Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici yesterday said he felt “insulted” by a Government invitation to join celebrations commemorating EU membership on May 1.
A rabid anti-EU campaigner, who almost split the Labour Party when it changed its stand after losing the 2003 election, the former prime minister said he never expected such an invitation from this Government.
“The money should have been spent more judiciously rather than on this celebration. Today’s government should realise this because it was against membership like me,” Dr Mifsud Bonnici said yesterday.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici has always been invited to the celebrations as a former prime minister. Malta celebrates nine years of EU membership next week.
The reaction to the invite came at a press conference held by the Campaign for National Independence, a political pressure group, which Dr Mifsud Bonnici heads.
He pooh-poohed the Government’s idea of holding a constitutional convention that will give birth to the second republic, saying this meant radically changing the Constitution.
“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.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has often said he wants to oversee the creation of a second republic and has described clauses related to neutrality, the Broadcasting Authority and Malta’s electoral system as out of date.
“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. The CNI will participate in the convention if invited, Dr Mifsud Bonnici added, because the group was not against updating the Constitution. “But we will oppose changing the fundamental principles on which it is built.”
Dr Mifsud Bonnici also criticised Government and Opposition exponents who suggested changing the neutrality clause.
He said this discourse was “very objectionable” because it meant the neutrality clause would be watered down.
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.
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 weapons 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 Malta should work for international disarmament instead.
ksansone@timesofmalta.com