Prime Minister Robert Abela finds himself backed into a wall, the Nationalist Party said during a press conference on Wednesday, commenting that he seems to have been against a reconvening of Parliament to discuss Edward Scicluna’s position as Central Bank Governor because he “knows that the Labour parliamentary group is fractured.”
Nationalist MPs Graham Bencini and Jerome Caruana Cilia spoke on recent developments concerning Scicluna’s post as the Governor of the Central Bank of Malta, after it was announced on Tuesday evening that he would be suspended pending the outcome of the court case against him but still being paid his full salary throughout the suspension. This was announced following a Cabinet meeting that lasted hours, which was presumably largely focused on the issue.
Caruana Cilia said that Abela is being ignored and challenged by Labour exponents, who “seem to have more power than the Prime Minister.” The PN MP remarked that Abela is not leading, but is instead being led by a number of other factions within the PL, including “the strong faction of Joseph Muscat.”
The Nationalist MP said that this situation is a significant hit for good governance and Malta’s reputation. He commented that Abela and Scicluna are causing “irreparable damage”, and that the people of Malta and Gozo are suffering.
“Enough is enough,” he said, “Malta should come first above all. It is clear to everyone that we need a new political page, and this can only come about through a Nationalist government.”
With Scicluna now being under indictment related to the Vitals case, Caruana Cilia said that as Finance Minister, Scicluna was entrusted to administer the people’s money in adherence to the common good and for the country’s best interests, but that this was not the case and Scicluna instead “left behind him a total disaster”. The PN MP referred to Scicluna’s status as being suspended and still receiving his full salary, of over €11,000 monthly, as a “great embarrassment”.
Having said that, he then questioned what Scicluna could possibly know about Abela. He continued that Scicluna does not care about Malta’s reputation, and remarked that when workers are usually investigated, “even for things of significantly less consequence”, they get put on leave with half-pay or even dismissed, “but the Prime Minister acts in a completely different manner when it comes to Scicluna.”
Bencini referred to a comment that the Prime Minister had made following the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, in which Abela had said that Scicluna’s actions in this situation had raised the level of integrity and seen to the national interest. Bencini remarked that Abela “seems determined to laugh at the Maltese and Gozitan people”, as Scicluna would have immediately resigned after being placed under indictment if he “truly had the national interest at heart.”
The PN MP said that Abela is weak and lacks authority. “He was challenged by his Cabinet.” He continued that on the one hand, Abela had insinuated that Scicluna should resign, but on the other hand former PM Muscat came out and defended Scicluna. Following this, Bencini said, “Cabinet chose to take on Joseph Muscat’s advice.”
He commented that it is not true that Abela really took on the people’s message from the recent Local Council and European Parliament elections. “He is remaining on the same route and squandering the people’s money.”
Bencini said that Malta cannot continue on this route, he added that the country needs “serious leadership”, and remarked that it has been seen how Abela nor PL can “lead the country in a serious manner.”
The Nationalist MPs concluded by saying that there are clear fractures in the Labour parliamentary group and that Abela does not have the faith of his Parliament nor his Cabinet. They said that PN and PL have a different understanding of the national interest.
“The Labour Party thinks that the national interest means defending those close to them, but to the Nationalist Party the national interest means defending the interests of the Maltese and Gozitan people.”