A small clique within the government is taking the people for a ride and causing great damage to Malta’s reputation, Civil Society Network co-founder Michael Briguglio said yesterday.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Minister Konrad Mizzi and chief of staff Keith Schembri made up this clique, he said.
Addressing a press conference yesterday to announce that plans to hold a peaceful protest next Saturday were still in place, Dr Bri-guglio insisted that Dr Muscat’s Cabinet reshuffle was an insult to people’s intelligence, describing the move as “farcical”.
On Thursday, Dr Muscat an-nounced that Dr Mizzi would retain his position as a Cabinet minister but would lose the energy and health portfolios.
Instead, Dr Mizzi would be working directly with the Prime Minister, who took on the energy portfolio himself.
Dr Briguglio said this was nothing but a gimmick and, if anything, Dr Mizzi was granted even more power, as he was working within the Office of the Prime Minister.
Dr Mizzi now has even more power than before. He is now working at the Office of the Prime Minister, and with no portfolio he can watch over everything else within the government
“Dr Mizzi now has even more power than before. He is now working at the Office of the Prime Minister, and with no portfolio he can watch over everything else within the government,” the network’s co-founder insisted.
On the lack of action against the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, Keith Schembri, Dr Briguglio said the justification that it was a result of Mr Schembri not being an elected official made no sense, since he still held a position of power.
“Keith Schembri was left in place because he is at the centre of all decisions that are being taken and not because he is not a political person,” Dr Bri-guglio said.
He reiterated that both Dr Mizzi and Mr Schembri should have resigned weeks ago, when the Panama Papers scandal first made the headlines all over the world. He said that other politicians and politically exposed persons in other democracies had stepped down when their names were revealed in the scandal.
Only those from countries like Russia and China had not.
The protest will be held next Saturday in front of Parliament, Dr Briguglio said, adding that there would be no speeches. He urged all members of the public to attend.
“We are simply demanding what is normal and obvious in a democratic society: politicians and politically exposed persons should not be associated with tax havens and dubious financial dealings,” he added. This was a sentiment shared by a lot of people, Dr Briguglio went on.
He added that there were a number of Labourites who felt insulted and disappointed about the way the issues at hand were being handled by the government.
Dr Briguglio called on these people yesterday to turn up on Saturday, adding that the protest will be non-partisan and organisations were welcome to attend with their own banners.
The Nationalist Party was re-sponsible for two previous anti-corruption protests held in the last few weeks in the wake of the Panama scandal.