I refer to councillor Dave Quayle’s reaction (TMID, 18 February) to my article published on this newspaper (TMID, 2 February). I must apologise for not giving my reply earlier, but I am sure that he understands that I was a candidate in these elections and therefore, my priorities were elsewhere.

Mr Quayle invited me to check my facts before putting pen to paper; however, he failed to contradict me on any of the facts that I had mentioned in my original article. Furthermore, it is clear that Mr Quayle was misguided when briefed.

First of all it was the Labour media that described Mr Quayle as the leader of the British Socialist Group in the Committee of Regions. It was not my invention. Obviously, Mr Quayle does not know the Maltese language and he had to rely totally on his guests to give him an accurate translation. No quarrel there.

However, Mr Quayle should have been more attentive to what I wrote about his intervention in the Malta Labour Party’s conference before the last general election. For Mr Quayle’s benefit and also the benefit of the Maltese younger generation, there was a time when the Socialist government in Malta outlawed any foreign politician delivering a political speech.

In the MLP conference, Mr Quayle had addressed a number of Labour candidates who had in fact voted, in 1982, to enact a piece of legislation called the Foreign Interference Act. If Mr Quayle had arrived to Malta from 1982 to 1987 and addressed a political conference, he would in effect have committed a crime, punishable with imprisonment. My point was not that Mr Quayle came to Malta to address the Maltese Labour Party. On the contrary, Mr Quayle and any other politicians should come over and express their support or opinion of any political issue. The point is that the Malta Labour Party advocated a “new start” when it was fielding candidates who have in the past been part of a government that suppressed democracy and our fundamental human rights.

I am also satisfied that you recognised that the members of the Malta Labour Party in the Committee of Regions are playing an important and influential role in the EU. I am not sure whether Mr Quayle was briefed that the Malta Labour Party had fought tooth and nail in order that there be no Maltese delegation, whether Socialist or otherwise, and therefore would not have been able to play any role in the EU.

Mr Quayle mentioned that he was looking forward to return to Malta and enjoy the islands and participate in our politics. He hoped that Dr Alfred Sant would have been the new Prime Minister who would have greeted him. Now that the general election has passed and the result is known, Mr Quayle is still very welcome to visit Malta, but he will certainly be greeted by a new Opposition Leader.

Dr Malcolm Mifsud

President of the College of Councillors of the Nationalist Party

Pieta`