Skip to main content

Inneħħu d-dubji minn moħħ il-poplu

Dan l-artiklu deher fil-ħarġa tan-Nazzjon tal-Ħamis 26 ta' Frar 2015




Il-media tal-Partit Laburista għażlet li terġa’ tipprova toħloq storja fuq l-iskandlu tax-xiri taż-żejt, u tipprova li fil-proċess b’xi mod iċċappas il-Partit Nazzjonalista. Dan bit-tentattiv li tgħatti u tnessi l-oxxenitajiet li qed jagħmel dan il-Gvern.

Pero’ ejja ngħidu l-fatti kif inhuma. L-iskandlu tax-xiri taż-żejt kien każ gravi fejn uffiċċjali pubbliċi li ġew appuntati biex jamministraw fondi pubbliċi, allegatament użaw il-pożizzjoni tagħhom biex ħaxxnu bwiethom minflok għamlu xogħolhom b’responsabbilita’. Dawn l-affarijiet sfortunatament ġraw taħt amministrazzjoni Nazzjonalista, u ċert li ser jibqgħu jiġru taħt kull Gvern. Il-mistoqsija hija kif iġib ruħu l-Gvern meta jiltaqa’ ma’ każ bħal dan.  U x’għamel Gvern Nazzjonalista meta feġġ dan il-każ? Dakinhar stess, ra li l-Pulizija tinvestiga fid-dettal x’ġara, sa ġew interrogati Ministri tal-Gvern stess bil-liberta’ kollha, ingħatat proklama fuq parir tal-Avukat Ġenerali u tal-Kummissarju tal-Pulizija biex ikun hemm xhieda ħalli jinbeda l-każ fil-Qorti, u f’xahar waqt kampanja elettorali tressqu sebgħa min-nies il-Qorti. Daqshekk kienet fil-liberta’ li tagħmel xogħolha mingħajr indħil il-Pulizija.

Ġara li tela’ l-Partit Laburista wara l-elezzjoni ta’ Marzu 2013, l-investigaturi tal-każ kollha ingħataw transfer, u nies oħra li l-Pulizija kellhom il-provi lesti biex itellgħuhom il-Qorti baqgħu ma ttellgħux ħlief għal din il-ġimgħa, sentejn wara. Mhux talli hekk, talli l-Gvern lanqas irid iħalli l-Avukat Ġenerali jixhed quddiem il-Kumitat tal-Kontijiet Pubbliċi biex jispjega għala kien hemm bżonn il-proklama (minħabba s-sigriet professjonali, avukat irid permess minn għand il-klijent biex jixhed, u fil-każ tal-Avukat Ġenerali l-klijent huwa l-Gvern).

Aktar inkwetanti hija li l-Gvern tal-lum sfortunatament qed jilgħab il-logħba ta’ min jixtieq li l-verita’ ma toħroġx. Sa smajna l-Prim Ministru b’mod irresponsabbli jhedded li jista’ jirtira l-proklama hu, minflok iħalli l-proċess legali li jista’ jittieħed jekk verament il-kundizzjonijiet tal-proklama jinkisru. Tafu x’qalu numru ta’ avukati esperti fuq x’jiġri jekk tiġi rtirata l-proklama? Il-każ jaqa’ kollu, kemm il-każ kontra l-akkużati, u kemm kontra dawk li għad iridu jitressqu, għax ix-xhieda ta’ George Farrugia ma tibqax ammissibbli l-Qorti. Xi jrid jaħbi l-Gvern Laburista? Minn x’hiex qed jibża’? Għala l-Gvern donnu ma jridx il-verita’ kollha toħroġ? Għax jekk toħroġ il-verita’ ikollu jieqaf jitfa’ t-tajn? Jew hemm affarijiet oħra? Għax jew il-Gvern huwa tant sempliċi li ma jafx li jekk jirtira l-proklama l-verita’ tibqa’ ma toħroġ qatt, jew huwa kompliċi mal-akkużati. Jew waħda jew l-oħra. Jien nixtieq nemmen li dan huwa każ ieħor fejn il-Gvern qed ikun dilettantesk u sempliċi, pero’ meta niftakar li nies fil-Partit Laburista bħal Manwel Mallia u David Farrugia Sacco huma l-avukati ta’ dawk li għandhom jitressqu l-Qorti, jiġuni dubbji serji.

Dan hu każ ieħor fejn il-Gvern b’mod ċar qed jimmina l-indipendenza tal-istituzzjonijiet, fosthom il-Pulizija, li issa jidher li għandna Segretarji Parlamentari li jhedduk li jibagħtuhom wara biebek jekk tweġibhom lura. Pero’ kellna każ ieħor, aktar gravi, fejn il-Gvern indaħal fuq istituzzjoni li l-imparzjalita’ tagħha hi mħarsa mill-Kostituzzjoni: il-Kummissjoni Elettorali. Sirna nafu li l-Kummissjoni Elettorali għaddiet draft tal-appell li kienet ser tressaq fil-Qorti fuq id-deċiżjoni tal-Qorti Kostituzzjonali li l-Partit Nazzjonalista jiżdiedulu żewġ siġġijiet fil-Parlament. Hemm żewġ affarijiet inkwetanti. L-ewwel nett, il-fatt li kien il-Prim Ministru li ħareġ jgħid li s-sentenza ser tiġi appellata qabel biss il-Kummissjoni Elettorali iltaqgħet. It-tieni, kif dokument tal-Kummissjoni, li għandha tkun imparzjali u ma tiffavorixxi l-ebda Partit fuq ieħor, għadda għand il-Partit Laburista biex jiċċekkjalha u jikkonferma r-raġunijiet tal-appell. Kif jista’ l-poplu jkollu fiduċja li l-elezzjonijiet qed jitmexxew b’mod demokratiku u imparzjali meta huwa ovvju li l-Kummissjoni hi kkontrallata mill-Partit Laburista?

Din hi sitwazzjoni inaċċettabbli f’demokrazija liberali tas-seklu 21. Jew il-Kummissjoni Elettorali tispjega x’ġara u min kien responsabbli, jew terfa’ r-responsabbilita’ tagħha kollha kemm hi u tirriżenja. Ma jistax ikun hemm dubju f’moħħ il-poplu fuq is-sisien tad-demokrazija tagħna.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Who's the real monster?

I usually hate comparisons, but some very different reactions from the 'great unthinking' rabble do merit some analysis. In May this year, the notorious dog Star was found buried alive . A prima facie , this looked liked the most horrific case of animal cruelty, and is still considered so by some. The perpetrator was described by the sensitive and caring animal-lovers as a villain, a heartless monster, deserving of death, stoning, or even to be 'buried alive in the same manner'. But what did Mr. Vella actually do, according to the testimony heard in Court? Star was sick. It was shedding fur, and quite old already, and its owner did not afford the treatment. In trying to save some money from paying for the dog to be put to sleep and killed properly by vets, she gave it to Mr. Vella to have it killed himself. Nothing much to make people angry till now. Mercy-killing of very sick and suffering animals is widely done and usually acceptable. You may

Shema Yisrael, the cries of the Palestinian people

You live a peaceful life in a modest home. You've never bothered anyone and you've never caused trouble. Out of the blues, a group of people claim that they should live in your house. Why? Because they have been persecuted in a war, and they claim that some 5,000 years ago, their God had told them your home was their promised land. Somehow, the whole community agrees with their wishes, and asks you to grant them your spare-bedroom. You oblige. After a few months, they take the whole top-floor. In a few year's time, they take over your kitchen. After a few more years, they own your house and keep you and your family locked in the bathroom. They don't even allow you to get out, while they strip-search you the few times they do. Even if it's a medical emergency. Sometimes not even medical personnel and ambulances are allowed to see to your needs while your children die in your hands. Desperation starts hitting you. Life seems to offer no hopes. In moments

Why I am dropping out of the Anti-ACTA protest

Like many avid internet users, I have followed with interest the debate about ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement). After reading numerous articles, watched sensational videos, and discussed ad nauseam with friends, I have realized that what I have come across is a campaign hi-jacked by lies, myths and misconceptions as to rival Malta's misinformed divorce referendum campaign. I have to say that the videos on Youtube   got me worried. I quickly signed the petition, joined the Anti-ACTA groups, and prepared myself for a full-blown fight against the big-governments who want to intrude on our privacy and freedom of expression. Like our MEP Edward Scicluna invited us to do in the University debate last Wednesday, I did not try to understand the details of ACTA but rather saw who the players behind it were. But as usual, my logical instincts took over, and his call to not try to understand ACTA actually pushed me to read the text. And here's what I now know: ACTA is