Charlot Zahra
A sizeable crowd gathered at the Granaries in Floriana to assist to the traditional PN mass meeting for the party’s Independence celebrations yesterday evening.
“What is greater than meeting at the Granaries to celebrate the 44th anniversary of Independence? We are now celebrating the culmination of forty years in which Malta has made significant progress in all areas,” Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told the gathered PN supporters during a 45-minute speech.
He paid tribute to former PN leader George Borg Olivier, the architect of Malta’s independence. “How right were you when you led us towards the path of independence, which led to Malta’s growth during the past 44 years all together,” Gonzi said.
Gonzi also paid tribute to former Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami, who took the country through the challenge of strengthening democracy and eventually led Malta to join the EU.
He also paid tribute to the Maltese people, who, in his words, “always took the right decisions when called to do so”.
Gonzi recalled the victory speech that he made on the Granaries in the Mass Meeting shortly after the March 8 electoral victory. “Like I told you then, we now have to move forward and face the challenges that the country is facing now.
“We are celebrating this independence in the context of the world wide economic crisis that has engulfed us. This is a clear indication of how much we need a strong leader at the helm of our economic system,” Gonzi insisted.
He called on everybody to “keep his feet to the ground. The moment that we are living now calls for us to keep our feet on the ground,” Gonzi insisted.
The forecast that we had made a year ago with regards to the price of oil was worse than that which we had made then.
Gonzi said that the main challenges facing the country are the rising prices of energy, the reform of MEPA and the rent law, the reform of the Drydocks, where we need to find “fair solutions for those families which are involved”, illegal migration and the challenge of sustainable development.
He called on people to offer “real solidarity” to those people who are weak in society, including illegal immigrants and victims of domestic violence, among other things.
Gonzi announced that Malta was negotiating with the EU on the question of burden-sharing in the question of illegal migration. “We expect the EU to show its solidarity with us, however we
“We have been the protagonists during the past 44 years with independence and EU accession. We now have managed to get the country’s finances into shape and the country is thriving.
Gonzi reiterated his pledge that the country’s financial accounts would be in order by 2010.
Before Gonzi’s speech at 9.20 pm, the National Anthem was sung by singers Chiara and Ludwig.
In his first speech as PN General Secretary, Paul Borg Olivier paid tribute to former PN secretary general Joe Saliba, who “gave his heart to the party and the country” for the past nine years.
Borg Olivier paid tribute to past PN leaders, including former Premier Eddie Fenech Adami, who led the country to European Union (EU) accession.
He called on the Prime Minister to mentor him during his tenure as PN Secretary-General. “Lawrence, if I do a mistake, tell me,” he said.
Borg-Olivier said that the decision for Malta to join the EU was the most important decision that was taken during the past 40 years. “Like in the Independence decision, Labour was on the wrong side of the fence,” he insisted.
“George Borg Olivier gave us political independence; Eddie Fenech Adami gave us democratic independence, while Lawrence Gonzi gave us economic independence. Thank you, Mr Prime Minister,” the PN Secretary-General told the assembled crowd.
He called for a dialogue on a social and political level with everybody, including those who do not agree with the PN.
In his speech, Deputy PN leader Tonio Borg paid tribute to the patriotic spirit of past Nationalist leaders like George Borg Olivier.
“If there were no patriotic people like George Borg Olivier, then we would have not have managed to get independence. It was with his sprit that the PN moved forward with the EU accession and joining the Eurozone,” Borg insisted.
“Whoever is speaking about a new beginning where was he, except for being on the opposite side when the Nationalist Party was pushing for Malta’s EU accession?” Borg asked.
He said that in the past few electoral campaigns, Labour had always spoken about the need for change, however they did not deliver. “Now they are speaking about a new beginning,” Borg said sarcastically.
Before Borg-Olivier’s speech at 9 pm, the crowd, waving PN flags and EU flags, was warmed up by a singer singing songs which were sung by party supporters during the last electoral campaign.
The last songs that was sung was “Dan hu l-Mument”, by Ivan and Priscilla and “Flimkien Kollox Possibbli,” the song that highlighted the PN’s March 8 electoral campaign.

czahra@mediatoday.com.mt