Former Opposition leader Simon Busuttil is set to address the monthly vigil organised by Repubblika to honour journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and continue demanding justice for her assassination.

The vigil will take place on 16th January at 6.30pm opposite the law courts and the Caruana Galizia makeshift memorial in Valletta.

The vigil, held on the 16th of every month, commemorates Caruana Galizia’s murder in a car bomb attack on 16th October 2017, while also serving as a platform to call for accountability and transparency in governance.

Repubblika, the rule-of-law NGO organising the event, urged all those who value democracy to attend. The group criticised Prime Minister Robert Abela’s proposed changes to legal frameworks, which they claim would undermine democratic checks and balances.

“One cannot have a proper democracy unless the law is equal to everybody,” Repubblika said. “And one cannot have a democratic government if the institutional mechanisms that reveal, stop, and punish those who abuse their political powers are removed.”

The NGO accused Abela of attempting to protect corrupt individuals by creating a legal environment that shields them from accountability.

“It is clear that after years of waiting for justice for serious corruption crimes, Robert Abela wants to forgive the corrupt and create a legal environment where they no longer have to worry about being stopped,” the NGO stated.

Busuttil, who was the first to call for an inquiry into the corruption revealed by the Panama Papers, will join other speakers, including Repubblika president Vicki Ann Cremona, Occupy Justice activist Martina Farrugia, Moviment Graffitti activist Robert Louis Fenech, and Repubblika activist Manuel Delia.

Will you be attending this Thursday’s vigil?