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| The remains of Galizia's car after the explosion. |
At present in Malta the Bourgeoisie Class and its allies some of the better paid top echelons managerial workers, and pseudo-leftists, are attempting to bring down a democratically elected government using all means at that are disposable, fair or foul, and going as far as dirtying Malta’s name in Europe to achieve their aims. In the European Union, some parties like the greens and other right-wing parties are describing Malta as a country where there is no rule of law, and that democracy has failed. This, however, is very far from the truth as the situation is normal except for the protest by a minority which is not affecting anything as it does not enjoy popular support. The Nationalist Party, the party that represents the interests of the upper classes, have twice in a row, been defeated at the poll, by a landslide. Also, a contradiction has arisen within the PN; the inner circle is involved in an internal struggle to remove their new leader who was elected by the party’s grassroots against the wishes of the PN’s inner circle. Their rhetoric leaves much to be desired and arrogantly declare that government is theirs by right. For instance recently a speaker in one their protest meetings that they are holding right now, declared that the Castille (PM’s office) is theirs by right and that the present administration is there because it had rented the place, disregarding the fact that the electorate has twice rejected them, and yet these persons try to convince us, that they the only defenders of the liberal democracy that is practised in Malta.
The recent murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, a journalist and a blogger, by a car bomb, is being used as a thin veil excuse for this purpose. Persons that hated and feared her when she was alive are now making her a martyr for justice and truth. To start with Caruana Galizia was neither a crusader against corruption as the BBC has described her after her death, nor the saint as the Maltese middle class wants the world to believe. Her importance is being blown up out of all proportions. Her murder which was condemned by all quarters of Maltese society is being used to give the false impression that Malta reeks with corruption and that crooks are everywhere. This is being done out of spite as although today’s Labour Party has moved to the centre and has continued a neo-liberal policy as the previous PN administration, they still consider this party, as the party of the working class.
Daphne Caruana Galizia was a Nationalist Party propagandist. She embarked on this career during her student days as an activist against the Dom Mintoff administration back in the 1970’s. Later on she embarked on a journalistic profession and later on she had her personal blog which she used to crucify anyone who acted or said something she did not like. She went as far as attacking the personal life of her victim, his wife or children were not spared. One person came out saying he lost his job and his family had suffered because of a remark he had published on Facebook. His employers scared that she would ruin their business sacked him. During the 25 year Tenure of PN successive administrations never once she wrote or condemned corruption. Needless to say, there was plenty of it. One big scandal was when the PM Secretary was knifed in the back, his would-be murderer was used as the prosecutor’s witness, to bring to justice those involved, his evidence was not accepted in court, he was exposed as the person who did the stabbing and nothing came out in fact all persons he had accused were all found innocent. It is still a mystery who was behind all this and why the prosecution trusted this unsavoury character.
In 2013 something happened in Malta the Bourgeoisie suffered a landslide defeat. This was unthinkable as like kings of old the PN believes that it has the divine right to govern. At times the Catholic Hierarchy came to their aid to maintain this dictum. Daphne Caruana Galizia who had attacked the Labour Party and its MP’s in opposition now became the main critic of the newly elected Labour Administration with her spies within the public service employees she uncovered all that was going around. Of course, there would be corruption; no administration in Malta was ever free of this as Malta is a capitalist country. She brought to the attention that a Minister and the PM chief of staff had secret Panama accounts. An action was taken against the Minister involved he was removed from his post. In the case of the PM chief of staff, who is not a civil service employee, but employed on contract, no action was taken, as according to the Maltese law it is not illegal to have secret accounts plus the fact that he was giving a good service which would have been lost if he was sacked. In fact, members of the PN acted as agents to help individuals procure secret accounts. One of them today is an MEP.
The Prime Minister Joseph Muscat also came under attack in Caruana Galizia blog she alleged that his wife owned a secret company to which she brought no tangible proof. In fact a person owned up and still it was insisted that this company belonged to the PM’s wife. The PM reacted by ordering an independent inquiry into these allegations, so far the judge appointed has not concluded his investigations which is overdue as he had ample time to do so. On the first of May the Prime Minister called for early elections. The PN’s battle cry was corruption, and as in 2013 they suffered another landslide defeat, this time even greater.
Something happened within the PN their former leader was made to resign and amongst the contestants, for leadership, there was the nomination for Dr Adrian Delia the President of a local football club. The PN inner circle fought hard to keep him out. However, the paid members of the party thought otherwise by electing him. As soon as he became leader Daphne’s guns were turned on him. She exposed him as a bankrupt businessman who also was involved in shady deals like prostitution in Soho to all these allegations, he denied and answered with 5 libel cases, he even went as far as to call her a whore. Now he has withdrawn all the libels and has become her defender. He was spurned by her family as they did not accept an apology made by him. His co-option in parliament, so he could fill the post as Leader of Opposition, proved to be a difficult task and it took weeks before an elected member was convinced to cede his parliamentary seat. After his co-option and his actions in parliament, some of the PN’s elected MPs took exception to this, as prior to his election he promised a new way of doing things, but he is acting very much like his predecessor. Now they are working for his dismissal by a vote of no confidence. As things look now it is very possible that he will end up as party leader but not a leader of the opposition.
In Parliament Delia’s answer to the 2017-2018 Estimates speech was not a critique against the budget put forward by the government, but a tirade against the government asking for the resignations of the Prime Minister, the Attorney General, and the Police Commissioner over the alleged by him the breakdown of the rule of law which again according to him brought about the Galizia Caruana murder. The reasons for this supposedly break down of law which is alleging are that the Police Commissioner and the Attorney General took no action and made no arrests in the Panama Paper scandal and Egrant allegations. As stated above the Maltese law does not consider it illegal to have secret accounts. If today this seems archaic it’s this law that has to go and not the Police commissioner and the Attorney General. Also in Malta, the police must have proof that a crime was committed. They cannot arrest anyone on suspicion. This comes from Malta’s past colonial rule whereby Maltese Laws are similar to those in Britain.
Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder must be condemned as the criminal act that it actually is, but one must also condemn those who are trying to sanctify her for their political ambitions. Action against corruption must be made always regardless of what party governs. Citizens that only condemn the other side and completely close their eyes to the mistakes made when the party that they support, is in government are hypocrites. Needless to say, this applies to all.
Victor Degiovanni
Secretary C.C.
Communist Party of Malta
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