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Louis Fenech
Iklin
If Dr Fenech Adami thinks that by celebrating Freedom Day with due dignity and reverence as celebrating Independence Day, means introducing partisanship in the celebration of national days, then he is being a truly Nationalist. Being a Prime Minister of the ‘whole of Malta’ – as he persistently states to be – he should prove to be one, at least this one time before resigning. He must not forget that it was Dr Alfred Sant as Prime Minister (1996-1998) who first gave tribute to Independence Day Memorial at Floriana in order to show that he is truly a Prime Minister for the whole of Malta and Gozo, not to mention other undertakings that irked so many labour followers who expected otherwise of him.
What Dr Fenech Adami personally believed, and the way he acted 25 years ago in respect of this advent in Maltese history does not give him any divine authority to express himself the way he did when replying to the MLP’s letter. Furthermore, it’s an insult to the validity of this occasion to involve a defile of military vehicles. Freedom Day commemorates exactly the opposite. Freedom Day is the day when Malta said goodbye to the British military base forever, to become a centre to promote peace, especially in the Mediterranean region. This addition to the meagre celebration already announced by the Government has ultimately shown that the Prime Minister acted not in the interest of the Maltese nation, but to quench his avidity for partisanship. And this goes averse not only to the MLP’s aspirations but also to public opinion, including that of Alternattiva Demokratika. AD, in reply to a letter received from the MLP, expressed its opinion in favour of celebrating the 25 anniversary in a dignified manner, besides showing its willingness to participate in an official manner. It did so in its capacity of a third political party that considers this day a day of national unity among all Maltese and Gozitans.
If Dr Fenech Adami is aiming to be nominated to the highest, and most respected ‘seat’ in local politics, this does not auger very well. Through his ultimate performance he is telling us that he is not rising above partisan politics, and instead of being a symbol of unity - as this high position warrants - he is going to draw more wedges into the schism that already exists in political Malta. How can he be dispassionate when he was judged to have been guilty of political discrimination! How can he be unprejudiced when allowing boards of directors to have blue eyes! And how can a person be nominated to the most respected position, when on being elected to the PN’s leadership his first appeals were for muscle-men to come to the aid of his party!
And how can it be that a person, who all his political life did nothing but ‘fight’ his political opponents, be the candidate. A person who vehemently and so ruthlessly made it his agenda to make us believe that the Malta Labour Party while in office was violent, hostile and excruciating, and did nothing to better the social life of the Maltese. That the sun dawned for the first time in May 1987. How can this same person one day change his spots and act open-mindedly, objectively and dispassionately for the sole interest of the Maltese Nation?
One wonders!
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