‘Malta belongs to all of us, let us be one’ - Muscat

From beaming messages across the Grand Harbour to the Senglea bastions to pop music, balloons and a three-minute film marked the Labour Party's first rally yesterday evening at the Valletta Waterfront.

Recalling Malta's history, Labour leader Joseph Muscat urged the electorate not to fear change but to embrace it for a better future. Muscat stirred away from making any jibes at the Nationalist Party or Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and never once did he mention any political party by name, neither his own.

"The achievements this country made don't bore the trademark of a political party or of an individual, but have the rubber stamp of the Maltese flag. Because what this country did was only possible through the hard work of its people who never feared change, who always fought for what was right and never looked back," Muscat said.

The Labour leader said that the more he looked at Malta's past, the more privileged he felt to be able to ask the Maltese to trust the country in his hands.

"The Maltese never feared change. They stood up and fought against the colonisers so Malta would be of the Maltese. From Mikiel Anton Vassalli, to Manwel Dimech, to the victims of the Sette Giugno to Fortunato and Nerik Mizzi who all shared the same vision - for Malta to belong to the Maltese.

"The Maltese continued building on their forefathers' work, never fearing change."

Muscat's narrative of the country's history continued through Malta's accession to the European Union, at which point he said that his dream was to see the country the best in Europe.

"And now we must aspire to be the best in Europe. When I think about our past I am humbled... it's not important which political party took us through each step but that we continue to build on what our forefathers left us."

Muscat added that it was "us who built the welfare state, who started giving the children's allowance and who gave a roof to the homeless".

"We eradicated poverty and built the middle class. And now we will continue fighting poverty, we have decriminalised homosexuality and we will continue to fight for civil rights."

Muscat said that however people were yearning change: "We will make our case as to why this country needs a change in leadership. Expect others to resort to scaremongering tactics. They haven't yet learned that the politics of fear are a thing of the past. People don't want to live in a divisive country.

"If you want a change in direction, come join us because your place is here with this movement. But be active and participate, don't be just spectators. Together, we can reach far and achieve what others failed."

He insisted that "no clique, no party, no individual has the right to make this country his own".

Addressing an ecstatic crowd, Muscat said: "This country should once again belong to all of us. And I urge you: everyone who feels proud to be Maltese, Gozitan, those who want to be on the right side of history... those who feel proud to say that Malta belongs to all of us come join us."