by other MPs and party officials who have warned him about the consequences of breaking his promise with the electorate should a referendum not be held.

"My position in favour of holding the referendum is consistent since no party has a mandate to introduce divorce," Lawrence Gonzi said on Monday.

While the PN is now split on the next step forward, it awaits the outcome of this morning’s House Business Committee that is expected to discuss and establish a debate-date for Labour’s referendum motion.