‘Fundamental Difference With Labour Is It Listens To Criticism,’ Outspoken Activist Says At Birżebbuġa Rally
A well-known political commentator has explained what he sees as the difference between the Labour Party and other political parties in Malta.
Jeremy Camilleri, who has openly criticised the government on a series of issues, addressed a political rally in Birżebbuġa where he recounted his past experience criticising other parties in government, and how it nearly didn’t end well for him.
“I criticise the Labour government because I want it to be better – and I was given space to criticise it,” Camilleri said in a rally attended by Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne and other high-ranking PL officials.
“This concept of ‘a government that listens’ is real.”
“When I criticised the Żonqor project, or the Marsaskala marina, I was invited on ONE (PL’s media channel) – and this is the fundamental difference with the Labour Party, even when you criticise it, they will still give you space to do so…. But this wasn’t how it always was.”
He recounted an incident back in the early 2000s when he had criticised a government led by a Nationalist administration.
“In 2001, when I was a journalist, and I took part in a show that criticised the government – I don’t mention it a lot – at that time the Nationalist government wanted to send me to prison for six years… six years in jail they wanted to give me, that’s how little you could criticise. When I criticised the government, within one year they gave my brother four transfers in his job.”
Camilleri was introduced as someone who had “written thousands of statuses” criticising the government by host Luke Dalli.
He took the opportunity to praise activist group Moviment Graffitti, who he said were instrumental in getting projects like the Marsaskala marina reversed.
“And what’s the result? A government that respects the will of the Marsaskala people,” he said.
“I’m here because I genuinely believe the PL is the only part that can take this country forward,” he ended.
Lovin Malta had sat down with Camilleri during the height of the 2019 political crisis – watch it below.
What do you make of Camilleri’s perspective? Sound off in the comments below
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