Leader of the Opposition and of the Nationalist Party Alex Borg has written an open letter to Prime Minister Robert Abela expressing his concern over the Government’s decision to schedule the parliamentary debate on Motion 421 for next Wednesday – the eve of the European People’s Party (EPP) Summit in Brussels.
Motion 421 was tabled in Parliament by the government whip Naomi Cachia on Friday, and seeks to “condemn the behaviour of the Opposition” after PN MEPs put Malta’s rule of law “in doubt” by backing a debate on the topic in the European Parliament, which is to take place on Tuesday.
Alex Borg stated that this decision appears to have been taken with the clear intention of obstructing his participation in the Summit. Nonetheless, Borg affirmed that he will be present for the parliamentary debate, as the national interest and the interests of the Maltese and Gozitan people must always come first.
In his letter, the PN Leader also rejected the Government’s accusations that the PN is working against Malta’s interests.
He reminded that the real damage to the country’s reputation stems from the failures of the current administration – including the fact that Malta became the first EU Member State to be placed on the FATF grey list, and that, on three consecutive occasions, nominees put forward by the Government for senior positions within European institutions were rejected.
Alex Borg called on the Prime Minister to, in the spirit of what was discussed during his visit to the PN Headquarters, prioritise the national interest above any partisan consideration – as only then can the country truly move forward.
In his letter, the PN leader expressed his hope that Wednesday’s parliamentary debate will be conducted in a civil and mature manner, sending a clear message to the Maltese and Gozitan people that their interests genuinely come first.
The motion in question asks Parliament to express “strong disappointment” in the Opposition because it is persisting in “attacking our country’s name abroad” despite having another new leader.
It also notes that the European Parliament debate always ignores the “unprecedented changes” that the Labour government had made on good governance, and deplored how the PN “uses the shocking death of Daphne Caruana Galizia to try and imply that justice in our country does not work.”
“Parliament must condemn the way in which, once again, the Opposition has chosen the colours of political partisanism and, to try and undermine the government of the day, remains ready to damage Malta by continuously and systematically using Europe’s institutions for debates, resolutions, and missions against our country,” the PL’s motion concludes.
In a short statement meanwhile, the Labour Party said that Alex Borg had “failed to convince” his MEP David Casa to withdraw the debate on Malta.
“For good measure, instead of accepting the Prime Minister’s appeal, Borg complained that a debate in Malta’s parliament in favour of our country will create logistical problems for him to go to Brussels,” the PL said.
“Once again, David Casa had the last word in the PN. The more things change in the PN, the more they remain the same,” the party said.