Sant hits out at Verheugen... again

Opposition leader Alfred Sant yesterday named more companies whose workers, he said, stood to lose from EU membership.

He insisted he had not been convinced by the arguments made by the management of firms he named last week and who stressed they were fully geared up for membership.

Speaking at a political activity in Rabat, Dr Sant urged the employees of VF, Finserv, Enemalta, the pig farms, Loporto and KPH to analyse the impact of EU membership.

He said he wanted to see companies expand and grow but not at the expense of downsizing and shedding employees.

The electorate, Dr Sant added, should realise that the government had embarked on a systematic propaganda campaign, as evidenced by the visit to Malta of German EU Commissioner for Enlargement Günter Verheugen.

Dr Sant said the commissioner's arguments did not convince him.

Referring to a graph shown by Mr Verheugen to illustrate that Malta would receive more financial aid through membership than through a partnership, Dr Sant said: "He can produce as many illustrations as he wants. We can always show him pictures of the bombs dropped on Malta during the Second World War."

Referring to the letter sent by Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami inviting him for talks on the holding of the election and the referendum, Dr Sant said he was now convinced the prime minister was merely trying to fish for information to plot his next move.

Dr Sant said it had been a "fair proposal" he had made that the referendum should be binding if 60 per cent voted "yes" or "no".

In his counter-reply, the prime minister said on Saturday Dr Sant's reply showed his contempt for the people's sovereignty.

But Dr Sant hit back yesterday, describing the prime minister's tone as "rude and arrogant".

The Labour leader did not shed any light yesterday on whether the MLP intended to boycott the referendum, saying such a decision would be taken by the party's general conference.

Delving back in history, Dr Sant said Malta's record in the holding of referenda was not exactly a bright one.

Dr Sant said he was convinced the electorate would elect the Labour Party to government. "The choice of partnership is the best one, and we will win hands down."

He claimed wrongdoing in the granting of a tender related to medical equipment for the new hospital, claiming that the tender had been manipulated in such a way in order to suit a company that was not up to the required specifications.

A new Labour government would commission an auditors' firm to weed out such irregularities, he said.