Human rights

It's either a terribly bad dream, or sheer fantasy (the likes of a Harry Potter novel) or somebody is living on another planet. "Mintoff wins Gaddafi prize for human rights" (my bold letters) wrote The Times last Tuesday. What? Given that I read the papers first thing in the morning, barely having had a sip of strong coffee, I rubbed my eyes and then washed my face in cold water. But it was still there. The Tripoli Post was reported as saying: "In their appreciation of those honourable leaders of the North who have stood by justice and rights and who defended the causes of oppressed peoples...the International Committee of the Al-Qathafi Award for Peace of 2008 is awarded to the European leader and former Prime Minister of Malta" Since Mr Mintoff's name was not mentioned, is it just possible that The Times made a terrible mistake, and it should be Eddie Fenech Adami?

And later, "The prize is awarded to international personalities, bodies or organisations that have distinctively contributed to rendering an outstanding human service and have achieved great actions in serving human rights..." and so on. All this makes one want to puke. More coffee, more rubbing of eyes and cold water, but, again, it's still there. History is history and the truth is the truth. And being a bit of a historian, or at least having studied the discipline, I believe we cannot allow history to be whitewashed in any way.

Anybody who lived (or rather existed) in this country between 1971 and 1987 (yes, 1987, and KMB will probably get next year's prize, at this rate) will know exactly where I'm going. Is the rendering of outstanding human services tantamount to police killings, torture and beatings at the time of Mintoff's premiership? Or to Labour Ministers being found guilty by our courts of breaching human rights and not being dismissed, or the transfer of judges during a delicate political case, the very validity of a general election, the ransacking of the Courts of Justice and the Archbishop's Curia, adding desecration to the latter just for good measure? One could go on and on. It would be interesting to see what everybody else thinks about all this. It might even beat the monument put up for the late Lorry Sant.

The Mintoff era is obviously alien to those born, say, after the mid-1970s. When I show various publications to my children, two of whom are of voting age, they refuse to believe their eyes. So in this sense, it seems like a good idea to the Labour Party to propose a vote (in local council elections for a start) for 16-year olds. And apart from my cynicism, I believe that on principle it is not a bad idea at all. It has be studied and analysed properly of course, but I will not buy the idea that 16-year olds across the board are politically immature.

I am not convinced about general or EP elections, but I think we might give it a go for the local councils.

Joe Mercieca. A lot has been written about Joe and all he did has been well and truly covered. But I cannot resist just adding a very few words to his praises. I have known him ever since his stint with the US embassy. He then served with Standard Publications and PBS (as head of news) - believe me, probably the most difficult job on the island. Joe did not have an easy life and he was not always treated fairly; we would speak a lot about that.

However, his loyalty, dedication and perseverance reigned supreme, and he kept going. When I was chairman of the PBS Board of Directors and also of the first editorial board, for my short six-monthly stint during the 2003 referendum and general election, I engaged Joe to provide me with an analysis of the PBS 8 p.m. news, together with his comments and criticisms. First thing, every single morning without fail, his report (concise but precise) was in my e-mail inbox. May Joe's many students continue to carry the banner he bequeathed to them. Rest in peace.