Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1519224
7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 17 APRIL 2024 NEWS MALTA has been described as a 'mafia state' by some activists in the wake of Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder, a label many, including the Prime Minister, have rejected. President Myriam Spiteri Debono believes the descrip- tion is "stretching it too far" but insists it is everyone's duty to understand why some be- lieve the 'mafia state' label. She insisted that the percep- tion that some have of Malta being a mafia state is not borne out of thin air. It is derived from certain behaviours of those in public office. "These people have lost trust in the institutions to the point that they believe it [mafia state label] and it is our duty to un- derstand why they have this perception, why they are saying so and fix the issues that are causing this," Spiteri Debono said on Monday night when in- terviewed on TVM's Xtra. She added: "We need to re- form the soul of the State… people of the State should be- lieve in good governance, em- brace it and show respect to the institutions." Spiteri Debono was replying to questions by programme host Saviour Balzan on Caru- ana Galizia's murder and the impact this has had on the na- tional conscience. The President acknowledged the difficulty for the slain jour- nalist's family to ever have clo- sure but said one way for the country to start healing was to implement the recommenda- tions made to protect investi- gative journalists. "At the very least for some good to come out of this there has to be protection for investi- gative journalists. The recom- mendations made to recognise the right of investigative jour- nalists to work safely should be implemented," she reiterated. Asked about the length of time it takes for court cases to be adjudicated, Spiteri Debono said this was a problem because relatives of victims cannot even start to seek closure as long as cases drag on. "I cannot do anything about it as president. In private I may try to raise the issue but as president I have to be careful because I cannot influence the judiciary or be seen as interfer- ing with their job. Even saying a case is taking too long can be interpreted as interference," she said in a cautious tone. Spiteri Debono said constitu- tional reform is a priority for her but agreed with her pre- decessor's assessment that the president's role should last un- til the convention is launched. Asked about reforms to the electoral system to enable the election of more women to parliament that were first used in 2022, Spiteri Debono in- sisted these were necessary to speed up things. She said it would have tak- en forever to reach a critical mass of women MPs at the rate things had been developing over the past seven decades. But she expressed reserva- tions on certain aspects of the reform. "It bothers me that Sandra Gauci of ADPD who could have been elected through the new system was not because it only applied to two parties al- ready elected in parliament," Spiteri Debono said. "Addi- tionally, every change to the electoral system so far has been to ensure proportionality be- tween votes and seats but in the new system [gender correc- tive mechanism] 12 seats are evenly split with no sense of proportionality." Spiteri Debono reiterated her long-held belief that the key for women was to become eco- nomically independent, prais- ing the increasing number of young women who continue studying at tertiary level. On abortion, she reiterated her belief that on such a sensi- tive issue people must be giv- en the chance to express their preference through a referen- dum. However, she acknowl- edged the differing views of those who believe that a right should not be subjected to the will of the majority. Spiteri Debono has said in a previous interview that she is personally against abortion. On Xtra she defended her de- cision to express her personal view but insisted her role as president was also determined by the Constitution. "When I said, I am personally against abortion, I made a con- scious decision to say so. I had to inform people where I stand because people were expecting to know what I thought. But what I will do as President if this issue does crop up will be informed by what the Consti- tution dictates and I will not get involved in the debate," she said. When asked about the role of the Community Chest Fund, Spiteri Debono emphasised the constitutional role of the pres- idency. "The Community Chest Fund is important and it is through the activities of the charity that people have come to view the president as the patriarch or matriarch of the country but the president's primary role is constitutional," she said. In the current global climate of uncertainty and conflict, Spiteri Debono insisted neu- trality was still important for Malta. "We are not a threat to anyone and our Constitution says we must actively work for peace and that is what I will try to do within the constraints of a small country," she said. Describing her relations with Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition leader Ber- nard Grech as cordial, Spiteri Debono's advice to solve an im- passe is to pick up the phone, call and ask the person to meet over a coffee. "It remains the best approach," she said. PRESIDENT SPITERI DEBONO ON XTRA: 'We need to understand why some believe mafia state label and fix the causes' Interviewed by Saviour Balzan, President Myriam Spiteri Debono speaks on the need to reform the 'soul of the State' and the best way to solve an impasse President Myriam Spiteri Debono on Xtra with Saviour Balzan "When I said, I am personally against abortion, I made a conscious decision to say so. I had to inform people where I stand because people were expecting to know what I thought... But what I will do as President if this issue does crop up will be informed by what the Constitution dictates and I will not get involved in the debate."