To plant a Constitution (1)

On the longest night of the year, December 13, 1974, an apprehensive House of Representatives was about to vote for a new Constitution. Sitting in the Strangers' Gallery, it was my very first visit to Parliament. Not even the serene scenes of the Gobelin Tapestries could reduce the tense atmosphere. Prime Minister Dom Mintoff had chosen this particular date to tease the Leader of the Opposition, George Borg Oliver, who was renowned for his superstitions. Mr Mintoff had managed to divide the Nationalist Party and when the vote was called Malta became a republic.

History was in the making. For the first time we had planted our own Constitution unlike all previous ones which had been imposed upon us. An indigenous Constitution, technically defined as "autochthonous".

Article 1(3) of Malta's Constitution lays down that "Malta is a neutral state actively pursuing peace, security and social progress among all nations by adhering to a policy of non-alignment..."

The Movement for the Non-Aligned is made up of 115 members representing the interests of developing nations. Its origins can be traced to a conference hosted 50 years ago by Indonesian President Sukarno. Together with other Third World leaders, including India's Jawaharlal Nehru and Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser, they established the political credentials of the movement - maintaining independence, opposing colonialism and resisting pressures from major powers.

The issue which galvanised the movement was the preoccupation that the accelerating arms race between the US and the former USSR would result in total war.

In years to come President Tito of Yugoslavia would tower over the movement but he would also live to see its very foundations eroded. The major powers managed to penetrate the movement by garnishing influence in targeted states through generous economic aid and projects.

At the time when Malta tied its political creed to a policy of non-alignment, the movement was riding high and those on the forefront were vying for its leadership. One President in particular was leaving no stone unturned. In 1973 he had emerged from the Yom Kippur War (or Ramadan War) with increased credibility. He then enhanced his reputation when in 1976 his tanks and troops penetrated Lebanon to impose the peace on its warring factions. Hafez Al Assad, President of Syria, viewed the Non-Aligned Movement as a way of increasing his stature beyond the Middle East, perhaps as a means to attain his ultimate quest as the leading figure in the Arab world. The energy which he devoted to this goal can be gauged by the intense activity of his Foreign Office at the time to attract to Damascus anyone and everyone who could support his cause.

This is how in March 1977 I found myself in a dimly lit, moderate study lined with books from floor to ceiling. At the time, Malta occupied the vice-presidency of the Non-Aligned Students' Movement and Hafiz Al-Azad was determined to direct this wing towards Damascus. He was soft-spoken but articulate. His lofty appearance and high forehead were his trademarks, at least that is what I thought, until his almost identical "brother" emerged from a concealed opening in the library. He also bore the same austere and dominating figure. To this day I am not sure who was who, but I do recall thinking of a famous witticism: "Who is going to rescue me from these withering heights?"

Since then, almost three decades have passed and the world's geo-politics have turned upside down. What had been originally devised in Yalta by Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin in 1945 was undone in Malta by George Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1989. At Yalta, Europe and beyond were carved in the spheres of influence, which eventually led to the Cold War and the inception of the Non-Aligned Movement. On the other hand the beginning of the end of the Cold War took place in Malta and, in turn, this has had the effect of making the Non-Aligned Movement redundant.

Tomorrow: To Prune A Constitution.

Dr Attard Montalto is a Labour member of the European Parliament.