On a diplomatic level, it is now high time that the Maltese government takes a concrete stand on the continuously deteriorating situation in Libya. The country cannot afford to delay the matter any longer and it must deplore the hideous acts of violence being committed by what is becoming an increasingly brutal bid on the part of the Gaddafi regime to cling to power at all and any costs.

Many countries - among them the UK, the US, and Italy – are now more than a little red in the face after their recent, and successful, attempts to appease the Gaddafi regime. They are now decrying the brutal crackdown being conducted by the Gaddafi regime. Malta, on the other hand, has preferred keeping the issue at arm’s length as much as possible and is even reportedly concerned that the a ’one size fits all’ approach to EU sanctions is not suitable to the Maltese situation.

Malta, as a European state, must decide which side of the fence it is on, and it must come down off that fence with its feet planted firmly on the ground. In this situation, it can no longer serve as a bridge between the EU and Libya – it must serve as a demarcation line between the values that we hold dear, the very values of freedom and democracy that the brutal Libyan regime is riding roughshod over as its options become more limited by the day and hour.

This is no longer a question of keeping the peace but it is rather one of declaring those values by taking a stance against those who trample upon them.

This is not a question of saving face for having snuggled up to the regime to our south for so long, nor of waiting to see which way the prevailing wind will blow - it is a question of standing up to be counted among the rest of the civilised global community that is recoiling in horror over the Libyan government’s clampdown on those fighting for better lives for them, their children and future generations of Libyans.

We must stand foursquare behind them and against their aggressors - and that stance must be made clear as day.

This morning’s bid by a certain group partaking in yesterday’s protest in Valletta was not only ill-advised, it was downright irresponsible to have diverted the issue from that of deploring the Gaddafi regime to one of local politics by seeking to shame the Prime Minister for having recently met with Gaddafi.

Yes, the Prime Minister met with Gaddafi just a week before all hell began to break loose in Libya, but, to be fair, at the time there was not much of an inkling of what lay in store. Similarly, the Opposition leader had done just the same some months ago. After all, Libya is one of Malta’s closest neighbours, even though it has been run by, excuse the lack of political correctness, a madman for the last four decades.

Of course, Malta is doing a first class job in assisting the evacuation of expatriates from Libya and those health and security professionals and volunteers from the likes of the Civil Protection Department, the Red Cross and others who have soared over and above the call of duty are to be fully commended.

They and the country have risen to a considerable challenge and have proven the country’s mettle and heart. They are doing the country proud and we are all indebted to their efforts and sense of responsibility and compassion.

All the more reason for the government to finish the job and outright deplore the situation in Libya and the brutal crackdown being undertaken by the Gaddafi regime. Nothing less is expected of it – a spade, in this situation, simply has to be called a spade and no country can afford to sit on the fence any longer.

Of course, Gaddafi’s next move is, much like the man himself, very much unpredictable and there are potential retributions for Malta given its business and economic interests and even other considerations involving the country’s proximity to the regime-in-apparent-meltdown.

As such, one can understand that Malta is walking something of a tightrope. But it is in situations such as these that a country’s true colours are shown, and show them we must – just as those at the quaysides and airport have been doing for days. That is the true Maltese spirit.

We here in Malta are very much in the world’s eye at the moment and we will need to live up to expectations even more than we are doing at the moment by voicing the Maltese disapproval of current happenings in Libya, and voicing it loud and clear.