Busuttil ready to form ‘national alliance’ if citizenship scheme is not amended

Additional reporting by Daniel Mizzi

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil has given government "another chance" to amend the Individual Investor Programme, suggesting that failing to change the citizenship scheme would see the PN seeking a national alliance for an abrogative referendum.

An abrogative referendum was first proposed by Alternattiva Demokratika when it called on civil society to unite against the amendments to the Maltese Citizenship Act.

The Nationalist Party leader has since said that he "would not exclude anything".

But addressing the PN general council, Busuttil made it clear that he was ready to seek and form a national alliance if the government were to refuse to amend the law.

"I know you're expecting me to announce that I'll be collecting signatures for an abrogative referendum. Instead, I'm going to urge the government to reconsider and amend the regulations. It is my final appeal to the government. I want to give seeking consensus another chance," Busuttil said.

At the eleventh hour, the government agreed to remove a secrecy clause prohibiting the publication of names of individuals granted citizenship under the IIP. According to the Opposition, it was its insistence that forced government's hands.

"And now we will continue insisting that this scheme should be tied to investment and a residence period. If the government doesn't want to reach consensus, then the Opposition will not rule anything out. We are ready to turn to the civil society and seek a national alliance," he said.

Meanwhile, Busuttil said, the PN will continue militating and fighting against the selling of the citizenship.

"As soon as the legal notice with the regulations is published, we will present a motion to fight the legal validity of the scheme," he said.

In a message to the Labour government, Busuttil warned that "the more you attack our identity, the more you strengthen us".

"Everyone stand up and be counted, every Maltese citizen is obliged to defend their identity. Malta will not be isolated and its citizenship and name will not be wiped on the floor."

Accusing the government of hypocrisy, Busuttil argued the government was conveying a negative message in its threat to repatriate migrants on the basis of lack of sustainability when at the same time it is opening its doors for deep pocketed individuals who are willing to pay €650,000.

"If I was in the European parliament and heard Malta's call for the burden sharing of migrants, I would throw their call out of the window and inform them that if they have room for beneficiaries of the IIP scheme, they also have room for migrants and the poor," Busuttil said.

Greeted by a rapturous applause and the Maltese national anthem, Busuttil slammed the "abhorrent and incompetent" Labour government for destroying Malta's reputation.

"The PN government worked hard to make Malta among the best in Europe, but in just eight months of a Labour government, Joseph Muscat managed to turn Malta among the worst in the world."

While admitting that the Opposition did not expect the government to do everything during its first eight months, the PN leader said that he did not expect Joseph Muscat to destroy everything Malta had worked so hard for during its first year.

Likening the sale of the Maltese citizenship to a "sale of a piece of furniture", Busuttil insisted that Malta's dignity and identity would not be thrown away for any price.

"The government had initially rejected the Opposition's call to waive the secrecy clause, yet upon Joseph Muscat realising that the names would be disclosed by myself, his left hand man Louis Grech announced the revocation of the clause."

Bemoaning the international media for "turning Malta into a laughing stock", Busuttil stressed that he will not let the government harm Malta's reputation.

Meanwhile, the PN leader reiterated his call for a consensus with the government and insisted that the PN is ready to extend a hand of cooperation.

Turning his attention on the pillar of jobs, he slammed the government for its lack of job creation schemes and argued that the government is already giving up to create employment.

"While those involved in the inner circle were offered a piece of Malta's financial coffers, the government has not implemented any job measures, and consequently, those who during the PN legislature had their jobs safeguarded, are now worried that they will lose their job."

On the maxim of seriousness, Busuttil dubbed the recent "awarding of a €10 million property" as a travesty and a scandal. He also bemoaned the Commissioner of Police who, in light of losing a case in court, had called the Magistrates' courts "the lowest of the lowest of courts."

On the power station, Busuttil said that the government had initially called it as a cancer factory due to its use of heavy fuel oil (HFO), yet eight months down the line, it is still using the HFO.

He also slammed the government for selling a "considerable chunk of Enemalta to China" and in reference to the IVF treatments, Busuttil argued that as a Labour government, Joseph Muscat and his parliamentary members, did not disappoint from turning the healthcare into an expense for Maltese citizens.