The episode in the PBS series L-Istorja Minn Wara l-Kwinti shown on Monday 27 February dealt exclusively with the 1962 general election, probably the most undemocratic election ever held in post-war western Europe. The producers and authors of the series concentrated more on the political infighting between the contesting parties and chose to skim over the physical and moral bullying suffered by voters of the Malta Labour Party before and during that election.

I only heard “Il-kwistjoni ta l-interdett” mentioned once by one of the protagonists of the time. No mention was made of the fact that the Maltese Church authorities, spurred on by Archbishop Gonzi, declared officially that it was a mortal sin to vote for the Malta Labour Party in that election, read its newspapers or attend its meetings. No mention was made on the pressure exerted in the confessionals on the mothers, wives and sisters of Labour supporters, threatening them and their men folk with eternal damnation if they voted Labour. No mention was made of the violent attack, using stones and bottles, on MLP supporters who crossed over to Gozo for a Labour Party mass meeting on 21 May 1961. Instead, we were only shown flashes of headlines in local newspapers reporting about “the pealing of bells to disrupt Mintoff’s meetings” Not even a word about the censored and banned broadcasts of the Malta Labour Party.

This programme tried to give the impression that the Nationalist Party did not exploit this shameful travesty of fair and free elections. Nothing could be further than the truth. For Il-Poplu, the Nationalist Party’s weekly at that time, the violence and intolerance of 21 May 1961 never happened. The latter day paladins of democracy and freedom of speech sat coyly on the fence and found nothing wrong in the brutal onslaught on the rights of the Labour Party and its supporters. Nationalist Party leaders were at the forefront on each and every pseudo-religious anti-Labour rally/ To exploit the situation to the hilt, the Nationalist Party called its 1962 Election Manifesto: “Malta, Catholic and Free”, as if the Maltese were on the verge of renouncing their religion.

This edition of L-Istorja Minn Wara il-Kwinti provided yet more proof that people closely linked to the Nationalist Party in government have hijacked the Public Broadcasting Service. Selective accounts of historical facts are not acceptable on State television and the Broadcasting Authority must look into this very serious matter with due urgency.

Vincent Camilleri

MOSTA