The Gaddafi memory hole

I was intrigued by Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil’s second piece on Libya and the Labour Party in this newspaper entitled Questions That Need An Answer. Opposite this article, The Times editorial cried out for reason: Stop The Nonsense And Focus On What Matters: “As people continue to die in their hundreds... it is sheer nonsense, even madness, for the two political parties to spend time and energy arguing which of them was closer to Muammar Gaddafi.” So very true but is Labour expected to simply turn the other cheek when the Nationalist Party attempts to gain advantage through dishonest, childish hysteria?

When Labour denied that the current Administration ever received donations from Col Gaddafi, Dr Busuttil retorted with the hackneyed phrase that this reply “raises more questions than it answers”. He then declared that he would only have been satisfied had the Labour Party’s response been that “the party never received any money from Col Gaddafi. Never ever. Full stop.”

The MEP then goes on to say: “I would say that the PL would do well to start giving us some clear and honest answers.” and that “these are questions that need to be answered”.

True, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered, dear Dr Busuttil. Lots and lots. Malta has had relations with Libya for centuries. Diplomatic ties were established by a Nationalist government in 1964 and strengthened by a Labour government in the 1970s. But, back then, from the opposition benches, the Nationalists started referring to Libyans as tal-ħabbażiż (earth almond).

This tune suddenly changed when the Labour government had a problem with Libya over the median line. Putting party – as opposed to country – interests first, the PN rushed to Col Gaddafi in the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend fashion (an Arabic proverb incidentally). I am told that, back then, the PN top brass did not return empty-handed from the Colonel’s tent but who knows? The PN, of course, would never answer this question, not even if Dr Busuttil writes a million articles titled Questions That Need An Answer. If only Mario Felice were still alive... But, alas, all this has gone down the memory hole so that, as George Orwell would put it, not even the ash remains.

In a patriotic and gentlemanly manner, Dr Felice vehemently opposed the PN high-powered opposition delegation visiting Tripoli at that particular time of direct confrontation between the Maltese and Libyan governments. The PN chose to sleep with Col Gaddafi when he had sent his gunboats to stop us drilling for oil. It was a stab in the back for Malta but we may never know the price for it.

Then, with the PN in government, the hypocrisy continues and, as the former deputy editor of The Times, Roger Mifsud, pointed out, “While Col Gaddafi ruled, Dr Busuttil kept his mouth shut, because to have spoken out then would have hurt his government here. Who is to believe Dr Busuttil now?... Truly, politics are dirty, and it is people like Dr Busuttil who make them so”.

In his article, Dr Busuttil goes on to say that “for six whole months since the eruption of the pro-democracy revolt, the PL has pointedly refused to condemn Col Gaddafi...” Really? Now let’s first take into account that even if the PL caretaker, a councillor, or maybe an MP says something that suits the PN, the latter would hurry to write a news item on what “the PL” said, if they think that it would serve them well. I shall now quote what I wrote six months ago in a piece titled Solidarity And Condemnation: “We are morally committed to show Gaddafi that we abhor him and his attempts to carry out a genocide on the Libyan people” (l-Orizzont. February 28, 2011).

In The Times (March 7, 2011), I wrote: “The uprisings in the Arab world are not just against the resident dictators but also against us who deal with them and legitimate their roles.

This puts further onus on us all that when it comes to dealing with Col Gaddafi’s deadly acts of self-preservation we cannot turn a blind eye to our neighbours struggling at the cordon for democracy.

“Turning your army on your own people and setting mercenaries loose on your citizens is an extreme form of barbarity, the gravest despotic sin. This, of course, tells a lot about the nature of Col Gaddafi’s dictatorship.”

Former Ambassador to Libya Evarist Saliba asks the question on this whole debacle: “Is there an interest to disturb calm waters?”

Surely, all this has nothing to do with what should really be concerning us: the end to the human tragedy a few miles away from our shores. The finger-pointing on who was the best, best friend of Col Gaddafi is a PN marketing ploy aimed at kindling fear of Labour. We are just over a year away from an election and the government is clutching at every floating straw even if it may eventually prove to break the proverbial camel’s back, as people could ultimately see through these double standards.

helenadalli@gmail.com

Dr Dalli is shadow minister for the public service, government investments and gender equality.