Labour heavyweights sign open letter to Prime Minister and Cabinet on SOFA

Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, Alfred Sant, Yana Mintoff and Sammy Meilaq are among the 110 signatories of a letter calling on the Cabinet to drop any negotiations of a SOFA with the US.

The letter, penned by activists and academics holding left-wing values, is a response to recent reports over the government entering into a Status of Forces Agreement with US.

A number of concerns are illustrated in the letter, among which relating to sovereignty, security, and the impact of SOFA on residents.

“A SOFA with the US, and for that matter any other government, undermines the sovereignty, jurisprudence and neutrality of the Malta government. Any such agreement contravenes the spirit and letter of the Constitution of the Republic of Malta,” the letter reads.

“Any such agreement is likely to create a de facto two-tiered legal system which discriminates between members of the US armed forces and Maltese residents. Countless incidents involving US military and locals, from places as diverse as South Korea, Italy and even the UK, indicate that such a two-tiered legal arrangement is detrimental to the interests of the locals.”

Arguments relating to peace in the Mediterranean are also made, noting how military interventions in the Mediterranean have often been “detrimental to peace, security and well-being and were catalysts for war crimes.”

“Any such agreement could turn Malta into an outpost for US armed forces to project military force into neighbouring countries. In doing so, we would likely make enemies of our neighbors with serious repercussions to the lives, health, livelihoods and safety of our citizens. A strong military presence would deter tourism and foreign investment which have been the main propeller of our economy.”

Reports spread earlier this month claiming that Cabinet had backed a US-Malta SOFA deal, but the agreement was scrapped altogether after failing to meet US expectations. Robert Abela initially refused to discuss the issue, while the claims were categorically denied by Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo.

MaltaToday reported yesterday senior government sources saying that Malta and the US "mutually agreed" to put a SOFA deal on the backburner following the public outrage.

Read the letter here