I refer to your open letter to the Prime Minister of Malta (TMIS, 4 May).

Let me first introduce myself. I am Ivan Grech Mintoff, nephew of the late Dom Mintoff. I am a socialist and a Mintoffjan both in belief and in DNA. Literally!

I have never been ashamed to say so publically and indeed I am proud of my heritage, beliefs and what they stand for.

After a lifetime of huge sacrifice, Dom’s reward from his own party was (like other great leaders) that he was first attacked and then cast aside without ever being given a voice to defend himself. You know that he was called a traitor, an insult which to date no one was ever man enough to stand up and prove where and how Dom Mintoff betrayed his country.

To this day, these cowards deny calling him so and certainly no one who was present then and gleefully clapping when he was called a traitor has ever retracted or even apologised for their actions! Indeed, most of those who did so are now in top positions within the party and therefore quite capable of doing so if they wished.

Ironically, it is these same people who now have the audacity to ask “il-Laburisti” and “Mintoffjani” to vote for something Dom Mintoff would never have accepted as good for Malta!

Like you rightly point out, Dom Mintoff would never accept anything but a straight road built on a neutral, independent and sovereign Malta, where decisions are made by the Maltese and in the best interests of the Maltese.

Inversely, Malta now finds itself in an EU where:

• Malta can never say no to any law imposed on it.

• Laws are being imposed on us that are certainly harmful to Malta and the Maltese (we all know exactly what state some EU countries find themselves in right now).

• Even more imposition have already been drawn up and planned by Schultz, Juncker and their federalist chums.

Astonishingly, knowing all this, both the present PL and PN directly support Schultz and Juncker (who vote against Malta’s interests) to become even more powerful and who insist that their policies of imposition are good for Malta when anyone with eyes in their heads know otherwise... we have all endured years of austerity and recession with no end in sight. This is a reality that no one can deny.

A true Laburist/Mintoffjan would never accept to stoop to such servile levels and would insist to have (at least) equal say in what happens in Malta and in the name of Malta. This is achievable now and yet it is not being offered by the PL/PN.

A true Laburist/Mintoffjan would certainly never accept (as has been done by this present PL) that Malta, most shamefully, now officially forms part of Nato via Partnership for Peace!

As usual, this and other laws that the Soldier of Steel (and others of sound moral values) would never accept are all introduced very quietly and behind our backs in the most shameful ways possible.

Instances of our representatives acting shamefully include:

• How the Lisbon Treaty was forced on Malta (because of EU imposition)

• How child adoption (a complete separate issue) was unnecessarily bungled introduced into civil union law (because of EU imposition).

• How Malta is now actively part of a military alliance (PFP) (because of EU imposition)

• How they will soon, after these elections, try to “neuter” our neutrality clause in the Constitution rendering us truly and totally in the hands of the new colonialists (because of EU imposition).

We have been challenging both the PL and the PN to a serious debate to discuss all these issues. They are both equally to blame! As expected, they refuse to stand up to the challenge preferring to ‘ignore the issues’ while asking people to vote for them!

I therefore do not blame your sentiment at all. I understand it completely.

With all this in mind, remember that it was Dom Mintoff, together with Dr Mifsud Bonnici who formed Front Maltin Inqumu (FMI) 12 years ago to show the Maltese that the agreement between Malta and EU was never to be accepted by the Maltese government and the Opposition. I am most proud to say that I was there from its inception and together with my colleagues, today we still have those solid principles that we stood up for 12 years ago. 

Now, together with other elements from CNI and other individuals who openly/secretly support us, FMI has formed Alleanza Bidla – Alliance for Change (this includes support from members of the present Cabinet, ex ministers/MPs and high-ranking people from both sides of the political divide – trust me).

I am proud to be standing as a candidate for Alleanza Bidla for the EP elections representing these entities, with a clear conscience that what I do is once again based on the same solid principles as those of the founders and with a mandate to go there and bring back our Sovereignty should the voters give me or my colleague Anton Calleja their vote of confidence.

Dom Mintoff is with us in spirit for sure. No doubt whatsoever! We feel it and discuss this point often. We are carrying on what he started and what he wants completed: to bring back sovereignty and decision making back into Maltese hands.

Many thousands feel just like you, Raymond and want to abstain as a clear message to their parties. We meet them every day and everywhere we go they greet us and tell us how unhappy they are. You have no idea how huge this wave of dissent is. It will of course be apparent in one week’s time!

But I think you are all wrong to ‘just refuse’ to vote. That is just not good enough!

Now is not the time for the Soldiers of Steel to give up and allow an easy victory to others… not so close to the start of a real change! 

We are just over one week away from what potentially could be the greatest upset of the bland political cart being offered by both the PN and the PL: one that is based more on theatrics and the status quo rather than on regaining sovereignty and rights we once enjoyed.

I suggest that you should instead, show the resilience I know that you have and therefore heartily vote for Dom’s Alleanza Bidla. Or as he would say “Qum min hemm u tahlix il-vot!” (Get up from there and don’t waste the vote.)

Will these Soldiers of Steel give him their support once more or will they give victory to those who use his name/work and then after the EP elections will throw him away once more? 

Instead of throwing away this unique and great opportunity (I can just hear him shouting at us not to do so), send a bigger message to both the PN and the PL.

Consider voting only for the Mintoffjani and others of the same mind who have stood up and formed Alleanza Bidla. Vote for Alleanza Bidla – the only candidates who want our sovereignty back and see the worker given the respect he deserves once more!

Is victory easy? Of course not. You should know better!!

Is it impossible? Your experience will tell you that the Soldiers of Steel, with unshakable conviction, won much harder battles than this even at this late stage by sheer guts and astute planning!

The present EU does not even start when compared with the past British Empire, Nato and the Church of the 60s. Surely, the odds then were much worse than these!

Yet together, we won bigger victories than this one and we are sure that with the help of our strong friends in Europe, we can also win this one too.

We certainly cannot do it all on our own, of course.

But together, I am convinced that we can, if each of us does our little bit and if our work is honest and done with a clear mind. 

Answering his call, we have already stood up and stated clearly. “This is not the road that we want it to take. We will be heard even if they don’t want us to be heard. We will take a better path.”

Will the Soldiers of Steel therefore also heed his call once more by voting for Alleanza Bidla? Or will they abstain from voting and give away an easy victory?

Ray consider well. Think hard – but not too long!

Then do your duty as you see fit and as he would want you to.

As always, I salute a fellow proud, undefeated Mintoffjan!

Something that come what may, no one can take away from us who have had the honour to work with the greatest national Patriot Malta has ever had.

Tislim.