President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca met with #OccupyJustice representatives today at the Palace in Valletta.

The President referred to Daphne Caruana Galizia, and said that her thoughts are with her family, passing on her condolences.

She mentioned that "we are all children, mothers, and we can identify ourselves with her children."

"This is the time when our country starts constitutional reform," she said, while stressing that in meetings she held with the leaders of the country, this is the point she is pushing forward.

"Yesterday the House Business Committee in Parliament decided to start discussing the Opposition's proposed last week on Monday. It also seems that Constitutional Reform will be at the centre of the discussion on Monday."

She said that both parties for the last two elections committed themselves to being in favour of constitutional reform, "so I take the opportunity to appeal to the party leaders for the reform to start, take the time it needs, but needs to be done."

She spoke of the need to engage with society on multiple levels, so that the Constitution can be owned by the people. She mentioned the need to involve local councils as well as civil society, to evaluate the aspirations of the people, and have it reflected in the Constitution.

The President was pleased that a letter by #OccupyJustice mentioned the need for Constitutional reform.

She mentioned the need to respect one another, and not discriminate on the basis of gender or anything else. "Doing so challenges our human rights," she said, while adding that hate speech and discrimination directly attacks the respect and dignity everyone must value. She said that there was no excuse for women to be attacked and subjected to any form of violence.

Referring to Zarb, however not mentioning his name, she said she knows the person well and said what was said might have been done in the heat of the moment, however stressed that it still would not be a valid excuse, stressing that there is no justification for someone to insult others, "especially when attacking our fundamental values."