the people's wish as to what form the Independence Cons titution is oa a is now history. However it is very important that posterity should be made aware of a number of points.
All along during the Referendum campaign it was evident that this was going to be a replica of the 1962 elections with religon first and independe= nce second. This time, however, the Roman Catholic Archbishop, Sir Michael Gonzi, decreed that the Church will not intervene in a political Referendum. In spite of this the Island's priests aided and abetted by lay religious organisations paid no respect to this warning and carried on a frantic campaign in favour of the government urging people to vote 'YES,!
Only the Labour Party stuck to its principles and directed the people to vote 'NO! against the government's draft independence constitution which subordinates human rights to two clauses giving unprecedented power and privileges to the Roman Catholic church in Malta.
Out of 156,887 votes served 129,650 were cast. The result was 49,667 YES; 41,614 NO; 6,939 INVALID,
Numerous complaints and allegations are rife on the island how aged people, sick patients and nuns have been ‘pressurised! to vote. Cloistered nuns who are completely out of contact with the outside world beyond their convents' walls have been also taken to the polling booths in cars driven by governnent canvassers and priests. * Richard Matrenza is Permanent Secretary of the )Civil Government Section of the General Workers' Union, Malta.