As of Monday, the Opposition will not participate in any activities in which Joseph Muscat is acting as Prime Minister, Opposition Leader Adrian Delia said on Sunday evening.  

“Muscat did not understand anything,” Delia said, in a television interview shortly after Muscat announced that a new Labour leader will be chosen on 12 January.  

“He does not understand the anger of the people. He does not understand political responsibility. He does not understand the apprehension of entrepreneurs and unions which are worried about the situation. He did not understand the anger of the Maltese and Gozitans. He did not understand that Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder took place because of the sluggishness of our institutions,” Delia said. 

He said that the Nationalist Party recognises that the country is going through a big crisis and that he feels anger and fear like the rest of the population. He said that there is still much more to be done as a population to ensure that justice is served and that the whole truth comes out. 

“The damage that has been incurred by our country, the economy, our jobs, our peace of mind, as a population. All this damage could have been avoided had Joseph Muscat and his colleagues done their duty from the first day and taken the steps necessary to remove the corruption virus,” said Delia.

He said that the damage happened because the highest institutions dragged their feet as they were blinded by power, rather than driven by duty. He said that numerous international media have labelled Malta as an ‘Island of Corruption’ and ‘Mafia State’, affecting the reputation and the integrity of Malta. “Joseph Muscat has enough political understanding to know that the longer he stays in his position, the more damage he will cause.” 

Delia noted that Muscat said nothing about Keith Schembri or former Minister Konrad Mizzi. “The longer he remains in his position, the longer justice takes to prevail.”

Delia said that, as from Monday, the Nationalist Party will not participate in any political activities in which Joseph Muscat acts as Prime Minister. “The Nationalist Party does not recognise the legacy of Joseph Muscat,” Delia said. He said that tonight the population is even angrier, but it is important for the population to not give up heart to continue fighting for the truth to come out.