These were the famously defiant words attributed by popular legend to Galileo. He was addressing the Pope shortly after being obliged to sign a recant of his theory that the earth spun around the sun. They are apt words today as the first news came out from the counting hall in MCC and as it gets closer to an official YES.
J’accuse’s preferred outcome for a referendum that should never have been seems to be winning with a 54%-46% result. For Malta’s voting pattern this is not far from being a resounding victory in a consultative referendum. The ball now passes to the politicians’ court.
We have to see now whether the PLPN dinosaurs will now shift given that they have a “popular” position that they can easily translate to a “populist” policy.
Austin Gatt and his like will have to think hard before moving on down the path of “conscientious” voting within the PN fold. Civic conscience would lead them to voting YES in favour of the bill. They have a condition they could exploit (the responsible divorce allows for some refining of the bill to ensure it is so) but they cannot escape the writing on the wall.
Joseph’s Labour might finally grow some balls. It is more likely to perform some logical somersault and suddenly switch to being pro-divorce as a party.It will be hard for Inhobbkoms party to do otherwise. If the parliamentary vote fails also thanks to conscience votes on Joseph’s side then the PL must bear the consequences.
The PM’s speech (now on NET) to the people seems to lean towards “respecting the will of the people”. In his statement he does mention that the parliament is obliged “biex ifassal ligi tal-maggoranza” – tfassal: to draft and to propose – is not the same as “jghaddi” or to actually pass the law.
PM Gonzi still mentions the respect of deputies who still believe that their conscience does not allow them to vote in favour of divorce. The hand washing is still there.
Will there be enough YES votes to carry the law in parliament? More importantly from a purely political point of view what will this vote tell us about the political parties and what baggage will they carry to the elections.
Austin Sammut’s first-hand analysis on NET tv just about sums it all up: “Il-free vote ghadu hemm”. They shot themselves in the foot long ago…. will they be mature enough to reflect on their civic duty or will the mysterious personal conscience trump their representative duty.
54%… Change begins at the MCC today.
