At the party’s General Conference in April, I emphasized that after the last General Election win, and in view of the great support we still enjoy from the public, we should strive to be a better version of ourselves. Having a weak Opposition which is more focused on internal bickering than proposing a way forward for the country should not lead to complacency in our party. I insisted that we should aim to be the best possible version of ourselves.
After the Egrant inquiry, this message is all the more important. Having read the conclusions of the investigation led by Magistrate Aaron Bugeja, a growing number of Maltese citizens are realising that the Nationalist Party cannot be a viable alternative to our government. The establishment that militates at Stamperija, both within the Delia and Busuttil factions was too involved in this frame up for power to be trusted with leading the country in the near future. There is no doubt that the main protagonist of the Egrant saga was Simon Busuttil. It is now confirmed that Simon Busuttil has built his quest to become Prime Minister on a campaign of lies. A story based on falsified documents and a sequence of criminal acts.
This is not a question of political judgment, as some of Busuttil’s accomplices want us to believe. Simon Busuttil did not merely ask legitimate questions as the Leader of the Opposition, as he was duty bound to do. He actively and maliciously embarked on a mission to convince people, in Malta and abroad, that Joseph and Michelle Muscat are criminals. Under his leadership, official PN media constantly harassed Ms Muscat and their children with cameras and microphones when they were not on official engagements. An even worse type of harassment came in the form of hateful articles penned by the PN’s unofficial blogger, Caruana Galizia.
Busuttil is on record saying that he was sure it was the truth and that the magistrate cannot conclude otherwise. A simple online search shows numerous instances where Busuttil categorically stated that between Maria Efimova, Daphne Caruana Galizia and Joseph Muscat he was sure that the latter was lying. Yet he never accepted the challenge to resign from whichever position he occupies should the magisterial inquiry prove otherwise. With hindsight, we can all understand why he did not commit himself. He knew that the moment of truth would come and he would be exposed. His only hope was that by the end of the magisterial inquiry, people would have elected him Prime Minister. But luckily, the Maltese people chose otherwise.
We demand action against whoever was responsible for these actions. We want to know who forged the documents and whose instructions he was following. We want to know who knew about these criminal actions and whether money was paid.
During the past days, my colleagues and I have been approached by a number of people expressing their disappointment and disbelief at how they were taken for a ride by Simon Busuttil and the Nationalist Party. They ask us to work harder to unite as a nation and restore Malta’s reputation abroad.
My response to them is that they are welcome inside the Labour Party where they will find a party determined to keep changing the country for the better. We will continue to invest our energy in making politics based on principles and proposals. We will push forward more reforms that will continue to make our country a modern and a transparent democracy, and at the forefront of its European colleagues when it comes to citizen rights and liberties. We will continue to strengthen the economy and invest in social initiatives to act as a guillotine on the poverty rate. We will continue to create jobs and opportunities in new sectors.
Our vow is to become an even better version of ourselves.
Mr Debattista is the chief executive officer of the Labour Party