Slim chance of a ceasefire

London’s The Economist (August 10) is of the opinion that with Yahya Sinwar’s appointment as its new head, Hamas is becoming more of an underground guerrilla movement with a leader hiding in tunnels instead of shuttling between the capitals of the region. 

Yahya Sinwar, new Hamas head. Photo: MOHAMMED ABED / AFP

It continues that those in Hamas who look to diplomacy have been knocked back by Sinwar’s promotion and, with his cementing control of Gaza and now heading Hamas’s political bureau, the chances of a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages look slimmer. 

The “two-state solution” now seems even more fictional. Let’s hope this is a wrong assessment and that these two peoples claiming the same land as theirs will finally find some equitable solution. 

ALBERT CILIA-VINCENTI – Attard

President’s intervention

In late March 2024, when notary Miriam Spiteri Debono was nominated as Malta’s next president, the Maltese heaved a sigh of relief and hoped for a wind of change, knowing her to be a woman of action. Her nomination was approved unanimously by parliament.

As weeks passed, scandalous behaviour by cabinet ministers involved up to their neck, if not up to their eyes, in corruption, kept coming to light. No action against any of them was ever taken and life and business continued as usual.

To add insult to injury, the police commissioner seemed, and still is, non-existent in front of crimes committed. Malta has become a free-for- all country where corruption is rife and governed by a bunch of ministers who all have a lot to answer for.

We have witnessed scandalous actions by ministers, especially when it came to abusing people’s money. The list is far too long to mention in my contribution.

The Maltese are fed up. Malta is being looked at as a country where anyone can do what comes to mind without being checked. It is not considered to be a safe place anymore. People want a government who is ready to serve them and not one that is dead set to become rich overnight, immaterial how.

The Maltese are looking for someone to take action against those who feel that they are above the law. They are looking for protection against those who abuse of their power. These are internal issues which we need to solve ourselves. Still, the situation is becoming desperate.

In the circumstances, there is no other person to turn to, other than the president herself. She is there to protect the country and safeguard our constitution.

Some argue that the president’s role is only ceremonial. We all appreciate the responsibility and the duties she has to shoulder and the philanthropic work she does but we get angry when scandals keep coming to light involving ministers or their staff and it’s business as usual without any action being taken against them.

Our government is proved without any shadow of doubt to include a bunch of people whose road map all through has been to fatten their bank accounts. Something has to be done to stop this corruption.

People of goodwill and who love our country feel neglected and expect the president to pronounce herself and, if need be, dissolve parliament and call for fresh elections.

EMILY BARBARO-SANT – Mosta