WATCH: Former Maltese Prime Minister Urges People To Take To The Streets For Tomorrow’s Protest
Former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has urged people to physically attend tomorrow’s protest in Valletta, which will call for the resignation of Speaker Anglu Farrugia and PL MP Rosianne Cutajar.
“When calls are made for people to gather in Valletta and send out a message about how Daphne Caruana Galizia had fought for our interests and our nation’s interests, our physical presence means a lot, even if we don’t speak,” Gonzi said during a Facebook show by Repubblika, which is co-organising the protest.
“When activities are held to encourage the people of Malta to send a message to the government of the day, we should answer these calls.”
Organised by Repubblika, Occupy Justice and Manuel Delia, tomorrow’s protest will be held outside Parliament at 6pm.
The protest comes after Farrugia refused to punish Cutajar in the wake of a Standards Commissioner report which found her in breach of parliamentary ethics for failing to declare money she received from murder suspect Yorgen Fenech.
The activists have also criticised Farrugia for dismissing Matthew Caruana Galizia’s calls for his resignation through a legal letter by lawyer Ian Refalo.
Gonzi, a former Speaker himself, warned that Farrugia’s behaviour made a mockery out of Parliament and the role of Standards Commissioner.
“Instead of sending out a strong message of accountability, the Speaker sent Cutajar a letter merely informing her of the procedure that took place, with the rest all swept under the rug,” he said. “If that isn’t a total failure that ridicules Parliament and the Standards Commissioner, then I don’t know what it is.”
Gonzi also described Farrugia’s decision to send Caruana Galizia a legal letter as “the most ridiculous response I can imagine”.
“He denied a Maltese citizen the right to voice a complaint to the highest institution of the land. It’s short-circuiting the entire concept of democracy, Parliament, institutions, MPs and their duties.”
Will you attend tomorrow’s protest?
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