The Leader of the Opposition made it very obvious that he and his party were using the unfortunate abduction in Libya of a fellow Maltese citizen, Martin Galea, to try and score a few political points

During the parliamentary debate on the present Libyan crisis, Foreign Minister Dr George Vella explained in detail all that he and his ministry had been doing to help those Maltese who wished to return from Libya. All Maltese citizens who were, or still are, in Libya were each contacted by the foreign ministry and informed of the situation in Libya. They were offered the chance to return to Malta. A minority accepted and have returned but the majority of them preferred to stay since their work there provides for their family in Malta.

As regards Mr Galea, Dr Vella explained that publicising the abduction would have jeopardised further Mr Galea’s predicament. I am sure though, that if Dr Simon Busuttil was so concerned about Mr Galea and wished to know the details which couldn`t be publicised, all he had to do was to ask Dr Vella to give him those details in private. After all, Dr Vella had invited Dr Mifsud Bonnici, the PN’s shadow minister on foreign affairs, to visit him at the ministry anytime he liked, and he would have been given all the information in confidence. Dr Busuttil knew this.

But, it seems, Dr Busuttil and the PN believed that they had another golden opportunity to play politics, even though the safety of a fellow Maltese citizen might be imperilled.

Now that the abduction of Mr Galea has had a happy ending after the excellent work done by the government and all those involved, particularly Marisa Farrugia, the Maltese Consul to Libya, one again hopes and trusts that Dr Busuttil and his party learn that there are times when playing politics must be forgotten rather than fuelled!

Eddy Privitera

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