Thursday's Parliamentary debate on the so-called 'Daphne bill' saw a great deal of finger-pointing between Members of Parliament. Government MPs attempted to make it seem as if the Opposition was trying to derail and undermine the ongoing investigation into the death of Daphne Caruana Galizia. This is a claim that is, of course, as ludicrous as the line of inquiry whereby attempts have been made to shift the blame for her death onto her family. At the same time, it seems that those who oppose the Government are often too eager to assume guilt where the issue may be not so black and white.
To begin with, a public inquiry into the circumstances of a death is not the same as a criminal investigation. The reality is always far more complicated than any assumption can portray. If the government is actually trying to obstruct the course of justice, it could be not because it wanted Daphne Caruana Galizia to die, or because it could have prevented her death, but because the it is involved in corruption and does not want to be implicated by association. That is to say, the government is guilty of many crimes, but it could be innocent of Daphne Caruana Galizia's death, and is trying to ensure that the people who did assassinate her do not reveal their own links to the government.
Take, for example, the possibility that it was a businessman involved in a shady deal with the Government who ordered the hit: the Government could be shocked by the murder but still wanting to hide any links to the corruption stories in which it is genuinely involved. A public inquiry would look into whether the Government could have prevented the murder.
At the same time, it is also possible that the Government had nothing to do with the entire incident in the first place. That is precisely why it is so important to stop obstructing the Opposition in its search for truth and justice. The truth should hurt no one except the guilty. If we are to have the truth, let us have the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It is in this spirit that Partit Demokratiku recommended a commission on Truth and Justice, which would not only be independent in structural terms but also free from any potential partisan influence by having the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Council of Europe act as its president.
The desire for genuine truth and justice for all Maltese citizens is also why Partit Demokratiku suggested an amendment to the 'Daphne bill' which would extend its remit to the murders of Karin Grech and Raymond Caruana. These cases may be old, but modern technology has advanced and old political problems have evaporated into new contexts. It may now be possible to get further in any inquiry than was possible in the past. I will also explain why expanding the remit to these individuals is crucial.
Public opinion against an independent inquiry into the circumstances of Daphne Caruana Galizia's assassination is a result of partisan politics and personal animosity. One often sees the names of others who were murdered brought up in this context, as if to say that the Opposition is selective in its pursuit for justice. Partit Demokratiku truly believes in justice for all, and for the general public to be on-board with such a genuine pursuit, it is appropriate to heal old wounds in the national psyche. Such a Commission could then look into other high-profile murders or attempted assassinations in the past. Each murder has, of course, been distinct, but the Commission would have a wider remit.
Ultimately, what Partit Demokratiku wants is for no stone to be left unturned, and for all MPs of clean conscience to band together on this issue of huge national importance. Healing such wounds will never be easy, and if a political price has to be paid by anybody, then let it to be paid. We are experiencing an increasingly hostile and paranoid climate because there is no political responsibility for anything any longer. Malta must move forward for a truly democratic Government and Opposition to function effectively. This bill, if amended as Partit Demokratiku suggests, will create lasting reform for truth and justice in Malta.