Gibraltar Plans Referendum On Self-Determination

Panorama

22 May 2001

This story is reproduced by kind permission of Panorama at: http://www.panorama.gi

Gibraltar is considering whether to hold a referendum on self-determination, which is bound to cause ripples of anxiety in London and Madrid. The plan is being put together in the all-party talks on constitutional reform.

The select committee of the House of Assembly, Gibraltar's parliament, which includes members from the government and the labour/liberal opposition alliance, are considering changes to the present constitution, which dates to 1969. The select committee is chaired by chief minister Peter Caruana and includes two other ministers; the opposition is represented by socialist leader Joe Bossano and liberal party leader Dr Joseph Garcia.

The question before the committee is whether to hold a referendum on self-determination before submitting the final constitutional proposals to London or whether to hold a referendum on the final proposals only which, themselves, would advocate the application of self-determination to Gibraltar.

The government and opposition want to have public support for their proposals "given the threats from Sr Pique (the Spanish foreign minister) and the warnings from Mr Cook (the UK foreign secretary)", Bossano said in a Spanish radio interview with 'Cadena Cope'.

The opposition leader disclosed that Britain has already rejected a draft constitutional text, submitted in 1998, which included the right to self-determination on the grounds that this would provoke the Spanish government, which claims the sovereignty of Gibraltar.

Spain lost Gibraltar nearly 300 years ago, which has given rise to an ethnic Gibraltarian population which sees its future linked to Britain. Gibraltar is part of the European Union with Britain.

But Bossano has confirmed that they would like the referendum to be held this year and is convinced that the Gibraltarians would back the concept of Gibraltar being a non-colonial country, voluntarily associated with the United Kingdom

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