The referendum to abolish spring hunting, should it go ahead, will not be held before September at least, leaving another spring season open for business, according to chief electoral commissioner Saviour Gauci.
“Let’s say the signatures are handed in to the electoral commission at the end of the year. It will take at least nine months for the actual voting to be held. The procedure is quite complicated and is the first of its kind,” he said.
Mr Gauci was reacting to reports that the Coalition for the Abolition of Spring Hunting had collected some 35,000 signatures, several hundred more than that required to force the abro-gative vote.
He said the referendum would definitely not be held before the end of next summer, meaning hunters may practice their contentious hobby in spring again in 2014.
The coalition is currently verifying the signatures before handing them over to the commission.
Mr Gauci, however, said this process would be repeated by the Electoral Commission.
“We allocate a fortnight to verify the signatures. And then the actual process begins,” he said.
Once the signatures are verified, a three-month window is set to receive objections.
If objections are made, another three months are allowed for cases to be put before the con-stitutional court.
If the courts decide to uphold the referendum, the President will set a date “not earlier than three months and not longer than six” after the decision is taken.
Mr Gauci noted the same set up used for the European Parliament election in May would likely be used for the referendum.
“The counting hall used in the general election in Naxxar is still spic and span. The same set up will be used for the election and then the vote,” he said.
If most voters back the abolishment of spring hunting, the President will issue a proclamation within a few days, bringing a stop to spring hunting with immediate effect, he said.
Meanwhile, hunters’ federation CEO Lino Farrugia declined to comment on the number of signatures collected after the FKNK launched its own petition to change the Referendum Act and halt the hunting vote.
It is urging each of its members to collect 10 signatures each in the coming weeks.
Asked if he would be filing an objection, Mr Farrugia said he would “leave no stone unturned”.
The FKNK also appealed for minority groups to join its stand against the “anti-democratic and abolitionist” campaign.
“While democracy demands that the majority should govern, this same majority should always respect and safeguard all minorities’ interests,” he said.
Historian Dominic Fenech said he felt the vote would be similar to the divorce referendum held in 2011, although there was no direct precedent.
“This is an issue that politicians tend to shy away from. In that way it has similarities to the divorce referendum, even if that was prompted by Parliament.”