Muscat: subservient with the strong and strong with the weak

In view of Prime Mnister Muscat’s populist attitude vis a’ vis irregular migration, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson, Prof. Arnold Cassola, said: “Muscat’s macho attitude is good for certain banana republics but not for civilised countries.If the Prime Minister had the proverbial attributes he should have shown his great “courage” in the past by telling Gaddafi in his face that he was a brutal dictator, rather than remaining silent, meek and subservient. While it is good to show that Malta should be treated with respect, Prime Minister Muscat should realise that threatening to send back iregular migrants to Libya is a no go area”

Prof. Cassola continued:”The pushback policy not only goes against basic human rights but also Libya  -not having signed and ratified the Geneva Convention on refugees- is not a safe country where people can be sent back to.  Malta should insist with the EU on the concepts of responsibility sharing, solidarity in practice and the revision of the Dublin Convention.”

Spokesperson for Social Policy Robert Callus said: “By being alarmist on immigration Joseph Muscat may increase support for his party in the short run at the risk of fanning flames that may unleash dangerous extremism. When mainstream politicians in other countries talked in manners quite similar to the far right, such extremism grew. A case in point is Greece where immigrants, gays, left leaning politicians and critical journalists can no longer walk the streets safely following the rise of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party.”

“Besides, while the motto of being strong with the politicians but not with the immigrants is good in principle, Muscat contradicts himself when he states he does not exclude push back to Libya. Needless to say, it will be the immigrants who drown, get maltreated in a Libyan jail or left to perish in the desert, not politicians.”

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PR 05-07-2013
Muscat: servili ma’ min hu b’saħħtu u b’saħħtu ma’ min m’huwiex

In vista tal-attitudni populista tal-Prim Ministru Muscat rigward l-immigrazzjoni irregolari, iċ-Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, Prof. Arnold Cassola, qal: “L-attitudni ‘macho’ li ħa Muscat forsi tahdem f’xi banana republic imma mhix addattata għal pajjiżi ċivilizzati. Jekk il-Prime Ministru għandu l-attributi proverbjali, kien messu wera l-‘kuraġġ’ li għandu fil-passat meta ltaqa’ ma’ Gaddafi wiċċ imbwiċċ.  Minflok baqa’ sieket, servili u silenzjuz, kien messu qallu f’wiċċu li kien dittatur.  Filwaqt li huwa tajjeb li tesiġi li Malta għandha tiġi ttratta bir-rispett, il-Prim Ministru Muscat irid jagħraf li t-theddid li jibgħat lill-immigranti irregolari lura l-Libja mhux aċċettabbli”.

Prof. Cassola kompla: “Il-politika tal-‘pushbacks’ mhux biss tmur kontra d-drittijiet bażiċi umani imma l-Libja – li għadha ma rratifikatx il-Konvenzjoni ta’ Ġinevra dwar ir-refugjati – mhix pajjiż sigur fejn tista’ tibgħat lura n-nies li jkunu gejjin minn hemm minħabba l-periklu li għad hemm.  Malta jeħtieg li tinsisti mal-UE dwar il-qsim tar-responsabbilta, is-solidarjeta fil-prattika u r-reviżjoni tal-Konvenzjoni ta’ Dublin.

Il-Kelliem tal Politika Socjali tal-AD Robert Callus qal: “Billi jallarma n-nies fuq l-immigrazzjoni Joseph Muscat għandu mnejn iżid l-appoġġ għall-partit tiegħu għall-mument imma jkun qiegħed ukoll iżid ir-riskju li jħeġġeg il-fjamma li tista’ twassal għal estremiżmu perikoluz.  Meta politici minn partiti ċentristi f’pajjizi oħra tkellmu b’modi simili għall-lemin estrem, l-estremiżmu żdied.  Każ tipiku hija l-Greċja fejn l-immigranti, l-omosesswali, politiċi xellugin u ġurnalisti kritiċi lanqas jistgħu jimxu fit-triq mingħajr periklu minn mindu l-partit neo-Nazi l-Golden Dawn żied il-poter tiegħu.”

“Barra minn hekk, filwaqt li fil-prinċipju jagħmel sens li tkun iebes mal-politiċi minflok mal-immigranti, Muscat qiegħed jikkontradixxi lilu nnifsu meta jgħhid li ma jeskludix li jibgħat lill-immigranti lura l-Libja.  M’hemmx għalfejn ngħidu li jkunu l-istess immigranti li jegħrqu, jiġu immaltrattati f’xi ħabs Libjan jew jitħallew imutu fid-deżert, mhux il-politiċi.”

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