The Nationalist Party machine is in full motion and volunteers within the party have been personally calling all members to ensure that the traditional ‘maduma’ flag does not make an appearance at Sunday’s protest against corruption in front of Auberge de Castille, the Malta Independent has learnt. Those protesting are to take a Maltese flag with them, undoubtedly to enforce the idea that this is a national protest, not a purely PN one.

Speaking to TMI, Independent MP Marlene Farrugia, who was elected on the Labour ticket, confirmed that she will join this Sunday’s protest against corruption, “unless the Prime Minister takes action and reshuffles the Cabinet excluding Konrad Mizzi following the Panama scandal.”

In the meantime, hundreds of emails are being sent out to the general public as an invitation to the protest informing them that the protest will start at 3pm from the newly refurbished Castille Square, outside the Office of the Prime Minister. The protest is being organised by the PN in the wake of the PL’s third anniversary in government which the PN describes as 'full of scandals and corruption’. Undoubtedly, it was the last revelation involving the PL’s Deputy Leader and leading minister Konrad Mizzi and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s Chief of Staff, Keith Schembri’s secret Panama companies which have pushed the PN to stage a national protest against corruption, says the party in its communication to the public.

The email goes on to say that one does not open a secret company in Panama to simply deposit a pay cheque, but to pass millions through at the detriment of the public.  In the rallying email, the PN have called this a time where the country is calling each and every citizen to stand up and be heard in favour of honest politics.

Opposition leader, Dr Simon Busuttil, announced that the PN will be organizing the protest during a press conference held on Monday outside parliament. “This is a national protest, this is an open invitation. The Nationalist Party is giving a voice to all those who are sick of the corruption, who want clean politics and who are disgusted by the current situation,” said Dr Busuttil. This will be the first national protest organized by PN in several decades.

Alternattiva Demokratika Chairman, Prof. Arnold Cassola, weighed in on the protest saying that the AD fully accepts the fact that the PN has “every legitimate right to use its parliamentary and mass party means at its disposal”. That being said, however, AD believes that “the PN is not credible because of a number of events concerning exponents of the PN in the recent past.”

When TMI asked PN Deputy Leader, Dr Beppe Fenech Adami last week about the issue raised by AD, it was told that the difference between the parties was that as soon as The Malta Independent had revealed that Michael Falzon and Ninu Zammit had offshore accounts in Switzerland, they were immediately suspended from the PN.