Just a Poltical Tool

The Malta Independent



I have long maintained it.` Now it`s official. The EU enlargement will not happen on 1st January 2004 but has to be postponed till 1st May 2004. Even this date seems optimistic though the European Parliament election in June 2004 presents an important checkpoint at which the Commission strongly wishes to arrive in an enlarged format.

Four months delay may not mean much for the enlargement project. For Malta it does.` The said four months push the enlargement date into the next legislature.` There is no way that a referendum decision taken in this legislature can be executed before its term expires.

Now more than ever a general election ought to precede the referendum. In no country in the democratic world was a referendum ever held on a politically divisive issue by a government that does not have a tenure in office long enough to execute such a decision.

`There is no way that a referendum decision taken in this legislature can be executed before its term expires.` The Prime Minister was right last weekend in stating that the EU membership decision is one for the long term and should be taken soberly in the national interest and should not be a straight party politics decision. But I just cannot match these noble sentiments with his oft repeated intention to proceed to the referendum as soon as the negotiations are concluded.` Much less can I equate such national sentiments with the notion of holding the referendum and the election together.

How can such a referendum be anything other than a political tool if it is meant to harm the opposition`s standing for the hot on heels elections, denying it the opportunity to explain its alternative and provide a real choice between two alternatives`

Indeed the only way that a referendum could be a truly national vote above partisan politics is if it is first preceded by a general election. This would give the referendum proponents the constitutional tenure in government to execute the people`s choice removing the argument whether the decision is binding or not. Furthermore, away from the heat of an approaching election campaign, people are given an opportunity to vote on such a national issue with their mind not their heart. `If the government is averse to holding an election before the referendum than it only means that it considers the referendum merely as a political tool.`

If the government is averse to holding an election before the referendum than it only means that it considers the referendum merely as a political tool. Because if the PN is convinced it can win the next election than the subsequent referendum would, in all probability, be carried by a very strong majority, as deserving such an irreversible mandate.` It is obvious that should Labour finish the next general election contest on the losing side its EU policy will have to change to making the most of membership rather than to continue resisting it.

If, as is probable,` government fears an election failure and thinks it can change this by weakening Labour through an earlier referendum which could be carried on the wings of strong brainwashing campaign and mouth gagging of the opposition,` then in the process of seeking EU membership we are missing one its most essential ingredients: democracy.

Referendum is the people choice on a specific matter which ought to be binding on one and all; but only if it is conducted fairly with commensurate exposure given to opposing views, if it is held on a national basis away from the heat of a general election and if it is conducted by a government that has the necessary term in office to execute the people`s choice.