The Labour government is committing mistakes that are costing it dearly, former Prime Minister and Labour leader Alfred Sant writes today.
In his Monday blog on The Malta Independent, the Labour MEP commends the President of the Republic for sending out a message against confrontation, and raises questions on the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists revelations known as Panama Papers.
Read blog here
In a post on Facebook, Dr Sant this morning said that Energy and Health Minister Konrad Mizzi should resign.
He said that Joseph Muscat showed admirable prudence and fair play on the issue, and for this he should be supported.
But it is not right that a decision that should be clear and inevitable is placed on the PM's shoulders, Dr Sant said.
"In his interest, both political and personal, in his family's interest, that of the Labour party and government, as well as the national interest, the decision that should be taken quickly is one to be taken by Konrad Mizzi: and this is to resign".
In this way he could safeguard and defend himself, Dr Sant said.
When asked about Dr Sant’s comments and whether or not he agrees that Minister Mizzi should resign of his own accord in his personal and professional interest, Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government, Dr Owen Bonnici said that he ‘fully subscribes to what the Prime Minister said on Sunday’.
The Prime Minister’s approach is that decisions will be taken once all the facts are at hand, meaning after the independent audit on Dr Mizzi’s assets is undertaken, Dr Bonnici said. Dr Bonnici said that the Prime Minister has already had to take difficult decisions in the past and he has full confidence that Dr Muscat will not hesitate to take them once again, if needs be. When asked for his own personal opinion about the issue of resignation, he said that he had nothing to add.
In reaction, AD Chairperson, Prof. Arnold Cassola, said: "Finally, after over 7 weeks, Alfred Sant is the first PL member of parliament to have had the courage to state the obvious, that Konrad Mizzi is a liability not only for the PL but, even worse, for the whole country and therefore Konrad must go!"
"We look forward to similar public declarations by Ministers like George Vella, Louis Grech, Varist Bartolo, Leo Brincat and Edward Scicluna, who have already expressed their views internally. They need to speak up openly for the good of our country".