JUAN AMEEN



A new political party called Azzjoni Nazzjonali, which claims to have no political ideology but is against gays and migrants and in favour of hunting, was launched yesterday. Dr Josie Muscat, Anglu Xuereb and former Alleanza Nazzjonali Repubblikana member Philip Beatty are among its co-founders.

In a hall decorated with red, white and blue balloons, and banners bearing the party’s logo and the Maltese flag, a male dominated audience – very few women were present – heard the political ideas of the party.

Behind the founders seated on the stage: Charles Attard, Anglu Xuereb, Josie Muscat, Philip Beatty and Kenneth Zammit, was a large poster with the initials AN, surrounded by a circle that was half blue and half red. Underneath the logo were three words: sovereignty, seriousness and justice (sovrenita, serjeta, gustizzja).

George Tabone, who chaired the meeting, said it was not a press conference but simply a meeting to explain the aims of the new political party.

A general council will be held in the near future to elect the party’s leader and its officials, he said.

Dressed casually in an open shirt and suit, Dr Muscat spoke about the aims of the new political party and the changes – over 50 –it wants to implement.

“We have studied Malta’s political situation closely – it has always been dominated by two political parties and people had to choose between the lesser of two evils every time,” said Dr Muscat.

There is a lack of ideas and courage and new opportunities, and Malta is being slowly sold to foreigners, he added.

The morale of police officers and soldiers is low, said Dr Muscat.

“I have never heard one politician defend the soldiers, especially about the way they are treated by immigrants,” he said to a cheering and applauding audience.

These people are at risk of contracting a disease – the AN will stick up for them, said Dr Muscat.

“Malta is being invaded by people arriving in boats and people who are landing with a visa. These will overtake the country in the next 20 to 30 years unless we do something as one third of Maltese are married to foreigners,” he said.

The government is ready to spend Lm5 million on immigrants but does not have enough money to invest in pensioners, Dr Muscat pointed out.

Malta has accepted and welcomed irregular migrants since St Paul – but in numbers we could handle, he said.

“We are not against people who escape suffering from their country but we should not be the only ones shouldering this burden. If we truly form part of a (European) community, then it should share this burden with us,” said Dr Muscat, much to the delight of the audience.

The AN will reach an agreement with the EU whereby migrants who arrive in Malta will remain here for a month and then be sent to various countries within the EU, he explained.

The country is with its back to the wall and the government is keeping quiet about the problem, he said.

In an indirect reference to Norman Lowell, Dr Muscat said that those who dared speak out about the problem were immediately charged in court with inciting hatred.

Dr Muscat said the majority of youths are dependant on drugs and alcohol, adding that AN will focus on education and help boys become men by the time they finish school and not people who have to ask their wives for advice.

Apart from this, there was no reference whatsoever about AN’s policies in favour of women during the meeting.

So far, he said, no minister or Member of Parliament has ever paid for his or her mistakes.

Dr Muscat accused both political parties of destroying Malta Shipyards and blaming the workers for its failure.

He also pointed a finger at the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) and the government accusing them of destroying the environment with large development projects.

Azzjoni Nazzjonali is not right or left wing, or centre left or extreme right – political alignment is a thing of the past, explained Dr Muscat.

“We have to be realistic – whatever is good for the country will be our ideology,” he added.

He said there is a place for everyone in AN – it is for Maltese who believe in their country above everything else.

“We will bring together people who are not wanted or overlooked by the present political parties and discuss and find solutions for the problems that were swept under the carpet,” said Dr Muscat.

With a subtle reference to President Eddie Fenech Adami, Dr Muscat said that he would never accept that a prime minister is appointed the country’s president soon after he resigned from the premiership.

“The President represents the country and should therefore be directly elected by the people,” he said.

The potential candidate must have spent at least two years away from the political scene and will have the power to appoint the members of the electoral commission, employment commission, public service commission and, finally, the Broadcasting Authority, Dr Muscat said.

Furthermore, it will be the president who nominates the members of MEPA and who administrates justice.

The president will be helped by a council of state – made up of people who have made great contributions to society.

“Whoever has doubts about another person or entity, has the right to request the council to investigate the matter. The council, in turn, will make the results of the investigation public,” added Dr Muscat.

The AN will also implement two very important laws – the Whistle-blower Act and a tough Accountability Act, he said.

Anyone who donates more than Lm100 a year to political party will have to publicly declare the amount donated, he added.

The number of ministers will be reduced to seven – of these, four could be technocrats – without voting power – appointed by the prime minister.

The number of MPs will be reduced from 65 to 55 and these will receive the same pension as other people, said Dr Muscat.

Electoral districts will be reduced from 13 to five – and out of these five districts 45 MPs will be elected according to the district they come from. The remaining 10 will be elected directly by the people.

The 68 local councils will be reduced to five regional councils – each town and village will have its own centre to administer the people’s needs.

Furthermore, said Dr Muscat, those who contest local council elections can only be independent candidates and cannot have the backing of any political party.

Contractor Anglu Xuereb said a new political party was instrumental to rebalance Malta’s political situation.

“The country needs a breath of fresh air and a party that offers long-term plans for the next 20 years,” he said.

Mr Xuereb explained that yesterday’s event was only the launch of the political party and although its manifesto was not ready, it was at an advanced stage.

“Due to the absolute power of one political party, the changes the country needed did not take place. I am a patriot and strongly believe that I have a lot to contribute, politically, to Malta’s growth,” he said.

He spoke about the need of another serious political party in parliament adding that many people are fed up of partisan politics.

The political parties are not attracting enough foreign investment while the local councils need to focus on the needs of their locality instead of being held back by partisan politics, he added.

Mr Xuereb called for many changes, including improving public transport and roads, reducing the abuse in the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) register, introducing a system of registration and licensing for building contractors and reducing red tape.

“I believe that my experience as a businessman will be instrumental in helping the country make full use of the opportunities offered by the EU. I believe that we should instil patriotism and civic sense from a very young age while children are still in school,” said Mr Xuereb.

Former Alleanza Nazzjonali Repubblikana (ANR) member Philip Beattie, whose resignation was announced on Friday, said that, at present, there was little to distinguish one political party from another.

There are entire sections of society that are not represented in parliament and a new political formation is needed to address these needs, he said.

Mr Beattie then spoke about his own personal beliefs, clearly stating that these were not necessarily adopted by the AN.

“I believe that a political party should be based on the national order of society. I strongly believe in birth, the family and marriage between man and woman,” he said.

Furthermore, he said, national identity and culture should be protected against all possible threats.

In a clear reference to hunting, Mr Beattie said that everyone should have the right and freedom to practise a national hobby (delizzju nazzjonali).

“These rights are not negotiable as far as I am concerned,” he said.