Busuttil – PN a party of ‘humility and honesty’

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil has insisted that the PN has a “mountain to climb” in the upcoming European elections.

Busuttil, whose party is expected to win a third MEP seat, told voters at a party activity that it would have suited the PN had the European elections not been so close to the general elections that saw the party register one of its ever worst defeats.

“I am nonetheless confident in the formidable team of PN candidates we have,” Busuttil told activists at a fundraiser at Villa Arrigo, in Naxxar, held on the first year anniversary of the party’s new leadership.

“It’s been a privilege to serve such a glorious party with history... I thank our members for their faith they have showed in. I have suffered ferocious attacks in the past year, but these only encourage me to make this Opposition a more effective one.

“I take courage from these attacks, because it shows we are a thorn in somebody’s side. But this party has always been victorious when it adopted a reasoned approach.”

He said the party’s fundamental principles were based on humility and honesty. “This is a party which listens to and respects its people. This is the people’s party.”

But he said the PN was up against a “marketing machine” in government which “bombarded people left right and centre with propaganda”.

He said the Labour government was a “machine of lines”, citing an Appeals Court judgement which earlier in the day overturned the acquittal of former PN deputy mayor, now Labour candidate Cyrus Engerer, on charges of having disseminated pornography to vilify a former boyfriend. Engerer was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.

“This is someone who is not only a candidate of theirs but one of Muscat’s favourites. What will Muscat’s reaction be, I wonder? Engerer was used by Labour to score political points despite the very serious allegations levelled against him.”

Earlier, PN secretary-general Chris Said described the MEP elections as a first test for the party, after its electoral defeat in 2013. “After nearly 25 years in government, this party needed to regroup... We needed to again become the party which stood up for the people and their rights.”

Deputy leader for parliamentary affairs Mario de Marco said the party’s foundation was a “social conscience” and having an open door to various strands of Maltese society. “The Maltese are not homogenous. We want unity in diversity. And if we want to be a relevant party, then we need to embrace this diversity.”

He said that being a Nationalist did not necessarily mean being either conservative, liberal or green “but someone who represents the nation as a whole.”

On his part, deputy leader for party affairs Beppe Fenech Adami said the PN had offered its apology to many voters it had distanced itself from in the past. “Today, we send out the same message. This past year we made big changes to get back on our feet to ensure that we do not make the same mistakes again. We opened our doors, our hearts, and our minds to those people that felt betrayed.”

He said the PN would stand by its value for an honest politics. “Government is simply not keeping to its promises of accountability and transparency. There seems to be no limit on how much this government is spending on its own clique.”

He said the upcoming MEP elections served as a chance for voters to pass their judgement. “Help us to show that this is the party of honesty.”