Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1008890
OPINION 26 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 JULY 2018 Egrant… and bread and butter issues Frank Psaila is PN candidate for the European elections Ramona Attard is Communications Coordinator within the Office of the Prime MInister Frank Psaila Ramona Attard THESE are not the easiest of times for the Nationalist Party. The last election campaign rested heavily on the Egrant allegations. Magistrate Aaron Bugeja enjoyed the trust of both the former, and the cur- rent Opposition leader which is why his findings had to be accepted. The conclusions by Mag- istrate Bugeja sum up the inquiry he conducted over a period of fifteen months. It was on the basis of those con- clusions that Delia had to give his reaction – as the nation awaited his party's reaction and action. It was his duty to pronounce himself – which he did. The Nationalist Party was wrong about Egrant, and it had to admit that to move forward. Enough has been said, and written about that decision. It is an internal matter which rests exclusively with and within the Nationalist Party. Discussions are now underway to help the Nationalist Party move forward together. I trust that that shall happen soon. But there are two issues on which both Adrian Delia and Simon Busuttil agree strongly – for there is common ground between the two. First, the urgent need for the Attorney General to publish the inquiry in its entirety. Egrant rocked the nation when the allega- tions were first made – and an early general election was called soon after. The At- torney General should have understood the serious matter at hand and published the inquiry. Secondly, two of the Prime Minister's closest aides – Kon- rad Mizzi and Keith Schem- bri have a lot to answer for. They opened secret offshore accounts in Panama hours after Labour swept to power in 2013. That, in itself, is a grave matter which, elsewhere would have resulted in their immedi- ate resignation. Bread and butter issues This week, I continued meet- ing people at house visits. The aftermath of the Egrant inquiry results and the hap- penings within the National- ist Party dominated heavily the discussions. But there are other issues which matter to people and about which they demand the attention of poli- ticians and decision makers. Cost of living remains a primary concern especially amongst middle and low-in- come earners and pensioners, whatever their pension. The exorbitant increase in rents is having a catastrophic effect on families across the board. In Gozo, the lack of invest- ment by the private sector – which remains with no tangible incentives to set up shop and employ people in Gozo, and the state of play at the Gozo general hospital, top Gozitans' concerns. Bread and butter issues should never be ignored. The Egrant inquiry aftermath provides newspapers with wall-to-wall coverage, but ultimately it boils down to bread and but- ter issues. Joseph and Michelle, we're sorry… "WE'RE sorry" – I expected these to be the first words uttered by Opposition and Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia last Sunday, in his first reactions to the Prime Minis- ter's historic press conference in reaction to the conclusion of the Egrant magisterial inquiry. "We're sorry we ever got in- volved in this mess." A genuine apology from the Nationalist Party, for hitch- ing its wagon to a politically motivated blogger who pub- lished incendiary allegations that caused deep rifts in Malta's societal landscape, and which sought to destabilise a govern- ment and, indirectly, a country. And all for what? Nothing will ever diminish the gravity of Daphne Caruana Galizia's unjust and untimely death, murdered as she was in the most brutal of ways, or my sorrow at what her family must have experienced, and must still be experiencing. However, neither does her murder diminish the effect that her allegations had on Malta's political landscape, or all the damage (both personal and professional) that her poisoned pen indiscriminately and un- feelingly inflicted in years past. "We're sorry we allowed politics to get so personal" – I witnessed first-hand Caruana Galizia's razor-sharp invec- tive, which she deployed with reckless abandon on her blog, without care or concern for the consequences, consequences which often included personal therapy and anti-depressive medication. I wholeheartedly wish she was still among us today. Not simply because nobody deserves her fate, but also because I would like her to see first-hand that the persons she seemed to hold such a burning personal resentment for, Joseph Muscat and Michelle Muscat, have emerged from this ordeal stronger than before. "We're sorry our former lead- er let someone else hijack our agenda" – a much-needed apol- ogy by Simon Busuttil, which we know by now is too much to expect. As I write these words, he is busy sticking his head in the sand and endeavouring to find ways in which to question the inquiry's conclusions. That same inquiry which, before last Sunday, he affirmed that he had absolute faith in. For Simon Busuttil, it seems that recognition of the Rule of Law is subject to situational convenience. The Nationalist Party today is facing the justified reaction for allowing itself to be led by a person who harboured deep personal envy towards Joseph Muscat, and who became an ac- tive participant in an elaborate frame-up. In so doing, Simon Busuttil allowed his personal feelings to get the better of his political responsibilities. Busuttil will go down in the history books as one of the biggest political duds in Malta's political journey. Busuttil ruined his party. He ruined his credibility. He ruined himself. All this while his sworn adver- sary, Joseph Muscat emerged unscathed, his stature reaching new heights. The Nationalist Party need to reassess its values, if they have any at the moment. Questions need to be asked on persons, like Pierre Portelli, who are still dictating the Party's agenda despite his own role in the Egrant saga, and his handling of documents which, as it turns out, were found to have been fabricated. "We're sorry." Two small words, but they would have meant the world not only to the two persons who have suffered the most throughout the past 15 months, but to the whole country, that is now still looking towards the Nationalist Party for even the smallest sign of contrition, regret, or atonement for their role in the Egrant saga. Such a disappointment. It was Adrian Delia's duty to pronounce himself on the Egrant Inquiry The Nationalist Party was wrong about Egrant, and it had to admit that to move forward For Simon Busuttil, it seems that recognition of the Rule of Law is subject to situational convenience