Watch: Grech Explains Why Abela And Three Of His Ministers ‘All Need To Resign’
In the wake of the damning Jean Paul Sofia public inquiry, the Nationalist Party is demanding the resignation of no fewer than four top politicians.
Opposition Leader Bernard Grech is calling for the resignations of Prime Minister Robert Abela, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri, Environment Minister Miriam Dalli, and Lands Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi.
“They are the three ministers who were responsible for the entities in which the public inquiry flagged serious shortcomings that led to Jean Paul Sofia’s death,” Grech told Lovin Malta.
“It cannot be that politicians keep passing the buck to people they appoint themselves. First of all, ministers are responsible for appointing these people but they are also responsible for their operations, which means they also failed to do their duty.”
“It is unacceptable that a person’s life is considered worthless or that a politician’s seat is seen as more valuable than the life of a 20-year-old youth who died, along with his plans and dreams.”
Schembri was politically responsible for INDIS Malta, while Miriam Dalli was in charge of Malta Enterprise and Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi of the Planning Authority. Two of these portfolios (Malta Enterprise and Planning) were shifted in a Cabinet reshuffle last month but Grech insisted that this isn’t enough to absolve the ministers of their responsibility.
He also called for the resignation of Abela over the government’s collective shortcomings and his own personal attempts to stop the public inquiry from taking place.
“We all saw the Prime Minister clashing with Isabelle Bonnici, telling her that people are using her, trying to humiliate her by saying people are trying to politicise the situation, and accusing us of being populist for fighting to prevent further deaths.”
“The Prime Minister also failed when he forced his MPs to vote against the same public inquiry that he is now boasting about for providing him with solutions.”
“He didn’t want these solutions. With each passing day that he clashed with Isabelle Bonnici and opposed the public inquiry, he was gambling on the lives of all those who work on or live next to construction sites.”
“If he didn’t want things to change – and now we know how bad things were – it means he wanted things to stay the same. He wanted Maltese and foreign workers and people who live next to construction sites to remain in danger. That is why the Prime Minister must shoulder political responsibility too.”
Do you agree with the PN’s call?
READ NEXT: Jean Paul Sofia Valletta Entrance Banner Will Stay Up Until Inquiry Is Implemented
