Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat took a common stand yesterday on the need for prudence in the ongoing Libya uprising while keeping national safety as the country’s top priority.
Speaking on their respective political party radio stations, they both described Malta’s role as a humanitarian one.
“We have consensus about foreign policy – the Prime Minister and I have independently declared that Malta should not be used as a military base,” Dr Muscat said on One Radio.
Malta should serve, as it had already done so far, as a humanitarian hub to provide and send help in this crucial moment. The country’s role was not a military one but it would also have to abide by the decisions taken by the United Nations Security Council, Dr Muscat said.
As French fighter jets took the first steps to enforce UN Resolution 1973 on Saturday, aiming to establish a no-fly zone and protect civilians, the Maltese government was criticised by some quarters for barring military aircraft from using Malta International Airport to launch attacks against Libya.
But Dr Muscat called for “prudence”, pointing out that one must keep in mind Malta’s geographic location, its size and historic mission. “Prudence requires that less is said.”
In fact, he refrained from commenting about the possible effects the uprisings would have on the Maltese economy, especially because of the local investment and Maltese who worked there.” While the State should not act as Big Brother to businesses and employees, they should not be brushed off,” was all he said.
The country’s pivotal role in providing humanitarian aid to evacuate foreigners could not be forgotten by other EU countries. “I expect this same solidarity to be shown by other European countries if there is another influx of immigration from other countries – it will be a crucial test for European solidarity,” he said.
The national interest and safety of Maltese families should be at the forefront. “The way we have acted so far – prudently – should remain so in the coming days,” Dr Muscat said.
This call was echoed by Dr Gonzi who called on everyone to be prudent in what was said and written so that the best decisions could be taken in the country’s best interests.
Speaking in a phone interview on Radio 101, Dr Gonzi said he had cancelled yesterday’s weekly political meeting to hold a meeting at Castille in light of the “serious situation”.
Dr Gonzi said he made it clear to Libyan Prime Minister Baghdadi Mahmoud in a phone call on Friday that a ceasefire was never going to be credible unless it was accompanied by the total withdrawal of government forces.
“When the news emerged that Malta was being asked to monitor and implement a ceasefire, the government had not received such an invitation and we had denied this,” he said.
Then, later that day, Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa said Libya wanted Malta, Turkey, Germany and China to monitor its ceasefire. But this was not going to happen unless specifically requested by the UN council, Dr Gonzi said.
“We will never allow Malta to be used as a military base unless there are special reasons for it to be used so. We took a position with the UN Security Council – I have the interest of my people first and foremost,” he said.
The government has cited the neutrality clause in the Constitution, which makes it clear that no foreign military base will be permitted on Maltese territory and that no military facilities in Malta may be used by any foreign forces.
Malta only had one airport, a “national asset”, which could not be endangered. Also, there was a military airport in Sicily “a few seconds away” that could be used, Dr Gonzi said.
“Our position is simple and reasonable and doesn’t obstruct the UN security council’s decision,” he said.
However, providing humanitarian assistance was something that Malta did without any UN resolution because these were the country’s values.
He also pointed out that he had been among the first to condemn the violence in Libya and that the end of the reign of Muammar Gaddafi was “inevitable”.
It had also been of great significance that Arab leaders strongly condemned his actions and requested the no-fly zone when they met other leaders at the recent Paris summit that gave the go-ahead for military intervention in Libya.
Dr Gonzi appealed to everyone, including businesses and employees who had jobs in Libya, not to give up. “I remain optimistic – we managed to overcome all types of challenges... we will get through this difficult moment.”