During the 2011 Libyan revolution the PN administration kept the Opposition informed on all that was going on in Libya but, three years later, the Opposition only go to know that a Maltese worker was abducted through media reports, PN Leader Simon Busuttil said this evening.
Speaking in Parliament, in a debate that is completely dedicated to the Libyan crisis, Dr Busuttil called on the government to keep the Opposition informed.
The PN Leader said what we are seeing today is closer to anarchy than to the democratic country that Libya should have become. It is in Malta’s interest to have stability in Libya.
Malta played a very important role during the Libyan revolution three years ago. It is now being called up again to play an equally important role in Libya’s transition to democracy. “We were praised for what we did in 2011 and one would expect the Maltese government to act in an equally professional manner now. We should show leadership during this difficult time and be prepared for emergencies, including a mass evacuation of foreign nationals.”
Dr Busuttil asked whether Malta has a contingency plan for the eventuality of such a scenario. He also referred to a report published in The Malta Independent which quoted Maltese nationals in Libya who have allegedly not been helped by the Maltese authorities. The report also quoted a person whose father is stranded in the Libyan desert, short of supplies.
The PN Leader said the Opposition is adding another paragraph to the motion that led to this debate that calls on the government to do everything in its power to save Mr Galea and bring him back to Malta as soon as possible.
PN Deputy Leader for Parliamentary Affairs Mario de Marco
PN Deputy Leader for Parliamentary Affairs Mario de Marco said Maltese business persons have millions invested in Libya, which is also the workplace of many Maltese nationals. He called on the government to protect their interests and to have a proper plan for the eventuality of an evacuation of Maltese and foreign nationals.
PN MP Marthese Portelli
PN MP Marthese Portelli said that the government is not giving a clear picture of the Libya situation. “We do not know what the government is doing, we have no idea what is going on, and we, as an the party in Opposition, who while in government witnessed a worse crisis in Libya, would like to give a helping hand."
Dr Portelli urged the government to brief the Opposition in confidence on the situation in Libya on a daily basis.
She reminded the government that under the previous administration, when another Maltese national was kidnapped, this time in Nigeria, the then minister responsible for foreign affairs had given a daily briefing. “We will not repeat the mistake a section of the media, which had close ties to the then Opposition, did during a moment of crisis when it speculated that that a missile was fired by Libya to Malta,” she said.
Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella
Foreign Minister George Vella insisted once more this evening that the need for an evacuation has not arisen so far. “The decision to evacuate is not ours alone. We are part of the EU and the EU heads of mission agreed to discuss the matter and, if the decision to evacuate is taken we will all evacuate our people together.”
Dr Vella said the government organised flights out of the country and 68 Maltese nationals had chosen to leave. Others made the decision to stay.
Claims by the Opposition and sections of the media that the government was not helping Maltese citizens in Libya were incorrect and unjust. Ministry staff have been closely following developments in Libya for a number of weeks and had subsequently issued advised all Maltese citizens not to travel to Libya.
The Foreign Minister said that, apart from the crisis centre, an operations unit was also set up at the Foreign Affairs Ministry and all Maltese nationals in Libya are being contacted regularly. The centre has logged 550 hours of work and over 3,000 phone calls.
Dr Vella repeatedly invited the Opposition to ask for information in a confidential manner but insisted that some details are best left out of the public domain. Referring to the PN motion, Dr Vella said he told Carm Mifsud Bonnici that a parliamentary debate was not the ideal forum to debate the Libya crisis since many aspects are confidential and others should be discussed behind closed doors because of their sensitive nature.
He said he had invited the PN MP to visit him at the Ministry where he would show him all the documents that he asked for. But Dr Mifsud Bonnici said he had waited for more than two weeks for someone from the Ministry to contact him and, since then, the situation in Libya has deteriorated.
Dr Vella said it would be impossible for him to assure the Opposition that all Maltese in Tripoli are out of harm’s way.
On criticism that people had to pay Medavia €260 to be flown out of Libya, Dr Vella said the government had negotiated a very good price with the company. “In the usual case of an evacuation, flights would cost around €1,000 per head.”
PN MP Carm Mifsud Bonnici
Former PN Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici said he was speaking with a heavy heart because the situation in Libya is getting worse day by day. The former Home Affairs Minister said he presented the motion because he was directly involved during the 2011 Libyan revolution, when Malta had promptly pulled out its citizens from the war-torn country. He noted that the government had not consulted with the Opposition, which had led a massive evacuation operation three years ago.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici said messages being shared on a secret Facebook page by Maltese nationals in Libya clearly show that they are highly concerned about the current situation. He questioned whether the time has come for the government to encourage them to come back to Malta. But the Foreign Affairs Minister pointed out that, while everyone is being given the chance to quit Libya, no one can be forced to leave.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici also insisted that the crisis intervention centre in the Auberge de Castille should have been fully-geared up right from the start.