Gibraltar Government Rejects 'Done Deal' Agreement

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

15 January 2002

The government of Gibraltar has hit out at plans to present a 'done deal' over sovereignty to the people at a referendum.

There has been widespread criticism of the way in which the United Kingdom and Spain have gone about discussing the issue of the sovereignty and control of the Rock, and the jurisdiction's Chief Minister, Peter Caruana, has refused to attend the Anglo-Spanish talks unless he is given an equal voice.

However, it appears that this strategy may have backfired, as in his absence, the United Kingdom and Spain have formulated a 'carrot and stick' programme to be presented as a fait accompli for the people of Gibraltar to vote upon.

If they agree to a lengthy period of joint sovereignty (which seems unlikely, given that in the 1967 referendum, the overwhelming majority of the population was in favour of remaining under UK control), the Spanish government has promised to ease restrictions at the frontier, and allow Gibraltarians greater access to mainland healthcare and telecommunications resources. The British have promised greater self-government as an incentive to agree to the power-sharing plan.

However, it has now become clear that a 'no' vote would result in a lessening of British support for the former military base, alongside renewed and tougher sanctions from Spain.

The Gibraltarian government has stated that it 'rejects and condemns' the plan, arguing that if, as is the likely outcome, the populace votes to remain under British control, the possibilities for the jurisdiction's future will be limited by the Anglo-Spanish agreement, and the Spanish claim to sovereignty will be legitimized.

The deal 'will amount to a total betrayal of our right to self-determination', the government was quoted as saying in the Gibraltar-based newspaper Panorama on Monday. 'Such an agreement will hang over our heads like a sword of Damocles.'

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