The goings on in Parliament on Wednesday evening reminded us of the worst parliamentary excesses of the late seventies and early eighties, Partit Demokratiku said. Not allowing an MP to state his case, threatening him, calling him names and invoking standing orders just to disrupt, is not on.

It just forms part of a state/party juggernaut riding roughshod over anyone who opposes it.

Yesterday’s adjournment also exposed the abysmal level to which the PN opposition has descended where no more than a handful of Nationalist MPs bothered to be present and show support to their colleague.

The events of the past days are further proof of the erosion of parliamentary democracy in our country, PD said, mentioning what is described as threats that the Prime Minister Joseph Muscat directed towards Simon Busuttil, underlying the alleged notion that whoever stands in the way of government is to be swept away. One can agree with Busuttil or not, but it is intolerable that a prime minister threatens an MP with exile and with the responsibility of the forging documents, which were passed on to him by third parties.

This is all generating a deeper divide in our country. Furthermore the use of trolls on social media is being organised to put down any dissent by generating fear of harassment, repercussions  and moral suppression.

PD asks – how can the New Way generate trust in its electorate if it has washed its hands from the party’s main electoral platform (fight against corruption) of just a year ago?

This is not a normal European democracy – this will verge towards a totalitarian state, beset by a culture of impunity, where everyone is expected to believe what the ruling party dictates.

Overwhelming evidence indicates that this country’s administration is beset by corrupt elements, nonchalantly allowed to operate by a weak or compromised prime minister.

Partit Demokratiku reminds all members of parliament of their sacrosanct duty towards the Constitution and the people who elected them, to carry out their duties as per their Oath of Office. PD demands that this country regains its sanity where rule of law, good governance and accountability return.

PD said it expected all people of good will to stand up to those, as powerful as they are, who are undermining our fragile democracy.