GozoNews.Com

The Labour Party parliamentary group yesterday voted against the Constitutional Amendment proposed by the government to make Gozo a single electoral district, irrespective of the number of voters.

The first reading of the bill had been unanimously approved earlier this year, and although yesterday Labour MPs all spoke in favour of having Gozo as one district during the debate, the MLP later voted against the government motion.

The House was debating the second reading of the Constitutional Amendment intended to keep Gozo as one separate electoral district, regardless of the five per cent threshold with regard to the number of voters.

The door for an agreement has, however, been kept open, as Labour leader Alfred Sant tabled an amendment yesterday that will be moved at committee stage, requesting that if the other districts are not touched, Labour will vote in favour of the Constitutional Amendment at its third reading and at the committee stage.

Dr Sant said that the party had always been in favour of retaining Gozo as one district but this should not affect the new electoral boundaries, which were probably the fairest ever drawn up in the past 30 years.

However, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi countered by stating that the residents of Ghajnsielem should not be “blackmailed” by such proposals made by the Labour leader. He said that it appeared clear that the other districts would not deviate beyond the five per cent threshold, even if Ghajnsielem were to be returned back to Gozo.

The second reading was approved by a majority of MPs, with the Labour group voting against the amendment. However, the crux of the matter lies in the third reading, when a two-thirds majority is needed. Parliament will begin discussing the amendment at committee stage at 6pm next Monday.