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18 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR Matthew Vella MANAGING EDITOR Saviour Balzan Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 JANUARY 2020 3 January, 2020 Parl Sec's driver to be charged over mocked-up vandal 'attack' CRIMINAL proceedings are to be instituted against the driver of parliamentary secretary Mario Galea, after MaltaToday made enquiries about police inquiries into a mocked-up vandal attack on the official car of the junior minister. MaltaToday is informed the driver, from Galea's hometown of Zejtun, admitted to police that he had deliberately vandalised the car after he was involved in a driving incident, which left some damage on the official vehicle. The circumstances under which the incident happened are unclear, but MaltaToday under- stands that the vandal 'attack' was intended to cover up the damages incurred in the traffic incident. The attack was also intended to give the impression that it was a political attack, since the initials 'MLP' were scratched on the car's surface. When police began their investigation, they questioned the driver himself, who admitted to having vandalised the car. But charges were never filed against him in the first place. When asked for the reason why charges were not filed, the Office of the Prime Minis- ter directed MaltaToday to the Police media relations unit. At 5pm, a police spokesperson informed MaltaToday that the police had "concluded their investigations into the case under reference and criminal proceedings shall be instituted against a person." Shortly after, the OPM spokesperson said the driver submitted his resignation on 24 Decem- ber and that "other actions will be determined following the conclusion of the investigations by the Police, and subsequent proceedings" Press reports on the day did not mention that the driver of the parliamentary secretary had been identified. Instead it was reported that the official car had been the target of vandals during the night, with several scratches and "obscene words" against Galea himself showing part of the dam- age to the vehicle. The car was parked outside the residence of Galea's driver in Zejtun. The attack was an occasion for both the Nationalist and Labour parties to chip in with a message of condemnation on the vandal attack, most especially after the initials 'MLP' were scratched on the car. But no mention was subsequently made of the results of the police investigation, contrary to the usual tradition of making public an- nouncements on such cases. Galea is the parliamentary secretary respon- sible for the care of the elderly, and is also overseeing the campaign to counter the spread of the H1N1 virus. MaltaToday 10 years ago Quote of the Week Continuity is not an option Editorial THE coming weekend's Labour Party leadership election unfolds against the backdrop of Malta's deepest political crisis since the 1980s. It would not be an exaggeration to state that the events and revelations of the past two months have radically redimensioned the Labour Party's political fortunes, whilst also severely damaging Malta's reputation on an international level. Whoever wins Saturday's vote will therefore be faced with two equally daunting challenges: he will have to build bridges with the elector- ate – especially that crucial segment whose trust in Labour has been seriously dented by the dark shadow cast over Castille by Daphne Caruana Galizia's assassination. But he will also have to make good for the repu- tational damage caused by Joseph Muscat's dra- matic downfall, while not unduly jeopardising the country's economic prospects. Unfortunately for the two contenders, this bal- ancing act involves a certain amount of contradic- tion. On one hand, both Chris Fearne and Robert Abela must project a level of continuity from the preceding administration; and this also demands the continuation of a certain level of economic growth and prosperity that by now is almost taken for granted. At the same time, however, they must suffi- ciently distance themselves from what they now both recognise to be the 'mistakes' of the Muscat government… all without losing the trust of a Labour electorate that is still largely infatuated by their disgraced idol. Put simply, the dilemma resembles a clutch/ brake balance between continuity and change. Both are necessary for the transition to be suc- cessful; but too much of either could easily lead to further destabilisation of both party and country. Already difficult in itself, this task has also been greatly exacerbated by the circumstances of Jo- seph Muscat's exit strategy. Instead of quietly re- treating into the background, to allow for a choice free from his own political influence, Joseph Mus- cat has done the opposite: retaining the position of prime minister down to the final whistle, and even addressing the party general conference on the eve of the vote. This will only make it that much harder for both contenders to free themselves from the shackles of their predecessor: suggesting that, even at this late stage, Joseph Muscat still intends to set his own stamp on the decision of his own replacement leader. Even without this consideration, however, it has already been visible from the campaigns that both contenders are facing a moral and political dilemma. Despite initially denouncing "a diabolical pact" to stop the contest from taking place, Robert Ab- ela has been careful not to alienate Joseph Mus- cat's support base throughout his campaign. This may explain his emphasis on "stability", "unity" and "normality": excluding any talk of a Cabinet reshuffle, and even arguing that "we cannot turn the world upside down" in pursuit of change. Chris Fearne, on the other hand, has markedly positioned himself as the candidate representing 'change' over 'continuity'. When announcing his candidature he committed himself to "clean the country's reputation from any stain,"; to ensure that "truth is revealed and justice prevails"; and to ensure "that Malta [presumably, as opposed to the Castile cabal] once again comes first and foremost." All this suggests an acknowledgement that the outgoing government was indeed guilty of many of the charges levelled at it by civil society. And it contrasts starkly with Robert Abela's dismissal of civil society protests as an act of "provocation" – a view no doubt intended to appeal to the Labour Party diehard core. Nonetheless, Fearne could not resist the call of the party faithful, who – even while they might share his overall concerns – still expect a measure of political belligerence from a contender for the party leadership. This might explain the apparent contradiction between his critical attitude towards Muscat, and his eyebrow-raising quip that the words 'RIPN should be engraved on his own tombstone when he dies… because "the Nationalist Party will never win another election" as long as he [Fearne] is alive'. Evidently, to win the leadership election Fearne still feels compelled to play the traditional game that is expected of him by the party rank and file. This raises separate questions as to how he intends to bridge the gap between his partisan posturing, and his overarching aim to 'cleanse' the country's institutions from the glut of corruption left by the outgoing government. Underpinning both these approaches is the same dilemma, which also lies at the heart of the twin roles – Prime Minister, and Labour Party leader – that the two candidates are vying for. As prospective prime ministers, Fearne and Abela must somehow rise above partisan bickering to reach out to a wider – and very disillusioned – electorate. But as a PL leader- ship contest, the decision will not be taken by the Labour Party's opponents or critics; so too much pandering to the anti-Muscat might eas- ily backfire. Given the gravity of the current political situa- tion, however, it is clear that partisan antagonism should have no real place in Saturday's vote. Ide- ally, both contenders should be focused on one task, and one task only: restoring the local and international trust that Malta has lost as a result of recent events. As such, continuity is no longer a feasible op- tion. The only way forward is change. "When I die, they could write on my grave that the PN were never elected. Instead of RIP, they could write RIPN". Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne bangs the drum during his leadership campaign