1.
GV. LABOUR PARTY RALLY PAN...
0.09

2.
ZOOM INTO SV. ALFRED MICALLEP
0.13

3.
GV. CROWD APPLAUD
0.19

4.
LV. LABOUR PARTY SLOGAN "LIBERY, EQUALITY, AND BROTHERHOOD"
0.22

5.
LV. MICALLEP
0.27

6.
LV. LABOUR POSTERS
0.31

7.
GV.ZOOM IN NATIONALIST PARTY RALLY
0.37

8.
LV. CAMMILLEN SPEAKING ZOOM IN
0.45

9.
GV. APPLAUSE
0.50

10.
LV. NATIONALIST POSTER
0.53

11.
GV. MR. ZAMMIT SPEAKING
0.57

12.
GV. CROWD
1.00



Initials JM/V/RM/JG



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: CONTROVERSY IN MALTA OVER THE GOVERNMENT PARTY'S PLAN FOR A NEW CONSTITUTION AND THE REFERENDUM BY WHICH THE ISLAND'S PEOPLE WILL SAY 'YES' OR 'NO'. ON SATURDAY (APRIL 4) THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY PASSED A BILL PROVIDING FOR THE REFERENDUM ON THE DRAFT INDEPENDENCE CONSTITUTION AFTER NEARLY FOUR DAYS OF HEATED DEBATE. THE REFERENDUM POSES THE QUESTION: "DO YOU APPROVE OF THE CONSTITUTION FOR INDEPENDENCE PROPOSED BY THE MALTA GOVERNMENT AND ENDORSED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY?"
YESTERDAY (SUNDAY) BOTH MAIN POLITICAL PARTIES - THE OPPOSITION LABOUR PARTY AND THE GOVERNMENT NATIONALIST PARTY - HELD MEETINGS ON THE ISSUE, TO INSTRUCT THEIR SUPPORTERS AND MEMBERS HOW TO VOTE. THE LABOUR PARTY, WHICH ADVOCATES A BOYCOTT OF THE REFERENDUM, HELD ITS MEETING AT MOSTA, WHERE A LARGE CROWD WAS ADDRESSED BY MR. MICALLEP, A MEMBER OF THE PARTY'S EXECUTIVE. (PARTY LEADER, DOM MINTOFF, WAS LISTED TO SPEAK AT THIS MEETING, BUT LEFT UNEXPECTEDLY FOR ROME.) THE GOVERNMENT NATIONALIST PARTY HELD ITS MEETING AT SIGGIEWI, WHERE THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH, MR. ZAMMIT AND ANOTHER M.P., CAMMILLION ADDRESSED SUPPORTERS.

UNDER THE DRAFT CONSTITUTION, MALTA WILL HAVE A MONARCHIAL SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WITHIN THE COMMONWEALTH WITH A GOVERNOR-GENERAL APPOINTED BY THE QUEEN. IN AN RECENT SPEECH PRIME MINISTER BORG OLIVER SAID HE WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONSEQUENCES IF THE PEOPLE 'DO NOT VOTE FOR THE CONSTITUTION.' IF THEY APPROVED IT, HE GUARANTEED THAT EVERY CLAUSE WOULD HAVE THE BLESSING OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHARGE./