Therese Comodini Cachia launches MEP campaign

Launching her electoral campaign on the battle cry of competence and the citizens' rights in Europe, Nationalist MEP candidate Therese Comodini Cachia has vowed to use her platform in the European Parliament to address the people's needs.

While hinting at the contentious migration issue, the human rights lawyer said her politics is based on identifying all stakeholders and listening to their views, a stance which according to her, is not practised by the government.

"In threatening to repatriate asylum-seekers, the government's philosophy opened the door for racism and radical perspectives," she argued while lambasting the threats.

The MEP candidate previously tackled the outcry surrounding the migration head on, blaming Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Labour MEP candidates on building their elections around the issue.

Addressing PN deputies and supporters, the MEP candidate launched her campaign on the slogan 'For Your Rights in Europe' (Ghad-Drittijiet Tieghek fl-Ewropa).

"I work differently: prior to making a stand on controversial issues I focus on the person's views, values and aspirations. If elected, these values would be highlighted on a European front," Comodini Cachia stressed.

Turning her attention on journalistic freedoms and freedom of expression, the human rights lawyer lambasted the police for demanding a journalist to reveal his sources.

"By making a court declaration requesting a journalist to reveal his sources, it is apparent that the police want to shut people's mouths on anything that might shed a bad light on the government," she argued.

Earlier this month, the prosecuting officers in the compilation of evidence against Tancred Tabone, the former Enemalta chairman charged with having accepted bribes for the supply of oil to the state energy corporation, said they intend on filing a court writ to force MaltaToday managing editor Saviour Balzan to reveal the source of information on the Enemalta bribery scandal.

However, Balzan told court he would not reveal the source that led to the publication of invoices proving the payment of bribes by Trafigura to Enemalta consultant Frank Sammut in an offshore account, back in January 2013.

While referring to previous instances were state representatives allegedly refused to answer journalists' questions and threatening them, Comodini Cachia said the signals were there from the beginning.

On the contentious citizenship scheme, the Nationalist candidate said the government is showing its true colours.

"By facilitating the sale of the Maltese passport, the government is sending a clear message that it rather focuses on regenerating money rather than safeguard Malta's values and reputation," she stressed.

In light of the European Commission threatening to open legal proceedings against the government's insistence on the IIP, Comodini Cachia argued that Malta's reputation has long been going downhill under the Labour government.

"Prior to the government announcing this scheme, Malta's excessive deficit procedure and its threat of repatriating asylum-seekers sent shockwaves across Europe, which ultimately, tarnished Malta's name and turned the country into a laughing stock."

"Malta's reputation under previous governments was based on sincerity and hard work. However, in a space of just ten months the government has managed to offset the previous work by the PN," the MEP candidate argued.

While auguring her election, PN Leader Simon Busuttil said recent events showed that a change in the composition of Malta's representatives in the EU is needed.

In a dig at the European Commission's indignation of the government's Individual Programme, Busuttil said the value of competence was in dire need.

On his part, Shadow Health Minister Claudio Grech lauded the MEP candidate as the face of the evolution within the party's ranks.

"Comodini Cachia is the face of competence - a value which in light of past events suggest that it is in dire need in the European Parliament," Grech pointed out while referring to Labour MEPs who voted in favour of the citizenship scheme during last week's European parliament.

This was echoed by Grech's fellow PN deputy Claudette Buttigieg who said Comodini Cachia's competence is thoroughly needed to redress the tarnishing of Malta's name, "a feat which has been synonymous under the PL government."

Eleven candidates have so far been selected to contest the forthcoming European elections on the PN ticket: incumbents David Casa and Roberta Metsola, entrepreneurs Helga Ellul and Jonathan Shaw, lawyers Stefano Mallia, Kevin Cutajar and Therese Commodini Cachia, former TV Hemm presenter Norman Vella, Francis Zammit Dimech, Ray Bugeja and PN youth section president Kevin Plumpton.