Bondiplus interview

The letters from Dominic Fenech and Mary Anne Lauri (April 18), both from Tal-Qroqq, presumably the University of Malta, as well as that from Lou Bondì (April 15) which inspired these letters, refer to the debate created by my being interviewed on Bondiplus on my memoirs No, Honourable Minister (December 17). I feel that I am entitled to reveal facts, and emphasise others, surrounding this programme which may throw a new light on what is really involved.

In a letter published in The Sunday Times (March 16) I wrote, among other things, that "unfortunately the composition of the...Broadcasting Authority and other similar institutions, reflect a mentality that only the two main political parties represent balanced national interests. The result is often a stalemate, or a consensus at the lowest possible level". I include the Editorial Board of PBS among the "other similar institutions". I note that the editorial on the day that Mr Bondi's letter was published echoed my views.

What Ms Lauri and the public may not know is that I had written to Prof. Fenech criticising his version, broadcast in a TV panel programme some time back, on Malta's behaviour in the CSCE (Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe) Madrid meeting (1980-83). I had pointed out to him that it was not true, as he had claimed, that the other participating states did not want to discuss security in the Mediterranean, and that Malta had held up the meeting for a day or two. I told him also that Malta had resorted to deceit, and that I would be stating the facts in my memoirs which I intended to write. So Prof. Fenech knew that my memoirs were going to challenge him, a professor of history, on historical facts in which I was directly involved.

Could this explain why he, as well as other persons closely identified with the Malta Labour Party, declined the offer to comment on what I had to say on Bondiplus? I am making it clear that I attach greater credibility to Mr Bondì's sworn statement on this matter. This refusal to participate justifies my claim that the composition of authorities and boards on a perceived balance between the two main political parties leads to stalemates. In the case of the PBS Editorial Board even this perceived balance was absent at the time of the Bondiplus programme.

The Broadcasting Authority's decision that their previous ruling that the refusal by one party to participate did not justify the cancellation of a programme did not apply in my interview, beggars belief.

In conclusion, I would add that I am still not convinced that the interruption of electric power in the Għargħur area only, and the failure of the stand-by generator at the transmitting station to take over, at the time that the Bondiplus programme was about to be broadcast, was just a coincidence.