This morning’s resignation of Labour Party whip Godfrey Farrugia is significantly damaging to the government, especially considering the strong words used by the MP to explain why he decided to make this move, Nationalist Party deputy leader Mario de Marco said today.
Quoting from Dr Farrugia’s letter of resignation, Dr de Marco said that “the people’s trust towards the Labour ideal should have never been betrayed and used for the agenda of the few who, it is clear, do not have the national interest at heart”.
Four years ago, Joseph Muscat promised a new way of doing politics, and the movement he built attracted people who really wanted the country to mature politically and register progress. “But the dreams and aspirations of these people was not fulfilled because the movement’s leadership – we came to know later – had other plans,” Dr de Marco said when addressing the media. Who is Dr Farrugia referring to, questioned the deputy leader.
“This is not a struggle between Nationalists and Labourites, but one between people of goodwill and those who hijacked the country with bad intentions,” he said. He said that the PL ideals have been betrayed by no less than the leader of that same party, Dr de Marco added.
Dr de Marco appealed to the public to join the National Force to give the country back to the people, and wished Dr Farrugia well. His decision was certainly “not easy”, Dr de Marco said.
"The government is trying to justify its mistakes. Let us all unite together for a national force. We are speaking of basic values, which are the most important. In this moment of crises, there should be a new movement, a new force, that encompasses all of good will.
Dr de Marco appealed for all "genuine" Labour Party supporters to "stand up and be counted" while Malta is facing an unprecedented crisis.
"I appeal to all genuine PL supporters, who like Dr Farrugia, feel betrayed, to come together and join a national movement. These people deserve better."
"The fact that this government is not working in the interests of Malta, that there is corruption and that the faith placed by people in the PL has been betrayed," were all raised by Dr Farrugia, Dr de Marco said.
Dr Farrugia's resignation is a strong condemnation of the Labour Party and the way it is governing Malta, Dr de Marco concluded.
Nationalist Party whip David Agius quoted more excerpts from Dr Farrugia's letter, in which the former Labour whip referred to the Panama Papers scandal as "a wrongdoing", described the Labour Party as having lost its moral fibre and also giving a bad name to Malta at a time when Malta is holding the EU presidency.
PN Whip David Agius said that this is a significant moment in Malta's history, and that Dr Farrugia's strong words about being made to vote against his conscience under the PL government and the leading party losing its "moral fiber" should not be ignored.
PN candidate Graziella Attard Previ said the only way to return to normalcy and stability is for Prime Minister to resign.
She stressed that this is the Prime Minister who failed to remove minister without portfolio Konrad Mizzi and chief of staff Keith Schembri when they were found out to have secret Panama companies.