AN A320 WAS DISPATCHED WITH A PORTION OF THE AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT DEFERRED AS INOP DUE TO A MISSING NET. THIS DEFERRAL WAS INCORRECT AND REQUIRED THE ENTIRE CARGO COMPARTMENT NOT TO BE USED.

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AT APPROX 20 MINS BEFORE DEP; A RAMP EMPLOYEE BROUGHT A NET FROM THE AFT PIT ON ACFT X INTO THE READY ROOM AND ASKED IF WE COULD FIX IT. THE FITTING ON THE STANCHION WAS NOT REPAIRED. AFTER SOME SEARCHING IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A NEW FITTING WAS IN IN THE FULL VIEW OF THE WINDOW ON THE DOOR IN THE FOREMAN'S OFFICE WHICH WAS LOCKED. THERE WAS ALSO A SVCABLE STANCHION INSIDE. IT WAS THEN LESS THAN 10 MINS PRIOR TO DEP AND IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT RELIEF WOULD HAVE TO BE SOUGHT THROUGH THE MEL. I PULLED UP THE MEL AND IT WAS NOTED THAT OPS HAD TO BE CALLED. I CALLED THEM AND ASKED IF I COULD INOP THE AFFECTED PORTION OR THE WHOLE PIT. THE WAY IT READ IT WAS THE AFFECTED PORTION. SINCE THE OTHER ACFT ARE DIVIDED INTO INDIVIDUAL COMPARTMENTS; IT SOUNDED REASONABLE TO ME. THAT MEANT THAT THEY COULD STILL USE THE BAGGAGE LOADING SYS WHICH IS SEPARATED FROM THE DOORWAY AND AFT SECTION BY A NET. AFTER THE PLANE HAD PUSHED BACK BUT HAD NOT YET MOVED; STATION OPS CALLED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS DEFERRED PROPERLY (AS FAR AS LOADING THE AFT PIT). I CALLED OPS BACK AND QUESTIONED HIM AGAIN. HE READ IT AGAIN; AND CAME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION THAT I HAD (WE WERE IN CONCURRENCE) AND THE ACFT WAS ALLOWED TO LEAVE. WHEN I CAME TO WORK THAT NIGHT; I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE DEFERRAL WAS INCORRECT AND THAT THE PIT SHOULD HAVE REMAINED EMPTY. I FEEL THAT ALL AMBIGUITY SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE MEL. I BELIEVE THE AMBIGUITY COULD BE REMOVED BY CHANGING THE WORD FROM 'AFFECTED' TO 'ENTIRE' FORWARD OR AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT.