Prime Minister Joseph Muscat yesterday categorically ruled out that 16-year-olds – who as of this year will have the right to vote for local councils – would be eligible to vote in the spring hunting referendum.
The request for the government to consider giving the vote to 16-year-olds was made by Opposition spokesman on hunting Chiarlò Bonnici following Dr Muscat’s statement in Parliament.
Dr Muscat said that since the process had started with a certain set of rules, one could not change the rules now after the petition had been presented.
“We would be opening ourselves up to changing the goalposts,” he said adding that “the process had to be respected”.
The referendum will be held on April 11. If the people voted to retain spring hunting, the season would be opened immediately. If they voted against, the season would not be opened.
Dr Muscat called this referendum a sign of the times, showing the waning strength of political parties and different organisations being capable of coming together to advance issues they felt were important. “These are exciting times for modern democracy.”
With regard to the referendum question, this was problematic, he said. The problem stemmed from discrepancies in the wording of the Referenda Act in the Maltese and English versions as well as the two versions of the petition asking for the referendum to be held.
The Maltese version of both asked “Do you agree that the provisions allowing spring hunting should remain in force?” In that case those in favour of hunting would vote yes.
One could not change the rules now after the petition had been presented
The English version said: “Do you agree that the provisions on spring hunting should not continue to remain in force?” Here on the other hand, those who did not agree with hunting needed to vote yes and vice versa. In view of this serious discrepancy, the advice of the Attorney General was sought.
The AG based his advice on the Constitution, which said that where there was conflict between the Maltese and English versions, the Maltese prevailed.
Therefore on the basis of the AG’s advice and the ruling of the Constitution, the question would be: “Do you agree that the provisions of the Framework for allowing a Derogation opening a Spring Hunting season for Turtle Dove and Quail Regulations (subsidiary legislation 504.94) should continue in force?”
Those who wanted spring hunting to stay should vote yes and those who did not should vote no. Dr Muscat reiterated that political parties should not directly interfere in the referendum campaign. He had given his personal view consistent with his declarations over the years, but MPs were free to vote as they wished.
Local councils elections would also be taking place at the same time, because it did not make sense to have elections every few months. The electorate was showing signs of election fatigue, he said, and the government would be amending the Local Councils Act so that the next elections would be held in 2019 together with MEP elections.
The change would also ensure more participation.