Wara li poġġiet il-fjuri fuq l-mafkar ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia f’isem ADPD – The Green Party, Sandra Gauci, Chairperson tal-partit ħarġet il-messaġġ segwenti.

F’għeluq is-seba’ sena mill-qtil makabru tal-ġurnalista Daphne Caruana Galizia ix-xita ta’ skandli baqgħet għaddejja ma taqta’xejn. Minn dik il-ġurnata sal-lum, l-impunità baqgħet għaddejja id f’id mal-klijenteliżmu istituzzjonalizzat. Dan, illum, tant iseħħ bla mistħija u b’mod sfaċċat li tista’ tgħid illi sar stil ta’ tmexxija li jikkaratterizza lil dan il-gvern. Kważi tista’ tgħid li uħud huma kburin b’dan.

Il-lista ta’ każijiet, allegazzjonijiet u skandli hija twila. Minn l-iskandlu tal-liċenzji, tal-għajnuna soċjali għad-diżabilità lil nies li ma kienx ħaqqhom, l-iskandlu tal-housing tas-Siġġiewi, il-każ ta’ karti tal-Identità foloz u aktar. Minghajr ma trid wieħed jistaqsi: min jaf x’kienet tgħid Daphne f’dawn iċ-ċirkostanzi? U li kieku għadha ħajja kienu jaslu s’hawn jew b’xi mod bil-pinna qawwija tagħha u l-kuntatti li kellha kienet b’xi mod tesponihom? Dan ħadd ma jafu. Li nafu żgur hu li min hu korrott għaraf li mingħajr Daphne Caruana Galizia mas-saqajn għandu anqas xkiel, u jħossu aktar liberu li jikser il-liġi.

Nippretendu li r-reponsabilità politika għal dak li ġara u qed jiġri. Imma kollox baqa’ għaddej qisu xejn mhu xejn u apparti xi riżenji jew sospensjonijiet tal-mument biex jagħlqu ħalq min jipprova jara mqar xrara ta’ ġustizzja, ma rajna xejn. Il-ministri konċernati hemm baqgħu, f’posthom, bħallikieku dawn l-iskandli ma seħħewx  taħt it-tmexxija tagħhom. Ta’ min jinnota li llum il-ġurnaliżmu hu taht assedju u ġie jiddependi fuq ħafna fatturi li ma jagħmluhx liberu kif suppost għandu jkun f’pajjiż demokratiku. Anke lil Daphne Caruana Galizia lejn l-aħħar ta’ ħajjitha ippruvaw jagħlqulha ħalqha b’libelli bl-addoċċ u ffriżar tal-assi. L-attakk fil-konfront tal-ġurnalisti llum qiegħed isir b’mod aktar sottili billi ġew jiddependu fuq iffinanzjar mil-gvern li jekk jinqata’ jkun id-daqqa tal-mewt għal-settur li diġà qiegħed għarkubbtejh.

Bħalma jgħidu l-ħuta minn rasħa tinten u l-fatt li għandna Prim Ministru li skontu hemm min qiegħed jabbuża mil-liberta’ tal-espressjoni juri kemm mhux lest jisma’ u jirrispondi għall-kritika. Dan it-tip ta’ diskors hu attentat biex ibeżżgħu. Dan mhux kliem xieraq ta’ mexxej ta’ pajjiż li suppost li hu demokratiku u Ewropew. Dan hu kliem ta’ awtokrata li jibża mill-kritika u jrid li kulħadd ibaxxi rasu għal dak li jgħid hu. 

Minn dak li wassal għall-qtil ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia donnu l-Prim Ministru ma tgħallem xejn. Flok ma jżomm in-nies kalmi u jsaħħaħ il-liberta tal-espressjoni li hija l-bażi ta’ kull demokrazija, qiegħed jara kif joħnoq il-ħafna vuċijiet kritiċi. Jippreferi li minnflok jipprova jġibhom f’kor wieħed ta “Prosit Ministru”.

Il-qtil ta’ Daphne hu daqqa ta’ ħarta lid-demokrazija fil-pajjiż. Hu attentat biex jingħalaq ħalq dawk kollha li għandhom moħħ kritiku: tant essenzjali għall-iżvilupp demokratiku tal-pajjiż.  Kultant nisimgħu b’min juża’ l-qtil ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia bħala eżempju għal min jipprova jikkritika: ara jagħmlulekx bħalha! Dawk huma l-kliem li minn traġedja ta’ dimensjonijiet internazzjonali xi wħud qed jipprovaw ixerrdu biex ikomplu jnisslu l-biża’. 

Imma aħna ma għandniex nibżgħu għax aħna qegħdin fis-sewwa. Li tgħid dak li taħseb b’mod responsabbli ma jistax jibqa’ ikkunsidrat bħala xi lussu tal-ftit jew xi ġennata għal ftit kuraġġużi. Li tkun liberu li tesprimi ruħek għandha tkun in-normalita’ mingħajr biża ta’ riperkussjonijiet kemm għal dawk li jitkellmu kif ukoll għal dawk ta madwarhom. 

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Seven years since Daphne’s assassination

Today ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci laid flowers on the Daphne Caruana Galizia memorial in Valletta. The following message was issued today:

Today we commemorate the seventh anniversary of the gruesome assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, but we have yet to see the end of a stream of political scandals that has plagued this island.  Since her death, we have witnessed how impunity goes hand in hand with institutionalised clientelism and il-ħbieb tal-ħbieb.  This has now become so deeply entrenched in the practices of the current government that it could be argued that it has become a leadership style that defines this government. Indeed, one can almost argue that some are proud of this!

The number of scandals that have emerged is never ending, from the driving licence scandal, the disability state aid racket, the Siġġiewi social housing scandal, and the alleged case of thousands of fake identity cards issued by Identità, amongst others. One cannot help but wonder what Daphne would have said about this.  If she were still alive, would they have dared to engage in such corrupt practices?  Would Daphne’s pen and sources have exposed them early on?  Nobody knows.  What we know for sure is that the corrupt know that without Daphne around, there are fewer obstacles and therefore able to break the law with less hindrance. 

Daphne Caruana Galizia was a keen watchdog, as journalists should be. She yearned for justice, for good governance and for a strong, acute sense of political responsibility. She would have expected people to take political responsibility for what happened. But this never happened. Life went on as if nothing happened, except for the odd resignation or suspension to appease those who seek some justice.  However, the ministers concerned are still there, going out and about as if these scandals did not happen under their leadership. Currently, journalism in Malta is under attack and is at risk of facing restrictions that are not found in democratic countries.  We saw this in action when Daphne was faced with unfounded libel cases and the freezing of her assets.  Nowadays, such restrictions are more subtle, as government funding is critical to the sector; cutting off this funding would be the death blow for the sector which is already on its knees.

As the saying in Maltese goes, l-ħuta minn rasha tinten.  The fact that we have a Prime Minister claiming that there are those who are abusing the right to freedom of expression reveals that he is not willing to listen to criticism and respond accordingly. This discourse does not augur well for those who are critical of the government.  It is clearly an attempt at intimidation.

The assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia is a dark blot on democracy.  It is also sometimes shamefully used as a warning to those who dare criticise the government.  It is being used as a means of instilling fear among critics. But we should not be afraid because we are in the right. Truth triumphs over any falsehood and threats. Saying what you think can no longer be considered a luxury for the few. Being free to express yourself without fear, without fear of repercussions both for those who speak and for those around them, should be the norm.