The Nationalist Party this evening demanded an explanation from the Labour Party after its three MEPs all acted differently in a European Parliament vote on migration.

The vote was on a report calling for mandatory burden-sharing and amendments to the Dublin II regulation on responsibility for migrants.

The PN said the Labour MEPs has been inconsistent in the vote. John Attard Montalto voted against, Louis Grech voted in favour, and Glenn Bedingfield was present in the chamber but did not vote.

In contrast the two Nationalist MEPs voted in favour.

The PN said this was a very important vote for Malta, and it accused the PL of not backing the national interest.

It said the people expected an explanation from the PL.

PL EXPLANATION

PL leader Joseph Muscat, speaking this evening in Naxxar, said all three Labour MEPs had officially registered their vote in favour and this could be seen in the EP documents.

Dr Muscat said it was the PN which was being inconsistent, it having last October backed an Immigration Pact which proposed voluntary, not mandatory, burden-sharing.

A party spokesman explained to timesofmalta.com that the Labour MEPs had needed to register their vote because their hand-held voting mechanism malfunctioned - showing a contrary vote by Dr Attard Montalto and no vote by Mr Bedingfield. However the situation was remedied soon after through the registration of the vote.

See also

http://www.timesofmalta.com/mepelections/view/20090507/news/ep-approves-legally-binding-burden-sharing-changes-to-dublin

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