Former prime minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici has questioned the Government's drive to amend the Constitution and create "a second republic".

He insisted the creation of second republic meant the Constitution would change radically and asked those pushing this idea to openly say what these changes would be.

"Anybody who is serious does not simply say the Constitution should change but will outline the principles that have to change or be introduced," Dr Mifsud Bonnici said with clear reference to the Labour Party's electoral pledge to set up a constitutional convention that would propose changes.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has often said he wanted to oversee the creation of a second republic.

"There is no reason to create a second republic if it means destroying the foundations of the first republic. The Constitution can be updated but it does not mean we need a second republic," Dr Mifsud Bonnici said this morning.

He was speaking at a press conference of the Campaign for National Independence, a political pressure group he heads, to criticise Government and Opposition exponents, who were suggesting changes to the Constitution's neutrality clause.

He said this discourse was "very objectionable". "Why do they want to change the neutrality clause? To strengthen neutrality or water it down? I believe they want to water it down by changing it in substance."

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said exponents who wanted to remove the principle of non-alignment from the Constitution implied they wanted the country to align itself with the EU, which had a foreign policy "not based on neutrality".

"These exponents want Malta to form part of a military alliance and allow military ships to be repaired at the shipyards," he said, with reference to often made arguments used when speaking of updating the Constitution.

Using the Libya crisis two years ago as an example of how Malta aligned itself with western powers, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said it was "a lie" to imply the Gaddafi regime wanted to destroy its own people.

He insisted this was "the excuse" to justify military intervention by the western powers that led to the removal of Colonel Gaddafi.

"The reason for military intervention was that the West wanted regime change and not to protect the people," he said, adding this was a dangerous argument because it meant western powers could use arms to change governments they did not agree with.

He said Malta should cherish neutrality because in this way the country will not have a hostile policy that could attract terrorist attacks. "Apart from moral reasons to be against war, there is also a practical reason to avoid being the target of anybody who may feel threatened by our policy."

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the CNI strongly objected to any moves by the Government or the Opposition to change the neutrality clause in the Constitution, adding Malta should work for international disarmament instead.

He also felt it "an insult" that he was invited to Government celebrations of Malta's EU membership on May 1, saying the money should have been spent more judiciously.

“Today's government should realize this, because it was against membership like me,” Dr Mifsud Bonnici said.

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