The Labour Party will not be drawn into rebutting harsh criticism by one of its veteran MPs, saying only that “politicians (are) responsible for their utterances and actions”.
A spokesman for the party said Labour MP Adrian Vassallo had expressed his opinion and the party “respected it”.
The party was asked for its reaction to Dr Vassallo’s harsh words when he accused the party of accepting turncoats and allowing people into its fold “like sheep and goats” to win the next general election. Dr Vassallo, a medical doctor, admits he is “... not progressive enough and neither moderate enough” to fit into Labour leader Joseph Muscat’s new movement. He said what Dr Muscat was creating was “a movement not a party, because a party has its principles...”
The outspoken MP absented himself from Parliament when MPs voted in favour of the law introducing divorce in Malta. Vehemently anti-divorce, inhis interview with The Times days after that crucial vote, Dr Vassallo backed Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s decision to vote against its introduction.
He said Dr Gonzi had done well to vote the way he did on the divorce Bill once he was asked to pass judgment on something that was a matter of principle.
He was an MP just like him, he said, and, therefore, was entitled to be consistent with his anti-divorce position.
This view is diametrically opposed to that of his party leader who maintains that Dr Gonzi’s vote against was “inexplicable”, seeing that he was voting against amendments agreed upon by both parties.
Asked whether he had seen the final version of the divorce law as amended, Dr Vassallo had replied: “I have no interest. I do not give a s***.”
The party would not be drawn into commenting on this and other statements by Dr Vassallo, with a spokesman simply saying: “Adrian Vassallo has expressed his opinion and we respect it. Forming a movement beyond traditional petty politics is not easy but remains our final goal.”
Dr Vassallo, who happens to hold the record for the worst parliamentary attendance, had been warned of “consequences” if he were to continue refusing to toe the party line, referring to Dr Muscat’s reaction to his No vote on the second reading of the Divorce Bill in Parliament.
Dr Vassallo said he still had “no idea” what these consequences were and was still uncertain of his political future, saying he was “100 per cent certain” the party would work against him and sideline him.
“I will be and am being pushed aside by the party. No one speaks to me. I just sit there, quietly. No one threatened me from my party but I do not fall within the definition of the new movement.”