Nationalist candidates blast government's ‘lies and unfulfilled promises’

In a scathing attack on the government and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, MEP candidate Francis Zammit Dimech has claimed that Labour's tenure in government has been littered with "shortcomings, lies and unfulfilled promises."

A few days short of the government's one year anniversary, Zammit Dimech and fellow Nationalist candidates Jonathan Shaw and Helga Ellul quoted several of the Labour Party's electoral pledges - the majority of which were "unfulfilled", the MEP candidates argued.

"In the run-up to the March election, the Labour Party had reiterated its battle cries of meritocracy and accountability, but reality has left a lot to be desired," Zammit Dimech argued.

In a dig at the Cabinet's declaration of assets, the MEP hopeful argued that the government has not delivered on its pledge of accountability and transparency.

The ministers' declaration of assets, particularly those submitted by ministers Anton Refalo, Chris Cardona and Manuel Mallia, were chided by the Nationalist opposition, and in a fresh criticism, Nationalist MP Francis Zammit Dimech questioned their validity and transparency

Eyebrows were raised by the declarations, after Manuel Mallia had declared €500,000 in cash while Economy minister Chris Cardona declared loans of €577,000 with a 2012 income of €23,430 while property-rich Anton Refalo declared just over €26,000 in income and €830,371 in loans (but owner of at least 15 properties).

The Cabinet's code of ethics does not bind ministers to declare the value of their properties and their investments, making it nigh on impossible to calculate their accurate net worth. In fact, none of them listed the value of their properties, and only a few gave a monetary value to their investments.

Meanwhile, Francis Zammit Dimech also claimed that the government's promise of meritocracy and its pledge to eradicate political discrimination were also unfulfilled.

In the wake of the Nationalist Party filing two complaints against the Public Broadcasting Authority (PBS) over claims of unfair coverage, the MEP hopeful also took umbrage at the government's promise to deliver an "impartial" PBS.

Flanked by fellow MEP candidates Jonathan Shaw and Helga Ellul, the Nationalist MP also hit at the government for "privatising" Enemalta.

Zammit Dimech accused the government of "going back on its own word" for signing a memorandum of understanding with an electricity company owned by the Chinese government.

In September 2013, Chinese state-owned Shanghai Electric Power signed a memorandum of understanding that sees the company becoming a minority shareholder injecting direct cash and becoming a minority share holder in the state entity.

On his part, fellow candidate Jonathan Shaw said the government was characterised by "incompetence" and its short tenure is no excuse to the "mounting shortcomings."

While conceding that previous Nationalist governments had various shortcomings, the MEP hopeful argued that the present Labour government failed to fulfill "numerous" electoral pledges, amongst which included the impeachment motion of Judge Lino Farrugia Sacco and the government's promise to carry out a justice reform, the government's proposal to build an LNG terminal at Marsaxlokk and the heavily-derided citizenship scheme.

"The 1987 PN government had instantly delivered on its electoral pledges - in spite of the fact that it had spent years in corruption. However, the present government has not delivered on its pledges but instead it delivered shortcomings."

"The government does not have a probation period and consequently, its shortcomings and unfulfilled promises cannot be justified or excused. It is unacceptable," Shaw argued. 

Meanwhile, after Eurostat statistics revealed an increase in unemployment rates to 6.9%, Helga Ellul blasted the government's "roadmap".  

Eurostat figures show that during the month of January unemployment increased to 6.9% but the European Commission forecasted greater economic growth.

But the statistics of the "soaring" unemployment rates are a bone of contention for Ellul who called on the government to stop side-stepping the problem.

"I am worried that the unemployment rates would continue to increase and for the first time ever, it could exceed 8,000 people. The government had proposed that youths would be guaranteed work but instead, 15% for youths are currently jobless."

On his part, Simon Busuttil said under PN government, unemployment rates rarely exceeded 7,000 and that he feared that they would now exceed 8,000. He also lambasted the government for "ignoring" the unemployment rates, and claimed that the government is only interested in serving a part of the state's coffers to its "inner-circles and Labourites."

In a reaction, the Labour Party disputed Busuttil's claims and argued that unemployment rates had in reality exceeded 7,000 persons.

"It is true that under Nationalist governments unemployment rates rarely exceeded 7,000 people. Simon Busuttil is forgetting that unemployment rates exceeded 7,000 three times, while it exceeded 6,900 twice."

It also argued that during its final year in government, unemployment rates increased each month.

"Simon Busuttil's declarations on work are not credible. The Labour Party must remind him that in the run-up to the March 2013 general election, the then-Nationalist government employed 520 people and during its final year it employed 3,800 people within the civil service," the Labour Party said in a dig at Busuttil's allegations that the government is serving its "inner circles".

The PL also insisted that the European Commission is envisaging Malta's potential of creating employment as the best in Europe.