Alternattiva Demokratika illum sejjħet konferenza stampa fil-Mosta fejn tkellmet fuq l-inkonsistenzi ta’ Busuttil u Muscat u n-nuqqasijiet kbar fil-partiti tagħhom. Lil hinn mir-retorika tagħhom it-tnejn li huma jiddefendu l-ħmieġ fil-politika.

Ic-Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, il-Prof. Arnold Cassola, qal: “Huwa tal-mistħija li ż-żewġ aspiranti biex isiru Prim Ministru, Dr Joseph Muscat u Dr Simon Busuttil, għamlu pressjoni preventiva inaċċettabbli fuq il-Maġistrat Aaaron Bugeja biex jikkundizzjonawh f’xogħlu.  Joseph Muscat b’mod arroganti ddikjara li jekk l-konklużjoni tal-ewwel inkjesta dwar Schembri u Mizzi ma tkunx togħġbu, allura din tkun  problem tal-Maġistrat, li jkollu jerfa’ r-responsabilita’ tagħha hu.  Mill-banda l-oħra, Simon Busuttil stqarr li ma jistax jifhem kif il-Maġistrat Bugeja ma jistax ma jasalx għall-konklużjoni li t-tnejn imsemmija huma ħatja.”

“Tali stqarrijiet juru li kemm Muscat kif ukoll Busuttil jidhru qegħdin b’mod arroganti jinjoraw il-fatt li l-ġudikatura hija indipendenti mill-Eżekuttiv u bl-ebda mod ma għandha tiġi intimidata u kkundizzjonata mill-politiċi waqt li jkunu qed jaqdu l-investigazzjonijiet tagħhom.”

Il-kelliem tal-Alternattiva Demokratika Mario Mallia tenna li dak li għaddejjin minnu llum huwa riżultat ta’ kriżi fil-klassi politika inġenerali. Dan qed iwassal għal nuqqas ta’ fiducja fil-politika. Il-politika taż-żewġ partiti tradizzjonali tissarraf fi tfiegħ ta’ tajn f’tentattiv li l-partit l-ieħor jidher iktar maħmuġ.

“L-insistenza tal-prim ministru li jgħatti għal Keith Schembri u Konrad Mizzi għax iqishom indispensabbli għal progett tiegħu huwa xejn inqas minn offiża għas-sens ta’ etika fil-politika.  Fl-istess waqt, il-kap tal-oppożizzjoni li jpinġi lilu nnifsu etikament superjuri ukoll wera li huwa dgħajjef fil-konfront ta’ dellijiet għaddejjin madwaru. Tliet xhur ilu biss, il-Partit Nazzjonalista kien f’nofs il-kontroversja tal-kumpanija ‘db’ u invoices foloz biex il-partit Nazzjonalista jiffinanzja l-operat tiegħu bi ksur tal-istess liġi tal-finanzjament tal-partiti li kien ivvota favuriha.  Huwa wkoll l-istess partit li ma ħax passi fil-konfront ta’ Beppe Fenech Adami bħala direttur ta’ kumpanija fiduċjarja li taħdem fis-segretezza u li minnha għaddew flus provenjenti minn attivitajiet illeċti.  Dan biex ma nsemmux esponenti tal-Partit Nazzjonalista li billew subgħajhom fil-programm ta’ investiment (IIP) billi ppużaw bħala sub-agents ta’ Henley and Partners.  Dan meta fl-istess ħin kienu kontra l-istess skema.  B’dan kollu għaddej, ma rajniex riżenja waħda.  Mallia tenna li min jiskonġra jrid ikun pur.”

“Huwa għalhekk li l-Alternattiva Demokratika tinsisti bil-qawwa li jissaħħu l-istutuzzjonijiet li jservu ta’ skrutinju. Amministrazzjoni wara l-oħra, kemm partit u kemm ieħor kien kuntent li dawn l-istituzzjonijiet jibqgħu jiddependu mill-gvern tal-ġurnata minflok ma jkunu indipendenti minnu. AD tibqa’ taħdem sabiex isir tibdil kostituzzjonali sabiex l-iskrutinju fil-politika jaħdem tabilħaqq, il-politika titnaddaf mis-suspetti li jnawwruha, u l-fiduċja terġa’ ssib postha fil-politika. L-uniku vot nadif huwa l-vot b’messaġġ b’saħħtu: dak għal Alternattiva Demokratika.”

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PN and PL campaigns: a competition of mud and dirt

During a press conference today morning in Mosta, AlternattivaDemokratika Chairperson, Prof. Arnold Cassola, said: “It is shameful that Malta’s two aspiring Prime Ministers, Dr Joseph Muscat and Dr Simon Busuttil, have exerted undue pressure on Magistrate Aaron Bugeja in order to condition him in his work.  Joseph Muscat arrogantly declared that a conclusion that might not be to his liking of the first Schembri-Mizzi enquiry, would be the investigative magistrate’s problem and he would have to shoulder responsibility for it. On the other hand, Simon Busuttil stated that he cannot understand how Magistrate Bugeja could not come to the conclusion that the two were to be found guilty. Such statements show that both Muscat and Busuttil seem to be arrogantly ignoring the fact that the judiciary are independent from the Executive and they should not in any way be intimidated and conditioned by politicians whilst conducting their investigations.”

Alternattiva Demokratika spokesperson Mario Mallia said that we are passing through a crisis because of the political class. There is a crisis of confidence in politics itself. The mud slinging between the PL and PN has been turned into an art – with one pre-empting the other to show the other party as ‘more dirty’ than itself.

“The Prime minister’s insistence on keeping Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi because he deems them indispensable for his projects is an affront to those who see politics as a service based on ethical behaviour. At the same time Simon Busuttil tries to project himself as morally superior when in fact he is weak when faced with unethical behaviour within his party. Three months ago we had the false invoices for 600,000 Euros from the db Group. Then we had Beppe Fenech Adami who was a director of a secretive fiduciary company involved in Money laundering. On top of that while the party was against the IIP programme (the passport sale programme), major exponents of the party have their finger in the pie and are sub-agents for Henley and Partners. Too lucrative to pass on it seems. So much for consistency!”

“AD insists that institutions need to be strengthened. We have a long standing situation where important institutions have been taken over by Nationalist and Labour – taking i tin turns to control and weaken institutions that are supposed to be independent. The truly clean vote is a vote for AD, a vote which in any way strengthens PL or PN is a vote for arrogance, for the takeover of state institutions by party hacks and for an old style of dirty politics. Instead you can refuse the system and Vote Green, Vote Clean.”