Deeply rooted political tribalism that has plagued our nation for many years should be eradicated, the Partit Demokratiku said in a statement.
In the early 90s there was a real attempt by the then PM, Eddie Fenech Adami, to put the heavily split nation firmly on the road to healing. The healing had started and was progressing well, so well that in 2013 the vast majority of the Maltese and Gozitan population voted for Joseph Muscat’s rallying cry promising to unite the nation once and for all.
The people, our compatriots, yearned for the death of any remaining political oppression, and were eager to see our energies directed at improving our country and acquiring a standard of living that ensured the dignity of all members of our society throughout their lives, PD said.
The Maltese and Gozitan people wanted, and still want, to live in a country where peace of mind rules the day.
It is very unfortunate that by 2014 it had become obvious that the Prime Minister was losing his battle to unite the country, as elements within the Labour Party and newcomers to the party (the same people who had destroyed the PN) put their gluttony and greed before the national interest and repeatedly made clear that they expected to be allowed to plunder and pillage with impunity. They were sadly allowed to do so, inflicting untold damage on our country’s reputation, and grossly disrupting its sustainable all-round development.
The post-Malta Taghna Lkoll era had begun. Anyone who tried to point out and deplore the evil that was taking root was savaged, vilified and torn to shreds by the propaganda machine, which, in a few months has subtly mutated from the voice of reason into a hatred-manufacturing beast.
The Democratic Party is urging the other Parties to walk their talk and clamp down on hate speech with action, not just words.
As a party still in its infancy, PD, which has no hatred-spewing platforms and certainly does not condone them, made one mistake, but was prompt in correcting it, thus setting an example to other political parties who say one thing but consistently practise another.
The Democratic Party called on other political parties to put the National Interest above all else and halt their incitement and division-creating propaganda machinery.
The survival and progress of our nation is already difficult enough in the current global, European geopolitical turmoil.
We can face our challenges as Maltese and Gozitans much better as a united people that understand our differences and tolerate each other, PD said.