The day Malta commemorates the anniversary of the historic creation of the Republic of Malta this year coincides with a national crisis, Moviment Graffitti said in a statement.

"Our country is suffering from the painful consequences of a betrayal which saw those at the highest echelons of power putting first the interests of a small clique of people rather than the interests of the populace at large."

"These past few weeks we have seen openly exposed the lethal combination between politics and big business; a combination which has led to a journalist being assassinated, among other things. However, the ugly consequences of a system which unabashedly allows the privileged and the wealthy among us to take decisions which impinge greatly on our lives has been felt for a long number of years. During these past 20 years, Malta has borne witness to several acts of privatisations - public land grabbing and of its assets; cases of corruption with no legal closure; and policies which favour and accommodate big business at all costs. This rotten state of affairs has been allowed to develop in a context where we see the two main political parties exerting huge control over our society and institutions, and which prioritise their party's lust for power over the interests of the people. In fact, these institutions are mostly headed by state functionaries which were put in office deliberately to submit to the will of politicians and businessmen."

"We need only look at the dismal state of our natural environment - particularly the issuing of countless and senseless permits to serve the interests of businessmen and patronage networks, and policies which were tailor-made to accommodate the interests of developers - to get a clear understanding of how the forces of power operate in our country and the tragic consequences which we have to bear."

"However, now that we are facing this crisis, we can also take advantage of the opportunity to bring about real, changes, as opposed to a superficial one. We have the opportunity to demand a new kind of politics which favours the people and which allows for fair wages and suitable housing for everyone; which gives priority to our natural environment and quality of life; where independent and transparent institutions which serve our country, rather than political parties or businesses, are the norm and not the exception."

"In conclusion, we hope that the grief that our country is experiencing at the moment will help us recognize the malady that has afflicted us, and gives us the strength and will to heal our scars. History teaches us that the people have the power to bring about the change they wish for. Republic Day is testimony to this fact."