Today, the Nationalist Party commemorates an event which has gone down in local political history for all the wrong reasons. A story of loss and grief on a personal level but also one of such magnitude that on a political level it proved to be a turning point for our country.
They say that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. For this reason alone, at least, we must ensure that stories like these are not relegated to historical annals but are recalled time and again.
It was 5th December 1986 when Malta was shocked to the core by violent incidents. Times were already difficult with tensions flying high. It was the time when the Nationalist Party marched to Zejtun to hold a meeting led by then Nationalist Party leader Eddie Fenech Adami. The violent episodes on the day were a harbinger of what was yet to come. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Maltese of goodwill would simply not accept the violence which seemingly had the endorsement of the Labour government of the day. Fear was in the air and the threat to freedom and democracy was very much a reality.
After the Tal-Barrani incidents, two Nationalist Party clubs were the target of machine gun shooting. The first attack on the Tarxien Club left structural damage but thankfully no casualties. The machine gun used during this shooting was used again when shots were fired at the Gudja Nationalist Party Club. On that fateful evening, 25-year-old Raymond Caruana was sitting inside the club and he was shot instantly; it was a political murder that sent seismic waves of shock and horror around the island!
History was made on that cold, dark December night. It was evident to all and sundry that the level of violence was simply unacceptable and the threat of further internal strife was a distinct possibility. It was time for action! On a personal level, Raymond’s death left a gaping void in his family’s life who was profoundly shocked by the loss of this healthy, active young man. Their pain and grief would be further exacerbated by long drawn-out court cases seeking justice. This personal suffering was also borne by Peter Paul Busuttil, the man involved in the frame-up orchestrated by the police in their attempts to ‘investigate’ this murder. Thirty years on, these people are a living reminder of the despicable low that Malta had stooped to in the seventies and eighties.
Raymond Caruana’s murder precipitated a number of events. First of all, it set off a wave of determination that violence in the name of politics would no longer be permitted. The nation had lost all confidence in the institutions and the police force and we had reached a state of lawlessness. Raymond’s death was the call that enough was enough! This murder jolted people into acknowledging that the Labour government of the time had abandoned all moderation and that it was time to regain control This was when Eddie Fenech Adami clamoured for the historical reconciliation as the only way forward. While there was disagreement about whether this was the best way forward, this extraordinary reconciliatory process was to bring a new era for all Maltese and for local politics. Slowly but surely, violence in the name of a political party became a thing of the past and nowadays is conveniently forgotten by many.
Today the Nationalist Party will be honouring the names of the late Raymond Caruana, Peter Paul Busuttil and all those courageous enough who stood by the Nationalist Party in those times of conflict, anxiety and despair. Today we will remember, forgive but never forget. Today we will honour the memory of a young man whose pointless death facilitated the journey for Malta to regain a state of civility and democracy.
It all happened in December 1986. If you were around, you will surely remember it. If you are too young to remember, I urge you to research the events and to learn about this important part of Malta’s political history. We must not only remember the past but also ensure that we learn from it.
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Ms Galea is a PN candidate for the General Election on the 4th District