Eddy Privitera, Mosta
PN should apologise too
In a recent speech, Labour leader Joseph Muscat, for the second if not the third time, expressed regret for what happened on Black Monday, when a few thugs attacked The Times building and also Eddie Fenech Adami's home and family in Birkirkara.
Dr Muscat called for a similar gesture from Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi for acts of physical and psychological violence committed by PN supporters and PN governments against Labour supporters since the Nationalists took power in 1987.
Instead of imitating Dr Muscat's conciliatory gesture, Dr Gonzi described it as "crass hypocrisy". As if the PN in government and its supporters have never committed any despicable acts against Labour supporters! I shall mention just two.
The first was the barbaric attack on Tarcisio Mifsud (brother of former Labour candidate and economist Alfred Mifsud) at his home in Żebbuġ during PN victory celebrations. Mr Mifsud sustained head injuries. Was he a lesser human being than Dr Fenech Adami in Dr Gonzi's opinion?
The second was mentioned by Lino Spiteri in his column in The Sunday Times ('Apologies out of season', October 25). Mr Spiteri explained how he was deliberately kicked hard in the shin in 1962 in Parliament by a well-known PN supporter, who rose from the strangers' gallery to do so, and then boasted to the police about what he had done.
Mr Spiteri wrote that "no one from the PN ever offered me an apology during the 47 years that have elapsed from that date". Hence, neither Dr Fenech Adami nor Dr Gonzi have ever felt the need to apologise to Lino Spiteri. Talk about "crass hypocrisy"!
Is Mr Spiteri, too, a lesser mortal than Dr Fenech Adami?
In my view, even worse were the planned and systematic acts of political discrimination perpetrated against Labour employees in government departments and parastatal companies, when 'cleansing' was carried out against honest-working Labourites, especially those holding important positions, whose only sin was their party affiliation. I know, because I was one of them.
The Tribunal for the Investigation of Injustices has confirmed those vile acts of "psychological violence" in hundreds of cases. But, for Dr Gonzi, there is nothing to apologise for.
I have written this letter not to reopen old wounds, but to show that Dr Gonzi has, once again, failed miserably to do what he had promised on taking over the leadership of the party and the country, namely "a new way of doing politics".
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Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Nov 8th 2009, 19:21
Mr J Martinelli, I assure you that psychological violence is the worse form of violence because it lingers on! You have to experience this type of violence to know the feeling! I am sure you have not done so as otherwise you will never try to rub salt into the wound of those who have suffered such violence from the PN Government!
Galea. L
Nov 8th 2009, 17:50
J Martinelli
You will become a tiny little bit more credible when you start living in Malta and not in far-away Canada.
J Martinelli
Nov 8th 2009, 15:44
@ Dimech & Flynn
When you two gentlemen specify despicable acts allegedly perpetrated by the PN, then you become a bit more credible.
Tell me:
When did the PN organize a bunch of thugs who burned down a Newspaper printing press?
When did the PN ever invade the leader of the Opposition's private residence?
When did the PN ever commit political murder?
When did the PN ever suspend the Constitutional court or play musical chairs with Judges?
When did the NP ever interfere with human rights, beat up labour supporters or fire tear gas at them?
When did the PN ever shoot at and murder a Labour supporter, minding his own business at a labour club?
When did the NP ever frame up an innocent citizen in order to cover up for the real criminal?
When did the NP ever expel nuns in the middle of the night like the 'Blue Sisters' incident?
When did the NP ever attack University students?
When did the NP ever restrict admission to University via a means test and requiring a sponsor?
There is more, much more for the (M)LP to apologize for than a for a few personal beefs
Galea. L
Nov 8th 2009, 14:26
James Dimech
What happened under pn may have been more subtle, but more despicable than anything that ever happened under Labour.
William P Flynn
Nov 8th 2009, 12:35
In 1974 Australian labour PM Gough Whitlam was sacked by John Kerr, governor-general with the collusion of opposition leader Malcolm Frazer.
At no other time can I remember Australia so torn apart and divided as at that time.
Two worse enemies than Whitlam and Frazer you could never find. The hurt was pulpable.
The successor of Whitlam was Robert J Hawke, dyed in the wool union leader and hateful nemesis of conservative Malcolm Frazer. Five foot something RJ Hawke took revenge and government away from six foot something Frazer who wept at his annihilating defeat.
In 2000, all three combined as retired PM's and by then friendly statesmen to push the "yes" vote for the referendum with the slogan "It's Time" the one that brought Gough Whitlam to power.
They will individually still hold political views which cannot be more different; but they know when history is best relegated to its proper place and move on.
Why can't Malta do the same and let the past pains be relegated to history and move on?
I mean are we going to go through this again in 10 years' time? It's history, move on, just let's not allow it to happen again.
James Dimech
Nov 8th 2009, 12:26
What PN did against a number of Labour people is despicable and an apology is due to them individually. However what Labour did in the 80s can never compare...they vandalized our country and our society. The destruction of the Times, Curia and the law courts and much more, SMU, Labour thugs, import bans, corrupt police and what have you.
When I read what is going on in Zimbabwe these days with Zanu PF and all I see us Maltese in the 1980s. Thanks to the Labour Party of course.