Former Finance Minister Tonio Fenech has again laid bare divisions within the Nationalist Party in a leaked letter to the party leader and the party's MPs sparked by disagreements over the gay marriage law. On Saturday he had written on Facebook that the decision by both parties not to grant a free vote on the matter was akin to North Korean methods.

Mr Fenech did not seek re-election at the last general election. 

Several Nationalist MPs have spoken out against provisions of the new law but all have voted in favour so far except MP Edwin Vassallo, who voted against in second reading. He has not said how he will vote in the final vote, on third reading, this evening. 

Dr Busuttil has argued that the new law does not materially change anything since the enactment of the civil partnership law of 2014, but the PN disagrees with the text in that it is strictly gender neutral and removes references to fathers and mothers, husbands and wives. The party is still backing the law however, pointing out that it promised a gay marriage law in its own electoral programme.

In his letter, Mr Fenech wrote: 

Dear Simon and colleagues,

I am aware that some of you may not be so happy with my writings, however I want to be very clear that when I decided not to contest with the Nationalist Party I did it because I realized that in Malta writing in a newspaper has more power than sitting in a Parliamentary Group.

These last four years the Nationalist Party had acquired an art of silencing those who had differing opinions, not through dialogue and conviction, but through the simple maneuvers of postponement of discussion (with the excuse that a bill has not been published, as though principles cannot be discussed), or worse the committing of the Party’s position through media pronouncements that were not discussed with the Parliamentary Group.

These last four years the Nationalist Party had acquired an art of silencing those who had differing opinions...

In my writings I am not trying to represent the whole society but specifically people who share my views and who would still like to continue voting PN – IF THE PN STILL WANTS OUR VOTE. Every day I come across more and more people who feel that this home has been stolen from them, not through some democratic process, but through a sense of denial for what we stood for, even our most basic values. These people, like me feel that the Party has taken them for granted, assuming wrongly that we will just continue voting PN because that is what we always did.

The PN is making a big mistake on two counts
1. Party loyalty is dwindling fast as people are less afraid to switch parties
2. The people I am talking about are principled people, many committed Catholics and Christians (as I see an even militant anger in the non-Catholic Christian Churches) who simply cannot accept our positions. Telling them that these rights are for others and not for you – does not work as a committed Christian knows that we are called to be light to the world not in a closet and so what happens in society and how society is evolving, what is right or wrong, for them is not something they can turn a Nelson’s eye to but a serious moral issue. Forget this, and you will never see these peoples votes again.

I assure you that the less colorful silent “Catholic/Christian” vote is far more influential voting wise the any other lobby, the only difference is that to date is not yet been mobilized effectively as happens in other countries, because to date these people did not feel the need for such a mobilization as they found a home in the PN. This is where I would like these people to remain.

The PN till to date has taken these people for granted, but if you seriously made your house visits you know these people and you know that they are not a few, we posture to them going to their religious events, feasts and other gatherings to send a message that we associate with their values.

I am writing to you this message because the Party cannot afford to lose this vote. If however the Party will continue to ignore these people, it is doing so at its own peril. My loyalty was always to these convictions, and this is why I joined the PN, as then these were the convictions of the Nationalist Party. If today these convictions are not part of the texture of the PN, then do not take it as disloyalty from my end when I write and from these people’s end when as many are telling me, they will not vote PN in the forthcoming election.

The Gay Marriage Fiasco

Unfortunately, I have no other words to describe this situation, and quite honestly the mishandling of this situation by the leadership is not surprising. You have brought the Party to a lose lose scenario and it seems many of you cannot even see it.

1. The Party had to have a mature discussion as to whether it agreed with the BILL or not (as it should have had before the commitment was entered into the electoral program). This clearly did not happen, and the Party took a position on the notion that the Bill presented was only “a change in name”.
2. When the Bill was issued, clearly everyone realized that this had more serious implications,
3. The Party decided to present over 80 amendments, but also announcing that it will still vote in favor whatever happens at committee stage we would still vote in favour. The Party naively thought that this was the Government would be open to some sort of dialogue in the committee stage, if we really believed this we have still not learnt who is Joseph Muscat who will on this issue continue sowing division. We once again playing perfectly into Joseph’s hand.
4. In the meantime we hear conflicting speeches in Parliament from apologizing for our Civil Union vote (for which I and I know many of you have no regrets because it was the RIGHT thing to do since we did not agree with the adoption of children something which is indeed serious and merits consideration) to those who clearly disagree and sought to explain the problems with the law. Objections varied to the point of having one MP even asking to be allowed (rightfully) to vote in accordance with his conscious.

My take on the situation with the LGBTIQ voters:

Seeing you in Parliament trying to amend the law with 80 clauses did not say much on the level of conviction the PN had on the issue, despite our apologies. They LGBTIQ leadership knows Joseph Muscat is giving them a blank cheque, and actually asking them (Gabi and Silvan) to write the law. The PN on the other hand is still struggling with the issue (rightfully because it sees the consequences which Joseph Muscat does not care about).

The gay vote will not come back to the Party in the forthcoming election, it did not come in this election despite all our apologetics and promises in the Program and behind closed doors.

My take, the gay vote will not come back to the Party in the forthcoming election, it did not come in this election despite all our apologetics and promises in the Program and behind closed doors. Joseph Muscat is their kingpin who on this issue not only gave / and will continue to give all they want irrespective of what we see as consequences – but also managed to silence the Nationalist Party.

With the Christian vote:

Lost too, especially with the crusade being made on Edwin Vassallo and is not asking the Party to change its position but to allow him to vote according to his conscious, after all this law is passing anyway. These voters were given some hope that in the PN there are still part of the texture that represents them. If Edwin does not remain consistent to his vote these people are perceiving that Edwin has been forced to comply, and that the Party wants to silence also their opposition.

If the Party also denies that small voice in the Party a representation in Parliament, what the Party is telling these voter is that I do not care about you – and these people are responding – and you will not get our vote.

Please get out of this illusion that the Maltese society is a liberal society, your circle of friends may be and possible many voters in the more affluent constituencies, the media that wants to sell this idea – but many of you well know that your Nationalist Voter are not happy at all with what is happening and there are more people with a certain conscience in our society then we want to believe.

The Electoral Pledge

These people are not buying our argument, people voted PN because we stood against corruption, many did not read the Program (it did not even reach many homes). As one gentleman put it to me yesterday he said, I read the program and was shocked, but what did the PN want me to do not vote, I choose to vote for what I saw the lesser evil but can never agree with the PN on this issue, he said we have discussed this issue in our prayer group and we have agreed that if the PN does not give a free vote to Edwin Vassallo we will not vote in the forthcoming election for the PN.

On a purely correctness point of view

1. The Electoral Program was not discussed before being presented to the General Council in a conclusive format, and published less the 2 weeks before the election, What did the PN want? That half the candidates do not contest – at that point I well understand the candidates who suffered in silence and moved on.
2. Our Program said we will present a Bill – The Bill in Parliament is not OUR bill so much so that we tables 80 amendments which literally change it in shape and form and not some cosmetic improvements.

How can we therefore argue that we have to all vote in favor because it was in our electoral program? It was NOT in the manner presented and therefore the Party had every right to take a different position and if our amendments were not accepted to even vote against; let alone not allowing those of you who do not agree to vote against especially when this is a matter of conscious. The position taken by the Party on this issue is damaging the Party to its core. People have not voted for gay marriage in the last election (even though it was in the manifesto of the two parties) the issue was clearly corruption, and I am meeting more and more Nationalists who either did not vote for us, FOR THIS ISSUE, or only voted for us because in their own words “we were the lesser of the two evils”.

The position taken by the Party (on gay marriage) is damaging the Party to its core.

I urge you to be more analytical of what happened electorally and where a 100% YES to the marriage amendments vote leaves the Party. The LGBTIQ may be giving some of you the impression that this will appease the PN with their voters, but I know first-hand, that they know that they are just being used for votes by both Parties – however as long as they get what they want it suits them fine. They know that neither Joseph or the PN are genuine about their convictions and that the PL and PN are just after their votes.

The 2013 election was not won or lost because of the gay vote, we were already out by a distance in the EP elections of 2009 (losing by the same margin). Clearly this election, with all the apologetics and promises we made to the LGBTIQ community should have brought as some of those votes back, not only that did not happen, but Nationalist personalities, such as Felix Busuttil openly campaigned for Labour despite the Party efforts.

The appeal not to split

If we are genuine about the appeal not to split – the only road is compromise and not imposition

Frankly I cannot understand the agenda of those who are persisting in this road. If this inflexibility is because there are far more than one who hold Edwin’s position, then this is a mockery of democracy and shows how wrong the Party was in putting it in the Electoral Program in the first place, ignoring this division. Find a compromise solution.

I think the Party has only one way to go, give the free vote
• Let the LGBTIQ community know who is convinced and who is not, what is the problem with that?
• But also let the Christian Voters fell represented in our Party and with respect.
Short of this – YOU ARE LOSING THEM BOTH.

I write this note because I love the Party. I harbour no ambitions to re-enter politics but I am deeply concerned by the large number of people that are approaching me and telling that this vote will be the death bell for them and the Nationalist Party – there words are simply “we will not vote Labour but the PN cannot continue abusing of our vote, ignoring our beliefs and sentiments and expecting our loyalty when the laws are being changed and our values publically ridiculed by both Parties is unacceptable.

There are also many Nationalists that did not vote at all in this election because they felt we did not represent them anymore. When we bundle such controversial issues in an electoral program as we say in Maltese the program become a “sikina taqata min zewg nahat”. Please don’t keep selling the mantra of rights – the Civil Union Bill already gave them the rights this Bill should have given them and I heard nobody appealing to repeal that Bill, NOBODY IS AGAINST GAYS.

Merkel had the courage to give a free vote – and even vote against despite being on the eve of an election. We have lost the election, the next one is still 5 years away and we think this vote will play somehow in the equation. It may if you deny a free vote to does who morally object to this law will harbor this against us. Ignoring them or calling them out dated, will not get you anywhere, 40,000 is a long way to go – we cannot continue subtracting.

My last word

Does of you with whom I worked so close in my political carrier know my loyalty to the Party and I am sure appreciate that my words are well meaning and full of good intentions.

For those of you who simply want to say we don’t care, then good luck, and enjoy your extended years in Opposition, and enjoy playing into Joseph Muscat hands.

If you care for the PN your care for every vote – even ours – and you will do everything in your power not to lose those votes – but this may require some compromise.

All the best

Tonio