A new alliance for Malta - Arnold Cassola

The political situation in Malta is in shambles. Joseph Muscat has protected and covered up for Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri for the past 45 months with regards to their financial misdemeanours in Panama, New Zealand and beyond.

But, horror of horrors, we have now discovered that Schembri is also suspected of being connected in some way to the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. And Muscat has involved him in the investigations on this murder by letting him participate in the supposedly reserved briefings of the Malta Security Services.

Not content with this, Schembri continued to meddle in this sordid affair after the capture of Yorgen Fenech, by sending the latter messages on how he should behave through the intermediation of family doctor, Adrian Vella.

A behaviour typical of the most ferocious mafioso, who communicates with his henchmen through the sending of written pizzini.

Just for this, Schembri should have been arraigned in court as soon as possible. Instead, he is free to roam about Malta and the rest of the world and indeed Muscat has granted him a six-week extension till January 12 in which to clean up any proof of his dirty dealings. Amazing. Instead of resigning immediately, giving Schembri the opportunity to clean up any proof of his dirty dealings. Schembri has held Muscat by the b***s for years on end.

In a normal democracy, the PL parliamentary group and Cabinet would have sent their leader packing.

Instead, we have a spineless group of young yuppies and politically impotent veterans who, despite the dramatic events unfolding day by day in front of their eyes, once, twice, three times they vote unanimously like poodles to support Muscat in his work of protecting Schembri. What a miserable and pitiful lot. Not a shred of self-respect.

On the other hand, we have an Opposition leader, Adrian Delia, who is a mirror image of Konrad Mizzi and Schembri. Substitute Panama with Jersey and 17 Black with Soho and, hey presto, you get the cloned image. Do I want this guy to be Prime Minister? No way. Do I want any of the present poodles in the PL parliamentary group to be Prime Minister? Neither.

Which means that at next parliamentary elections, we must have a credible third Alleanza għal Malta for whom the many honest and law-abiding citizens of Malta and Gozo can feel comfortable voting for.

We have seen what the 55-year-old “winner takes all” model has led to. We must try to ensure that after next elections neither the PL nor PN can form a government without the support of the third entity. We need a clean Nationalist or Labourite with spine to be the new Prime Minister. 

Which also means that we need to be a sizeable group of candidates who are willing to stick by their principles. In these dire circumstances I think we need a movement which includes people from different backgrounds but who agree on principles such as clean politics, a decent future for our children and full respect towards the environment.  

My appeal for this Alliance for Malta therefore goes not only to the consistently honest people in Alternattiva Demokratika and Partit Demokratiku, but also to those honest people in the PN who have denounced Delia’s unacceptable past behaviour and consistent Labourites who were ready to be ostracised by their party in the name of principles. Mark Anthony Sammut and Desirée Attard are the first names that come to mind.

But we also need people from civil society to take the plunge and be part of this political project. I know that the members of Repubblika, Graffitti, Occupy Justice pride themselves on being apolitical and shun politics because of the dirt that is associated with politics in Malta.

But through their consistent actions and perseverance they have shown one and all that there is a Malta that cares, that is clean and that has strong principles.

Malta needs some members of these civil society groups to serve as members of Parliament.

Think of the common good.

Come next election, are you happy to see the umpteenth one-party government led by one of the spineless present Labour MPs or by  Delia, with all his baggage?

If not, let’s get going: in today’s dramatic circumstances, our country desperately needs an Alliance for Malta.  

Arnold Cassola, academic and politician, is former secretary general of the European Green Party and former member of the Italian Parliament.