A yes vote is a message in favour of tolerance and a united people, Sylvana Zarb Darmanin, a Yes-vote campaigner said earlier today.
Ms Zarb Darmanin said spring hunting is permissible through the highest European Union institution. It is a tradition held by the Maltese people, she said.
“She stressed that the yes vote has spread the message that coexistence must exist within the countryside”.
“Even if one doesn’t like one practice or another, we must tolerate its practice as long as it is a legal one and follows Maltese and EU directives”.
The yes campaigner said that everyone has a hobby close to heart. “If we truly believe in tolerance, then we should vote yes, and show that people are not willing to stomp on the interests of minorities”.
Lawyer Kathleen Grima said the campaign has affected people from all bands of society, including many who do not usually have an opinion on hunting in Malta. She said that, on the basis of respect and tolerance, people should not deny the right to a practice that is so close to the hearts of the Maltese.
She quoted President of the Malta Automobile Club Alfred Farrugia, stating that he wrote that the referendum can create a precedent for other hobbies.
“A few thousand votes against something are easy to achieve”. She mentioned that someone has already begun to collect signatures to overturn civil unions.
“It was a hard hit for families to see their loved ones, who are hunters, pictured as people who do not form part of Maltese society. These have also moved towards the Yes campaign, as they could not stand to see one Maltese pictured differently from another”.
Asked by The Malta Independent if the hunting lobby would condemn illegalities if the NO-vote won, Dr Grima said the hunters had always condemned illegalities and it would be stupid of them to encourage such actions if hunting in spring became illegal. Illegalities would not be encouraged and would be condemned, she said.
As for whether the yes campaigners will take any legal action if they lose, Dr Grima said that her principles cannot change overnight and she believes that spring hunting is sustainable. “However I am not saying I will bang my feet on the ground and not respect the result of the referendum”.
She did not directly say they would seek legal remedies however did not exclude the possibility.
“There is nothing wrong if someone goes to court to achieve legal remedies. I see nothing wrong with Joe Perisci Calascone saying that he will seek legal remedies”.
She gave an example of how things can change in a legal manner. She said that every five years the people choose their makeup. If you have a particular Parliament today, this does not mean that you will have this same Parliament for ever. “The natural process sees change with an election every five years”.
Ms Zarb Darmanin asked whether the No campaign will respect the result of the referendum should the Yes campaign win.
Photo by: Jonathan Borg