Both the Government and the Opposition have a choice to make if they truly seek to enhance democracy and justice in the country, Repubblika President Robert Aquilina said on Saturday.
He was speaking during a vigil held monthly to commemorate slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia outside of the law courts in Valletta.
Addressing the attendees Aquilina said that the country was at a crucial moment in its battle between “the forces of darkness and people of goodwill” and that ordinary citizens face the choice between resigning themselves to the realities of the day or continuing to search for truth and expend their energy in demanding justice to make the country better.
“I have no doubt that if we give up our country loses all hope of ever having a parliament, government, police corps and other institutions that truly work for the common good and operate with respect to the truth and a thirst for justice,” he said.
“But I equally have no doubt that we will not shirk these duties, I have no doubt that we will have the courage and determination required to keep fighting this battle to the end.”
This obligation, Aquilina continued, extended to both the Government and the Opposition.
“Robert Abela's government promised to lead with humility. If we see humility in the government’s actions, we welcome and recognise it,” he said.
“However, in the first days of this new legislature, we have seen no signs of this humility, we instead still see the same systematic attacks on the law and arrogance that characterise the past governments of Joseph Muscat and Robert Abela himself.
“The Prime Minister also promised he would extend his hand in friendship. We are still waiting for him to do so in practice. We would be doing so if from today he ceases the obsessive control that he holds on the institutions of our country,” Aquilina continued.
“He can start by letting the police do their duty and stop subjecting magistrates and judiciary to his bullying, for our country to find justice and turn a new page. He can distance himself from Joseph Muscat by no longer sheltering him politically and institutionally, He can stop controlling the public broadcaster and allow voices like hours to be heard on media that is supposed to belong to all of us. He can stop the campaign of media and trolls that attack whoever exposes wrongdoing and whoever chooses to associate themselves with us.”
Aquilina said that the Opposition also had some soul searching to do and needed to decide whether to throw itself wholeheartedly into the fight against criminality or bow to the pressure of those who seek to destroy the fight for justice.
“To be clear, we have no right nor international to interfere with what happens internally at any political party,” he said.
“But as we expect and demand to have a clean government, we must equally insist on an Opposition that fights for what is right.
Lack of prosecution of people linked with corruption is unacceptable
Aquilina went on to say that while many people who work in public institutions remain loyal to their duty to deliver justice, it was unacceptable that people linked to corrupt activities have not been prosecuted.
“It is shameful and unacceptable that a long list of people involved in corruption and criminality that were not brought to justice under Lawrence Cutajar, Ian Abdilla and Peter Grech still enjoy that same impunity under Angelo Gafa, Alexandr Mamo and Victoria Buttigieg,” he said.
“In the Police Force, the Office of the Attorney General and in the Judiciary there are several people who are capable in what they do and are determined to do their job wholly and without distinction.”
“These are the true servants of the people and we must keep supporting them with our words and actions. We encourage them in what they do and promise to shield them from those who seek to bully them out of doing their duty with integrity.”
Do not give in to those who seek to silence us
Aquilina also decried what he described as “persecution” from individuals who seek to isolate, abuse and silence those who in civil society, politics and public institutions speak out against injustice and thanked all those who supported the organisation in its mission.
“Among these people there are politicians, some of them here with us tonight,” he said.
“These people who come from more than one political party were shoulder to shoulder with us from the first hour after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.”
“Like us, they are not perfect as they are only flesh and blood. However, they know how to choose between what is good and what is bad and they have these past four and a half years sacrificed a lot for our just cause. They have supported us not only with their words or an errant Facebook status but in their tireless work for the cause.”
“I know how much they have suffered and even from those who should know better. But I also know that they have a lot to be proud of and whatever people may say about them, they can hold their head up high.”
Former MP and shadow cabinet member Jason Azzopardi, who was one of the lead figures in the public inquiry into Daphne Caruana Galizia’s death, has said he was deliberately isolated after failing to get elected in casual elections.
Saying that he intended to move away from politics after 34 years, Azzopardi said he faced attacks from afar and “even from within” as he made a name for himself as an anti-corruption campaigner.