Just what the doctor ordered

Last Wednesday, PN leader Adrian Delia felt he had to dedicate a weekly interview programme on his party’s NET TV to continue to pressure the Labour government regarding the position of Minister Konrad Mizzi and the PM’s Chief of Staff, Keith Schembri.

In practical terms, Adrian Delia said nothing new. So, why did he feel the need to repeat what he had said an umpteen number of times and get the PN’s daily – In-Nazzjon – to dedicate its front page on Thursday to what he said on NET TV on Wednesday?

To find an answer for this question one must look at the front page of the Sunday Times in the previous weekend. It was the ‘perfect’ balance between two reports written by the same journalist, one saying that “Schembri, Mizzi fall ‘within scope’ of 17 Black investigation” and another saying that “Money laundering probe looks at Delia’s Soho links.”

Adrian Delia immediately denied the implied allegations and challenged the police commissioner to personally interrogate him about the matter.

The juxtaposition of the two stories on the front page is no innocent coincidence. It was followed by a statement by Democratic Party Leader, Godfrey Farrugia, saying that he and his fellow MP Marlene Farrugia had written to Adrian Delia with demands that he immediately suspend himself from his role of Opposition leader in the wake of reports that he is linked to a money-laundering investigation.

As if this was not enough, the self-styled activist group Occupy Justice also issued a statement to call for the immediate resignations of four high-ranking officials – Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, his chief of staff Keith Schembri, Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi and Opposition leader Adrian Delia.

All I could discover about Occupy Justice is that it is a small motley group of women (who never publish their names) and who joined forces after the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia and that one of them likes to use the ‘f’ word even in public speeches. They describe themselves as “a growing movement of non-partisan people, led by women, who want to see justice prevail in this country.” Although they do not describe themselves as anonymous – as another activist group Kenniesa do – their names are not publicised.

Their main activity seems to be placing candles in memory of Daphne Caruana Galizia in front of the Great Siege Monument. This is a child’s game, irritating as much as it is to diehard Labour supporters. It’s just a case of simpletons impressing simpletons – no more, no less.

Occupy Justice seem to believe that votes politicians get are irrelevant and that their opinions are above those of the stupid people who elect their stupid representatives in Parliament – a Daphne Caruana Galizia legacy, if there ever was one.

The strategy is to equate Delia with Schembri/Mizzi/Muscat – not very original, of course. Are they the unwitting tools of some spinner pushing for this strategy inspired by those who have resented from day one, the idea of Adrian Delia ever becoming the PN leader?

I do not think that Adrian Delia is paranoid if he concludes that these events were planned beforehand by some anonymous spinner working behind the scenes. More so, in the wake of an increase in Delia’s popularity following the splendid way he came across in his reply to the Budget speech.

This tragic turn of events in our democracy is – alas – just what the doctor ordered; the doctor being Joseph Muscat, our Prime Minister. Whether we like him or not, he is still our Prime Minister.

I will not go so far as to consider Occupy Justice as some Muscat concoction, but probably the doctor could not have prescribed a better strategy than having people equating the alleged wrongdoing of Adrian Delia with the actual and proven transgressions of Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi.

Occupy Justice have unwittingly become a handy tool for Joseph Muscat. He will not send bullies to attack them. That is not his style. Of course. He will just give them enough rope to hang themselves, in the process possibly also hanging Adrian Delia with them. With enemies like these, who needs friends?

A doctor’s prescription

Addressing a press conference some two weeks ago, Godfrey Farrugia, leader of his partner’s Partit Demokratiku, was reported as having said that Malta’s Constitution is like a badly written essay that needed to be completely reworked to the extent that he was personally in favour of a constitutional re-write, rather than the current one being amended.

I have always believed that in our Constitution there are some lacunas that need to be addressed, but to throw the whole document into the paper-shredder is completely insane.

It is obvious that Farrugia thinks that the Constitution is a medical prescription that leads to the curing of all maladies – a sort of panacea. He seems to think that it has failed us and therefore the medicine ought to be changed.

This is nonsense. There is no written law that can protect itself from it being blatantly misinterpreted, abused and breached. To think otherwise is completely naïve.

Saying that our Constitution is like a badly-written essay, exposes Farrugia’s lack of understanding of the rule of law and how it works – so long that there are not too many people in power and in bad faith at the same time.

No constitution can stop a corrupt person from becoming a judge or a Prime Minister or a member of Cabinet. Moreover, persons who are corrupt or in bad faith always find a way how to interpret the law to their advantage.

Farrugia’s idea that completely rewriting the Constitution will solve any problems is not on. Such an exercise would only make things worse, not better.

On Facebook, Farrugia says he believes that “it’s the little things that give life its savour and full meaning.” May I suggest that he sticks to the little things and leaves the big picture to others.