Matthew Camilleri (The Labour years, TMID 19 January) just locked on the words of the heading I gave to my letter on 15 January “those were the good old days” to take us back decades to certain episodes which PN correspondents today keep repeating ad nauseam, since they cannot find any sinister episode to write about when Dr Alfred Sant led a Labour government between 1996 and 1998.

When I wrote, “Those were the good old days”, I referred to the time when Malta “was a truly independent country governed by the Maltese people’s representatives in the Maltese parliament in Valletta”. I compared that time to the present one when “Malta’s government is nothing more than a glorified EU local council, run by unelected bureaucrats and foreign politicians from Brussels”.

I did not refer to any particular government, since we have had both PN and MLP governments since attaining Independence in 1964 and full sovereignty over the whole of Malta’s territory in 1979. Is Matthew Camilleri ashamed that Malta has been a truly independent country up to 2004, when Malta surrendered its sovereignty to unelected politicians and bureaucrats in Brussels?

I could just as well remind him of many dark episodes which happened under PN administrations, starting from the infamous 1960s, when many thousands of MLP supporters were forced to emigrate since there were no jobs available with the government except for the “Blue eyed” people. And so many other episodes leading to the recent wave of corruption scandals which have characterised recent years. But all this is beside the point. Hence my conclusion that Matthew Camilleri knew that what I wrote about EU membership could not be denied.

To Giov. DeMartino, whose letter Fear of a Labour victory (TMID, 19 January), which appeared in the same page on the same day as Mr Camilleri’s letter, all I can say is that by continuing to repeat the same litany or what happened in the 1970s and 1980s (leaving out what PN supporters had done), while avoiding comments about Dr Sant’s Labour government, he is actually confirming that Dr Sant as Prime Minister was a shining example of honesty, correctness and discipline which gave no chance to any dark episodes to happen again. And to put a stop to any corruption scandal which could emerge and be ignored or swept under the carpet, as has been happening in a regular way under the present administration!

Mr DeMartino should keep in mind that in a few weeks time, voters will be voting for a Labour Party led by Dr Sant, who has, time and again, proved to be a leader who accepts no vindictiveness of whatever nature against anyone, be they red, blue or green. Alas, the same cannot be said for the PN today. This is why PN writers fear a Labour Party victory, because then comparisons can easily be made!

Eddy Privitera

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