(Adds PL's reaction)

The Nationalist Party has expressed its disappointment at the Labour MEPs vote in favour of a call for EU countries, including Malta, to accept Guantanamo Bay prisoners once this prison was closed down.

The PN said in a statement that although it welcomed the US President’s decision to close down the prison, it was disappointed at the vote by the Maltese MEPs.

The party said that the two MEPs representing it – Simon Busuttil and David Casa voted in favour of the resolution as a sign of support at Obama’s efforts to close the prison but voted against the paragraph calling on the 27 member states to ceclare they were willing to take on Guantanamo prisoners.

The PN said it believed such decisions should be left to individual countries.

In its reaction, the Labour Party shows that the Nationalist Party and its MEPs were showing they did not really believe in the closure of the Guantanamo prison.

The Socialist Group, together with others, voted in favour of an appeal that if the new Obama administration made a specific request, European governments should consider helping in the relocation of these persons in respect of human rights and in consultation with each other on EU security.

The PN's MEPs behaviour showed the conservative and rightist identiy of the PN which consistently voted with the right wing parties in the European Parliament.