Yes, no doubt

So Furtu Caruana has now decided (February 14) to vote yes in the March 8 referendum once he is now aware that "the Labour Party, the General Workers' Union, Dom Mintoff, Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici and the Ghaqda Nassaba Kaccaturi (obviously referring to the Federation for Hunting and Conservation - Malta [FKNK]) have all declared themselves against the EU..."

Without going into the merits of Mr Caruana's decision, since Mr Caruana, a regular contributor in The Times, always had the obvious intention to vote simply yes - an opinion amply and continuously expressed in his contributions which show up his true colours - the FKNK wishes to state the following:

The FKNK has never given any indication of its views with regard to EU membership or otherwise.

The FKNK cannot agree with the government's negotiated package regarding hunting and trapping, even more so when considering that the Nationalist Party had promised the FKNK in writing, by means of a signed declaration of August 12, 1998, and endorsed in the same party's electoral manifesto, that things would not change under a Nationalist government, and that if any changes were to be made, these would only be towards the benefit of the sportsmen. Things have already changed drastically and not for the benefit of sportsmen.

The FKNK will persist in supplying only the truth regarding the government's negotiated package with the EU, in so far as the traditional sports are concerned, since the government and other related entities have only been telling half truths and in some instances downright untruths.

In this regard, the FKNK is still convinced, up to this very day, that a better package for local hunters and trappers, as well as for the natural environment in general, could have been achieved with FKNK's involvement at the negotiations stage with the EU. FKNK's involvement was another promise the Nationalist Party had made to the FKNK in the same signed declaration of August 12, 1998, and once more endorsed by the party's electoral manifesto.

There are promises and guarantees that the Nationalist Party has made to the local hunters and trappers over the last decade or so, which have never been kept. Whatever the outcome concerning EU membership, the Nationalist Party and its government have only themselves to thank.

Unlike other local entities, which have officially declared their position regarding EU membership, thus indefinitely attaching their society to one political party's bandwagon or other, the FKNK has not and will not take an official stand.

Similarly, the FKNK will not direct its members for or against EU membership.

Finally, Mr Caruana and anyone else should be made aware that the prime minister himself is very much in cognisance that a good package has not been negotiated for the local sportsmen and that he may have already directed the hunters (and trappers) not to vote for EU membership, as far back as September 2002.

The purpose of the PM's visit was to address the European Policy Centre (an EU think-tank) on Malta's EU membership - how and why? The FKNK quotes the last paragraph from the record of the proceedings:

"Pressed on whether his government could really win the referendum on EU membership, he (the prime minister) said the narow four per cent gap recorded in a recent survey of those in favour and those against was a significant figure in Maltese terms. He was sure that a significant number of opposition Labour politicians would back EU membership because 'that is where the Maltese feel they belong'. Apart, he added, from the hunters, and some in the business community."