Any child who repeats a word in quick succession begins to contemplate whether it means anything at all. Such is the effect of buzzwords when they get thrown about too much.
For this Labour government, words like “rule of law” and “political responsibility” have received the same treatment. It’s disheartening to see standards plummet and democratic scripture recited to justify autocracy. When politics loses these values, it becomes a meaningless rat-race for power.
Joseph Muscat, the embattled and soon-to-be former prime minister, says he has shouldered “too much political responsibility”. The whole point of political responsibility is to bear the brunt of the situation and prevent it from posing further problems for the country.
Muscat ought to have resigned to spare civil society from having to stage more protests; to start repairing bitter divides; to restore trust in our institutions; to allow justice to take its course.
Muscat hasn’t understood the half of it – or refuses to. He has deflected calls for his immediate resignation to the detriment of everyone else. His tarnished image belongs in the skip of political history, not as the pallid face of Malta.
Remaining prime minister is only a despicable attempt to rewrite history by ploughing through with an “honourable exit”, one that is nonetheless marred by national protests, international condemnation and an unprecedented constitutional crisis.
That Muscat ought to have already resigned is as obvious as water is wet. But what is not as obvious is the protracted effects resulting from his grasping on to the seat of power. His refusal to step down is causing more and more problems, risking a crisis that the nation would not recover from any time soon.
The Great Leader has absolute power, and anything that emanates from his grace is a gift to the people of Malta
What should have happened, according to our constitution, was for the president to consult the PL parliamentary group and appoint a new prime minister without delay. A Labour leadership election should have happened well after Muscat was clear of the OPM and of any influence he could have exerted over the leadership race and, more importantly, the murder investigation.
Electing a new prime minister should have drained the grime that accumulated thanks to Muscat. The new prime minister should have then got to work. Firstly, by repairing the damage to our institutions, secondly by restoring our reputation as a nation.
To rectify the trust that was broken domestically and internationally, a bold apology is needed first and foremost. Bitter wounds have reopened in Maltese society and are as sore as ever.
Malta was anxiously awaiting a replacement for Muscat that would send a clear message of unity, not for the Labour Party but for a nation flirting with desperation. We expected clear signals that anything Muscat touched would be investigated and, at the very least, an apology for all that Daphne, her family and those Maltese people who battled for justice had to go through thus far.
After years of denigration that fuelled her assassination, the Labour Party never apologised for what happened to Daphne Caruana Galizia, despite leading efforts to discredit her. Two years after she was assassinated, she was proven right.
Labour officials say they feel betrayed by Keith Schembri, a name intertwined in the murder case and its cover-up. But where is the apology to those who were demonised for being right?
Of course, which of them would dare apologise when the people who put us into this mess are still at large? Schembri may have lost his job as chief of staff but he is still part of the picture. No amount of incriminating testimony can get the police to touch him. Why wouldn’t you be cocky when your friend is still the prime minister?
Muscat’s prolonged resignation has realised the worst fears for our democracy. His resignation should have been sudden, and Labour delegates should have seized the opportunity to prove they were above Muscat and his cabal by promising a thorough investigation. But whoever is pulling the strings in the Labour Party hasn’t changed, and the perpetrators of corruption will remain protected.
If this wasn’t already bad enough, the Maltese public received another clear signal of the future of the Labour Party in power when Robert Abela resolved that he does, in fact, “tolerate” peaceful protests. Malta does not need benevolent dictators to tolerate protests. We are not living in some absolute monarchy ruled by a king. Our Constitution guarantees the right to protest, and in any democracy worthy of its name, it is the people who tolerate their politicians.
We already know the Labour Party’s record for showing contempt for our constitution. In Labourland, the Great Leader has absolute power, and anything that emanates from his grace is a gift to the people of Malta. To oppose him is to commit treason. That sort of mentality has no place in a democracy.
Everyone is fully aware of Malta’s majoritarianism. But under no circumstance will we tolerate this abhorrent, unrelenting assault on human rights in Malta.