PM cautions supporters on EP vote

The prime minister had a word of caution for party supporters yesterday on the last Sunday before the European Parliament elections: they should be careful as to who they gave their voting preferences to because certain candidates, if elected, could "lead to the loss of EU funds for Malta", he said.

Next Saturday, the electorate, he added, should put aside minor domestic issues and bear in mind that the elected Maltese MEPs would be in a position to debate the next EU budget covering the years 2007 to 2013.

The electorate had to be aware that the voting system in Malta allowed votes to be inherited by a number of candidates and voters should not vote for non-party candidates, like Emmy Bezzina who could endanger substantial funds that Malta could benefit from.

His message was in direct contrast to that of AD candidate Arnold Cassola who said yesterday (see opposite page ) that it was in the interest of the country that a representative of a third party be elected to the EP. A pluralism of three was better than of two, Prof. Cassola argued. Dr Gonzi said that whenever the electorate had been called upon to take important decisions, they had taken the best decision and that this time round, the electorate would elect a majority of MEPs for the PN.

Addressing a political conference at the Mgarr Hotel in Gozo, Dr Gonzi said the Labour Party leader had stated that the Maltese MEPs were going to the European Parliament just to sit and listen and never speak or take an active part in the debates.

Dr Gonzi said that contrary to what Alfred Sant had stated, the Nationalist MEPs would be taking a most active part in what went on in the European Parliament.

As an example, the Prime Minister added that while the Socialist parties in the EP were bent on limiting the overtime that workers in the EU did, the European People's Party was all for the workers to decide on how many hours they themselves wanted to work unless this went against their health.

Prior to this change in the number of hours worked as overtime, employers could demand that the workers work as many hours of overtime as their employer demanded.

With this change approved by the EP, it would be up to each employee to decide on how many hours to work as overtime.

He said MEPs would be able to decide on such themes. Malta already had five MEPs, three from the PN and two from the MLP but they were mere observers for the past 12 months. "If the MLP observers at the EP were there just to warm their seat, that was their business but the PN representatives had achieved results even as observers."

Enlarging on this theme, Dr Gonzi said that during the past three months, there was a debate going on in the EP about funds that were available to islands.

But a number of MEPs were arguing that those islands which had a capital city should be excluded from such funding. If this amendment were to be accepted, islands like Malta and Gozo would have been deprived of such money.

"If for example, on an island like Malta or Gozo you have a factory making jeans, you have to pay additional transport costs to import raw materials."

Josef Bonnici, in particular assisted by the two other Nationalist EP observers, pushed an amendment with the clout of the European People's Party making it possible for Malta and Cyprus to become eligible for this type of assistance. People should weigh up all this and vote for those candidates who believed in the EU.

Dr Gonzi noted that when Labour MEP candidates were asked how they voted in the EU referendum, it took them as long as two minutes to give their answer.

Dr Gonzi said people should feel proud about the fact that they were now Maltese and European and were now living this reality.

"The smallness of our country is now no more because the country now forms part of the EU," he said.

In the first eight weeks, he continued, Malta was already experiencing the difference: the closure of Maghtab and determination to deal with the environment problem, change in prices and a greater selection of consumer goods.

Whether and how competitive the country could become cannot be brought about with the 'politics of the billboards'.