'Blame game will get us nowhere,' Carmel Cacopardo tells Prime Minister

Finger-pointing by politicians in the wake of Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder is a "zero-sum game which leads to nowhere", Carmel Cacopardo said as he reiterated calls for a constitutional convention to address shortcomings in State institutions.

"While the country is still in shock and angry following the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, the political climate that is developing is very worrying... the situation is leading to irreparable damage to the international reputation of the country and moreover the already weak state institutions are being weakened further," the Alternattiva Demokratika chairperson said.

He was speaking at a meeting requested by the Green Party with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat at Labour headquarters. AD met Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia last week.

Cacopardo said it was much wiser and in the interest of the country that the difficulties the country faced be discussed calmly. AD has been clamouring for a constitutional convention to discuss an overhaul of the land's supreme law so that State institutions are strengthened.

The constitutional convention was a Labour pledge in the 2013 election but a feeble attempt to get it going floundered.

Muscat said he regretted that the convention was one of the pledges that was not fulfilled but reiterated his government's commitment to hold a constitutional convention.

He acknowledged that the biggest issue was its composition but added there was much more that united the different political forces than divided them.

Muscat noted that AD's criticism of the institutions was measured. "Criticism has to be justified and not intended to undermine the institutions," Muscat said.