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2 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 • 18 OCTOBER 2020 Three years later Editorial THREE years after the assassination of Daphne Caru- ana Galizia, it remains difficult to properly assess the full impact – both of the journalist herself, and also of her brutal assassination – on such a perennially divided country. Perhaps the most incisive effort to date came from journalist Mark Micallef: who paid tribute to Daphne Caruana Galizia as an "absolutely formidable [jour- nalist], a tenacious trailblazer and incredibly coura- geous in a country where this latter trait is particular- ly short in supply." Observing that she was also 'divisive', Micallef per- ceptively adds: "This complexity […] is what leads us to a rut in the discussion on Daphne's legacy. […] she died a hero. She lost her life because she acted as the tip of the spear, fighting a monster we are yet to fully comprehend." There is a lot of weight to those words. It is cer- tainly true that a discussion is needed; and that it has to move beyond our traditionally tendency to reduce such matters to a binary, 'us-against-them' approach. But it is equally true that, while the 'monster' she died fighting remains elusive and unclear, Daphne Caruana Galizia's efforts – and even her death – have at least cast some light on the nature and substance of this beast. One cannot observe the third anniversary of this grim event, without also considering how much more we know about the underlying causes today. Even if we are still far away from a complete picture, the multiple investigations and inquiries have not been entirely unfruitful. The secret recordings made by Melvin Theuma, the alleged middleman in the murder, make it am- ply clear that Theuma had been tipped off about his imminent arrest; and also that he knew he was going to be offered a Presidential pardon. These and other revelations – including that Theu- ma had urged prime suspect Yorgen Fenech to con- tact 'the top guy at Floriana' (a reference to former Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar) – and that former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri as privy to details about the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation, point towards a political cover-up that may have compromised part of the investigation. There are, of course, questions that remain to be answered; and possibly some that may never be an- swered at all. But if Daphne Caruana Galizia's mur- der, three years ago, is to have any positive legacy, it surely should be this: that this 'monster', this unholy alliance between political and institutional pow- er-nodes, must be dragged out into the hideous light of day… and slain once and for all. An opportunity to consolidate It has not been a positive week for Prime Minister Robert Abela. On one level, the alarming (though predictable) increase in COVID-19 cases has exposed his earlier cavalier attitude for what it was: a classic case of political irresponsibility, that has come at a very high cost. On another, our most recent survey registers a striking dip in his trust levels: particularly among the traditional Labour strongholds of the south harbour area. Nonetheless, there are indications that the Prime Minister is cognisant of these, and other issues that are eating into his party's previous electoral unassail- ability. The dual resignations of former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and MP Etienne Grech have pre- sented him with an opportunity of consolidating his leadership. He now has two co-options to make, and it is clear that underperforming or 'spent' members of Cabinet or MPs could be asked to make way for new blood. In short, Abela wants to put his own stamp on the Cabinet, notably with the co-option of Miriam Dalli and Clyde Caruana. He intends to reassert his leader- ship: partly in a bid to diffuse the high degree of in- fluence possessed by ministers Chris Fearne and Ian Borg, but also to keep potential leadership challeng- ers (as Miriam Dalli once was) close within the fold. In this sense, Abela's manoeuvres, though fast and also ruthless (it is no secret that Etienne Grech was asked to make space for others, in no uncertain way) are astute, and could also provide his administration with a renewed impetus to reward best performers and eschew dead weight. This is positive for Abela, as it helps put him back in the driver's seat; but it is also positive for the coun- try as a whole, as the alternative would be for the Prime Minister to complacently rest on the laurels of past electoral victories, while ignoring the growing element of dissatisfaction. Whether it will be enough to see him through this difficult patch, however, remains to be seen. One thing, however, is certain: Abela has not had an easy ride, and – just like the COVID-19 pandemic – his troubles are far from over. 17 October, 2010 Zrinzo calls it a day after altercation with fellow party member JOE Zrinzo, the secretary of the PL's Twelfth District Committee, has informed party leader Joseph Muscat that he has de- cided not to contest again for a post in the committee, and that he is going to devote himself to "other activities." A party spokesman told MaltaToday last night that Zrinzo "did not resign his post" while stopping short of explaining what led to his decision not to contest again for a post in the district committee. Joe Zrinzo is the father of PL president Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi and reportedly 'missed' the last PL executive committee meeting held at the party headquarters on September 28. Zrinzo Azzopardi's father on several occasions embarrassed his son with his outspoken comments and criti- cism of the party's leadership. Contacted yesterday, Zrinzo refused to give his comments about his motives not to contest again for a post on the district committee, stressing that "whatever hap- pens inside the party is nobody's concern." Informed sources said Zrinzo demand- ed a formal apology from Naxxar Labour councillor Marlon Brincat, who allegedly was involved in a verbal outburst with him. Zrinzo took offence at what Brincat said and reportedly demanded the party take disciplinary action against him. Brincat had reacted to Zrinzo's continuous taunts about Alfred Sant's leadership and had simply had enough, party sources told MaltaToday. He minimised the incident in his few comments to MaItaToday, insisting that there "was no blood shed." In 2005, Joe Zrinzo had been suspended by the PL Vigilance Board. A letter written by the then secretary-general Jason Mi- callef informed the party leadership, the national executive, deputy general secre- taries and the secretaries of MLP clubs at Mellieha, Mgarr, Naxxar, St Paul's Bay and Gharghur that Joe Zrinzo had been sus- pended from any party activity with imme- diate effect. Quote of the Week "We will be working towards drawing a plan forward for the country, in light of the incompe- tent leadership shown by Prime Minister Robert Abela," Opposition leader Bernard Grech on PN's decision to set up task force to propose measures to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic MaltaToday 10 years ago