NGO Repubblika has spoken about a “fascist” attack against civil society after a Nationalist Party candidate lashed out at an idea that the PN could be replaced by a new party.
Repubblika chief Robert Aquilina said that he is all for dialogue but when certain limits are exceeded there is no other way but to reply.
He was referring to a post by PN candidate Alex Borg, who condemned the Civil Society Network post on the social media suggesting that a new party should replace the “faltering” PN. In his criticism, Borg included Repubblika, which is a different organisation.
Borg said he disassociated himself from such entities, “whose aim went beyond the principles and values of our glorious party”.
He said he will work for the PN and its leader Bernard Grech and urged all PN activists to do the same. His comment was accompanied by a screenshot of a Civil Society Network post asking whether the PN should be replaced.
In a lengthy post in reply, Aquilina said such attacks “uncover fascist sentiments and attitudes”, and demanded an apology.
“Our country has already gone through a situation when a person was politically isolated and later killed,” he wrote, in reference to Daphne Caruana Galizia. “We will not tolerate this fascist attitude to take place without being censured”.
He said Repubblika criticised everyone and everything is it sees any wrongdoring. “We do not contest elections and we do not make electoral calculations. Who does not accept this reality should examine their democratic credentials”, Aquilina added.
He said that Repubblika is not anyone’s satellite, and never used any money coming from political parties or other entities.
“It is not acceptable that statements of condemnation and calls for boycotts against civil society are made when civil society is doing its democratic duties. Whoever makes (such statements) must apologise and shoulder responsibility,” he said.
Aquilina added that he ignored infantile criticism and reminds himself of the time when in 2019 Repubblika “dismissed a corrupt prime minister and those around him”. But what happened in the last hours is fascism and since there was no retraction, “it is our duty to denounce it”.