Reservations 'only bind MLP'

Former Socialist Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici yesterday asked whether a future Labour government would be prepared to pull Malta out of the EU if the Union was not willing to change the parts of the Constitution the party had reservations about.

Speaking at a press conference at the headquarters of the Campaign for National Independence in Mosta, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the reservations the party was speaking about - such as the one on neutrality - were only binding on the MLP and the EU would not accept them.

"If the party leadership strongly believes that the reservations mean anything, they should be willing to declare that they would take Malta out of the EU unless the reservations are accepted by the EU Commission when the Labour Party is in government," Dr Mifsud Bonnici said.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said delegates should be aware of the fact that Alfred Sant and George Vella had raised several issues at the European Convention when the EU Constitution was still on the drawing board.

Both Dr Sant and Dr Vella had argued in favour of the EU having a rotating presidency and that each country should have a Commissioner. They had also raised the issue of neutrality and non-alignment.

But all these points would be wiped out with the stroke of a pen if the Labour delegates voted in favour of the party's motion, Dr Mifsud Bonnici warned.

The former MLP leader said it would be a shame if the MLP distanced itself from the progressive forces who were advocating reforms in Europe.

"If we accept the European Constitution, we would be going against the French and Dutch who said 'No' and the British and Danish Prime Ministers who decided to put the EU Constitution on hold," Dr Mifsud Bonnici said.

"Malta would become the laughing stock, accepting what others are consistently rejecting," he said.

He also had harsh words for the speakers at the conference organised by Nationalist MEPs on Saturday. "Surprisingly, they found no faults with the EU Constitution and could only speak positively about it."

Dr Mifsud Bonnci said the CNI's position had never been discussed on the MLP station Super One. Neither was it discussed on the national station TVM or on NET. His motion argues that the MLP should not vote in favour of the EU Constitution because it renews the negative aspects of the Accession Treaty negotiated by a Nationalist government and leaves out the declaration on neutrality and the concept that Gozo is a region.

It also increases the hold the EU has on its member states and binds them with following its anti-social economic policies and commercial policies based on globalisation and the exploitation of workers, he claimed.