The assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia has led civil society to join forces and opt to hope rather than despair, sending a strong and powerful plea, Former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi wrote on Facebook today.
Civil society’s message to the powers that be, Dr Gonzi said, was “burying your heads in the sand will not make this nightmare disappear. It is a nightmare that is the offspring of wrong decisions and an amoral political agenda that is inspired exclusively by the personal bottom line instead of the social gain of every single human person, especially the most vulnerable ones. We expect you to acknowledge and address the causes rather than utter platitudes that mourn the consequences.”
Its message to those who lead the country’s most important institutions which were supposed to be guardians of basic rights was “some of you have failed us miserably in our hour of need. When we expected you to stand up for us, you chose to keep your mouths shut afraid to rock the boat. It is now too late to redeem yourselves as the damage has been done and nothing can put the clock back to where it was last Monday morning. We therefore expect you to shoulder your responsibilities and submit your resignations immediately.”
Its message to politicians was to show their true mettle.
“The country demands leadership by example. Nice words are simply not enough to soothe the rage felt when listening to the damning comments about this island made by the international media. The ball is in your court to do what is necessary to restore our reputation as a nation that embraces social justice, fundamental human rights and the rule of law. “
Dr Gonzi said that since the assassination, a deep sadness crept in, recognising that the most powerful investigative journalist on the island had been silenced precisely because of her crusade to seek justice, propriety, good governance, honesty, fairness, transparency and political accountability.
“This sense of loss and anger is being openly expressed by many others some of whom have experienced something similar back in the eighties when the right to freedom of expression was a ridiculed concept, when corruption was institutionalised, when the police force became the regime’s puppet, when the democratic institutions were practically all compromised.
Do we hang on to, or give up on, the courage and hope for a better future?
“There was the exception of some members of the judiciary whose moral courage and rectitude provided us with a shining beacon of hope, believing that all was not lost. And there was also political leadership that walked the talk, and guided us along the difficult path that does not compromise with truth, justice, honesty and moral integrity.”
Dr Gonzi pointed out that there were those who chose to interpret what happened last Monday as having no significance beyond the criminal act itself.
Many had, till now, preferred to remain within their comfort zone, and continue with their “business as usual” attitude, seemingly oblivious to the institutional crisis undermining the country’s democratic fundamentals.
However, he continued to say he was not alone in genuinely continuing to believe that the values of justice, truth and honesty could continue to guide the Maltese, even though what happened to the country in the past four years would make this an uphill struggle.
“It is not always easy to believe in the innate potential of the Maltese people to choose the right path when faced with crucial choices. Yet, there have been many instances in our distant and recent history when we managed to overcome what, to some, might have appeared to be unsurmountable challenges, such as the choice to join the EU, the ability to manage the transition which membership implied, the Libya crisis and the global economic and financial crisis.
“Maltese society is again at a crossroad, as we mourn the loss of a unique women, a journalist who embodied the right to freedom of expression without fear or favour, the mother and wife of a family who have found themselves innocent victims of those who did not suffer their mother’s fight against corruption: Do we hang on to, or give up on, the courage and hope for a better future?”