GIBRALTAR today Letters

Full text of the letter from the Voice of Gibraltar Group to Dr MaShane on the occasion of his visit.

THE VOICE OF GIBRALTAR GROUP Gibraltar, 4th. July 2003.

Minister for Europe,
Dr. Dennis MacShane MP.

Dear Sir,

The Voice of Gibraltar Group sincerely hopes that your present visit to the Rock will provide you with the opportunity to fully understand, once and for all, the strength of feeling of the People of Gibraltar in its defiance of the ongoing Anglo - Spanish negotiations.

Whilst in two minds as to your intentions in 'resolving' the many 'irritants' that affect the day to day lives of the Gibraltarians, to do so at the cost of their identity and sovereignty is totally anathema and will be fought tooth and nail. A level playing - field will suffice and is not much to ask.

You know, all too well, that the restrictions are only the symptoms and not the problem itself, Spain's anachronistic sovereignty claim. Persisting with the 'Process' legitimises the Spanish position and rides roughshod over the wishes and aspirations of the People of Gibraltar.

Recently, you indicated that 'the chances of a deal acceptable to the Gibraltarians were zero'. You are right, yet you stand by Jack Straw's policy statement of 12th. July last year. However, your underlying objective was all too apparent, a subtle threat to the Spaniards to agree to your 'red - lines'. Well, even if they concede, the odds remain at 'zero'.

Dr. MacShane, you can rest assured that 'twenty - five to thirty years' of chilling - out will not alter the resolve of the People of Gibraltar. Even if you were to convince the Spaniards to lift all restrictions, as a good - will gesture or otherwise, do not expect the Gibraltarians to be grateful, since these are, at best, unneighbourly and at worst, illegitimate and theirs by right.

It is also paramount that the period of time you have mentioned is not misunderstood by the Spaniards to mean that you will deliver then, only to have to go through the whole rigmarole all over again. Then, as now, the People of Gibraltar will decide what is best for them and the result will be the same. Any hope of a close call is an illusion. Peter Hain can vouch for that. Likewise, the lull must not be used to hinder the unalienable right and aspiration of the Gibraltarians to determine their own future.

Therefore, The Voice of Gibraltar Group, in the certainty that it shares the views of the majority of Gibraltarians, demands a commitment from the British Government to engage in meaningful dialogue with the Rock's elected representatives, political, economic and social forces, on the way forward, irrespective of the neighbours' stance or reaction. The 'Spanish Dimension' was consigned to the dustbin at the referendum. Your new-found ally, who is instigating legal proceedings against the UK for implementing a Human Rights Court decision, will have to come to terms with the realities of democracy in the 21st. century, as you so rightly stated in your recent interview(s) with the Spanish Press.

It must be obvious, even to you, that, despite the Chief Minister's eagerness' for 'reasonable dialogue' and past attempts at good neighbourly relations, this has not been possible due to Spain's intransigence on parallel advancement on the sovereignty issue(s). But that is the price the Gibraltarians have learned to pay if sovereignty concessions are the 'dowry'. Continuous calls for the Chief Minister to 'fill the empty chair' under the 'two flags -three voices' format is purely a ploy on your part to cover up your misinterpretation, miscalculation and mishandling of the whole process. In all honesty, do you really expect a Chief Minister of Gibraltar to participate in talks on the principle of joint -sovereignty, let alone those to decide the finer points of a 'done deal'.

Gibraltar is united in the fundamental issues of identity and sovereignty, although, there are differences in procedure amongst the various political parties. To construe these as weakness and exploit them for your own ends will still not get you to your desired destination. Please listen to the majority of the Gibraltarians and not the 'selected few'. Peter Hain did so and two years down the road you are in a morass. A continuation of that 'philosophy' will only lead to an all round deterioration of relations, which no - one wants and which benefits nobody.

The British Government has obligations, both moral and legal, towards Gibraltar under the 1969 Constitution, EU Treaties and UN Charter. These must be the basis of their mutual relationship and every effort must be exercised for its enhancement. So, take back to London the Gibraltarians' clear message. Over the past two years, it has been very lucid indeed that the Prime Minister has either ignored the verities of the situation here, or has been 'ambiguously' advised by the FCO mandarins and/or his 'spin -doctors'. The resounding result of the referendum was the categorical endorsement of public opinion that prevailed, on the Rock, since the relaunch of the Brussels Process. Yet your Government deemed it 'opportune' to dismiss it. Do not fall into the same trap again.

The democratic process in Gibraltar cannot stand still whilst the British Government decides what to do with a 'plan' that was doomed to failure from the outset. So, with the conviction that the majority of Gibraltarians concur with its aspirations, The Voice of Gibraltar Group reiterates its demands and calls on 'Perfidious Albion' to:

* Retract Jack Straw's policy statement of 12th. July 2002

* End the Brussels Process/no talks on sovereignty

* Grant the Rock a permanent status in line with the House of Assembly (Gibraltar's Parliament) constitutional proposals, integration, UN 4th. Option or independence

* Decolonise Gibraltar through an act of self - determination of its people

* Uphold Gibraltar's rights in the EU - Commence legal proceedings in the EU against Spain whenever appropriate (e.g. telephones)

* Refrain from entering into 'agreements' on Spain's EU vetoes against Gibraltar and use its best endeavours to overturn present exclusions.

Any less and the children and grandchildren of today's Gibraltarians will still be crossing swords with yours in 'twenty - five to thirty years' time.

Finally Dr. MacShane, here is some food for thought which you are welcomed to share with your good friend Ramon de Miguel, unless of course, you fall out with him over the EU enfranchisement of the People of Gibraltar:

Although Spanish politicians 'share' your concerns for a better future for the Rock, they find it very difficult to acknowledge the separate identity of Gibraltar and its institutions. This has been patently demonstrated by 50 years of aggression and vilification, which continues to this day. How anyone, yourself included, can expect the Gibraltarians to have any faith or trust in them is beyond comprehension. However, if the Spaniards were to recognise the principle of self - determination and raise no objections or place any obstacles in its achievement, perhaps then, the People of Gibraltar, duly decolonised, self - governing and universally respected, no longer an impediment in a territorial dispute, after 'twenty - five to thirty years' of 'reflection' and normal relations, may be in a position to freely and democratically consider closer ties with its neighbour within an evolving EU. Think about it!

'The last temptation is the greatest treason
To do the right deed for the wrong reason' (TS Elliot).

Opposedly yours,
The Voice of Gibraltar Group.  

"Sovereignty of the Person"

The GGR has welcomed the publication in the UK of a Government White Paper bringing equality to same sex partnerships.

In effect, through this legislation, the UK Government are aiming to provide the same equality rights for same sex couples as GGR has been demanding locally in Gibraltar for the past 3 years. We don't want ghettos or a favoured status, "but to be treated in exactly the same way as others - with the responsibilities that come with rights.

There is no justification at all for requiring any citizen to pay equal taxes, equal social insurance and be equally responsible for upholding the law whilst at the same time not granting rights equal to other citizens. None in their right mind can justify such a state of affairs, yet that is precisely what we have at present in Gibraltar. Here in Gibraltar we must come to grips with the fact that "Sovereignty of the Person" has to be top of our agenda if Sovereignty over Nationhood is going to succeed.

GGR will continue to campaign for equality in all areas for all participants in our society, regardless of social status. It is the only right and proper thing for a 21st century European society to do. Especially when we are presenting demands internationally for our human rights to be respected when it comes to determining our right to self-determination and sovereignty.

GGR supports Gibraltar's human rights wholeheartedly. But it is not possible to demand human rights as a People but then deny them to the Person. It is nonsense to ask for self-determination for our country as a whole yet deny self-determination to individuals. If we continue to maintain a gap between these two interdependent and interconnected issues, we will not only be failing ourselves as a society, but we will also fail to get our case across internationally. Success for Gibraltar must be measured not only in terms of Sovereignty over nationhood but also in terms of Sovereignty of the Person, without which nationhood as such has little if any value or meaning. 

Politicians and Parties who fail to see these connections are failing us as a People - and failing us badly. In this regard, the Integration with Britain Movement and its Leader also have a particular responsibility which they cannot continue to ignore or remain silent over.

Felix Alvarez,GGR chairman

Thanks

Dear Sir,

The Help Us To Help Them Support Group would like to give our thanks for their prompt replies and actions, specifically the Tourist Board Department has replied to a reasoned letter on the conditions of various subjects relating to Eastern Beach. 

After we complained to this Department that an extra lifeguard tower should be provided at the southern end of the beach, they explained that they are not in position to build an extra lifeguard tower, as the Government of Gibraltar will shortly be redeveloping all areas between Eastern Beach and Catalan Bay and for this reason is not willing to develop existing facilities in lieu of new and improved ones to come. However they have informed us that they will have an increased complement of lifeguards. This will ensure that we have extra vigilance at all times and they will issue instructions that this area of Eastern Beach should be given particular attention. We also complained to this Department that every year it is the beach users that have to remove all the stones around this area of the beach. 

All the stones have been removed by Master Service (Gibraltar) Ltd. This area of the beach is now completely clean.

May we thank The Tourist Board and Master Service for their concern and for reacting so promptly to our report.

We hope that the beach users are now satisfied with the condition of this area of the beach.

Yours Faithfully

Chairman Julio Pons
And member of the committee 
Jessica Collado

End policy of dialogue

Sir,

Both the Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition have at one time or another spoken in glowing terms of integration as a definitive and secure way of decolonising Gibraltar. Nevertheless we find that neither of them is willing to put forward this concept, even as Devolved Integration, to the people in a referendum.

We can understand the position of the Chief Minister, because he is determined to take the dangerous path of attempting to arrive at a permanent solution through dialogue at ministerial level. Both the United Kingdom and Spain have put him under great pressure to take part in the Brussels Process, which by its very essence implies negotiating sovereignty. He cannot give way to them, without putting at great risk his chances of re-election as Chief Minister. He has, however, under severe goading by the Opposition, reluctantly produced Constitutional Proposals, which he has time and again promised to submit at some future date, which may never arrive. He has now indicated that the proposals will be tabled after the elections, which could be in 2004, 2005, 2006 or even 2007, if he does not put them off again.

In our opinion, these recurrent delays will continue. Dialogue with Spain and the Constitutional Proposals are as incompatible as the general theory of relativity is with quantum mechanics. Each can serve a purpose by itself, but they are inconsistent with each other. A fact, that appears to have escaped the G.S.L.P. led by Mr. Bossano.

Mr. Peter Caruana and the Foreign Office need another term of G.S.D. government, in which to continue to sell their policy of dialogue, which is why His Excellency the Governor talks of mending relations with the U.K. and Mr. Aznar spoke of an immovable rock in contrast to the hard line taken by the Spanish Press. No doubt the Spanish media will soon be brought into line with the needs of Officialdom.

If the Opposition in the House of Assembly wants to make a real impact at the next elections, they need to think long and hard at the situation and consider unambiguous support for Devolved Integration and detach itself from the Government and its policy of dialogue.

For ROCK FIRM (War Veterans) GROUP - Secretary.

TGWU member

Hello,

I believe that my late great-uncle, Alberto Lopez, was a prominent member of the Gibraltar T&G Union several decades ago. I would like to know if there are any records of his involvement, photographs featuring him, or any way I could find out more, as I am compiling biographical information about him for my genealogy research.

With many thanks for any help you can give me,

Yours sincerely,
Vanessa Lopez
(Bath, UK)

NessaUK@aol.com 

MacShane’s Visit

We encourage all Gibraltarians to join us in a Peaceful Demonstration of ‘Solidarity’, to give Mr MacShane a visit he won’t forget in a hurry of British/Gibraltarian Unity:-

1. To Remain ‘British Forever’!

2. Close the door on Spain’s Illegal Claim!

3. No Joint Sovereignty, NOW or EVER!

4. Remove the Brussels Process!

5. DEFEND OUR HUMAN RIGHTS!

Demonstration details

Friday 4th July 2003 

10.30am 

Outside The Convent

12.15pm Outside Cathedral St Mary’s (Silent)

12.45-1.00pm Back to The Convent

“Keep Gibraltar British” Group

Open letter to His Excellency the Governor Sir Francis Richard

Your Excellency,

We have read with great interest your address to the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Straw’s disclosure of intended joint-sovereignty was shocking, Mr. Hain’s address to us in Gibraltar was blunt, your speech at the Chamber was most diplomatic but the underlying message in all cases is the same, we either give up the rightful British legacy of our homeland or suffer the consequences.

What we, who served our country well in its time of need, want to hear from any one of the three is justification for the Spanish claim, initiated by Franco in the fifties, and pursued by a string of democratic governments of the Kingdom of Spain.

No one, so far, has been able to successfully argue against our contention that the Spanish Government has no legal, historical or moral grounds on which to claim sovereignty of British Gibraltar. All it has is a resolution of the United Nations, obtained under false pretences, with the votes of the communist countries and the South American dictatorships, aided and abetted by the passive Mandarins at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. These gentlemen allowed the world to believe that our representatives at the United Nations were puppets of the United Kingdom.

Yours sincerely,
Emilio Peire

For THE ROCK FIRM
(War Veterans) GROUP

Like “rotten apples”

Dear Sir,

I know from a friend that “TOSCA” was very successful. Excellent!

Mackintosh Hall is not the Theatre Royal and it is understandable that there were no concession tickets for Senior Citizens because of very high costs. However, it was not right that pensioners who paid £20 were told that the upper gallery was reserved exclusively for VIPs even if a few seats might have been vacant. Everyone else was confined to the lower gallery as “rotten apples.”

Sincerely,
John Sciacaluga

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