It's time to decide

The festivities are over and it is time to go to the people for two decisions. A decision about Malta's future relations with the European Union and about a new government once the current legislature runs out of time during the course of this year. The two are separate and distinct decisions but with clear linkages between them.

The government seems to have formed a mind-set to go for the referendum first and follow it up with an election probably within a short time. It could well be that both will be announced simultaneously with the election date set to follow the referendum by a matter of weeks.

This is bad and condemnable. It should be avoided. Such a sequence would betray the need for the referendum to be a truly national affair where people would be at liberty to decide in line with their conscience and not necessarily in line with the directive of the political party they normally favour.

The decision to join the EU binds well into the future, much beyond the next legislature. It should be taken by the people away from the heat of elections. It needs to be taken on a truly national basis. It should not emanate from a pre-election referendum serving as a mere step-stool for the Nationalist Party's political ambitions or the personal ambitions of its leaders.

A referendum is by its very nature consultative. It is not legally binding, as the executive authority to implement the decision of the referendum has to be taken by the government in accordance with its electoral mandate. As the current mandate runs out before the decision can be executed on May 1, 2004, it is logical and correct that the government should first seek renewal of its electoral mandate and then, within the framework of that mandate, seek a specific decision in a referendum on EU membership.

If the people's wish is to go for EU membership, then the government will be re-elected and the subsequent referendum will be carried by a large majority as a defeated Labour Party will have to accept that the will of the people prevails and that such a decision cannot be reversed once validly executed.

On the other hand, if the people use their democratic right to elect a Labour government it signifies that they are not at all happy with how the government has performed and with what it has negotiated and would want to give Labour the opportunity of renegotiating afresh with the EU within the framework of its mandate.

I personally feel that within the latter scenario Labour should enrich its position by promising that in case it is elected it would still go ahead and hold a referendum before re-opening negotiations with the EU to execute its partnership policy. An electoral mandate is a general one where people choose their government even though they may not agree with the totality of the policies of the party of their choice.

Undoubtedly there are some pretty divergent views on EU membership or partnership which do not cut neatly across party lines.

Labour would enhance its electoral appeal by promising to proceed with the referendum soon after getting elected and then take the people's referendum decision as a specific mandate either to negotiate afresh a partnership policy or to execute membership, as is or re-negotiated, should the people so decide.

I personally have no doubt that Labour's partnership policy is far more suitable for our particular circumstances. Given the right leadership this country can prosper economically and politically by forging a strong partnership with the EU that preserves our ability to differentiate and be flexible while safeguarding our neutrality within the terms and spirit of the constitution.

I firmly believe that Labour would negotiate a deal far more suitable for our particular circumstances with the EU, where free from the risk of establishing precedents in giving digressions from the acquis, the EU could be more flexible in respecting our national characteristics and realities.

But at the end of the day it is not what I feel and believe. It is what the people want, after having the choices properly explained, that matters. And I am positive that a new Labour government would be capable of carrying the people's opinion on the EU to support the partnership policy in a post-election referendum, which would doubly strengthen the Labour government's hand in negotiating a fresh deal with the EU.

I am all for a binding referendum, but one that is carried on a national basis, away from the election heat, with choices properly and calmly explained and executed soon after the next election.

It's time to decide. But it's also time to treat people's right to decide with respect and not just manipulate things purely to preserve power.