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people
interview
with Joe Fenech
Eddie is still the best man for the
job
Former
Nationalist minister Joe Fenech still has faith in the Prime
Minister, but that doesn’t stop him taking the Party machinery
to task, as RAY ABDILLA discovers
Photos
by Paul Blandford
Although many feel that the Nationalist Party needs a change of
leadership, former Justice Minister, Dr Joe Fenech, believes that
Eddie Fenech Adami is still the man for job.
"He is not only the most appropriate man for the job, but he
is also the best parliamentarian there is at the moment," the
former Nationalist minister said. "He is diplomatic and well
versed in handling matters."
Fact file
• Born: 2 April 1931, Birkirkara
• Graduated in Law, 1955
Elected to parliament in 1976
• Appointed parliamentary secretary for maritime
affairs and offshore activities in 1987
• Became Justice minister in 1992
• Accredited to the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe in 1995
• Was also made vice-president of Malta Football
Association in 1961 and was president of the Duke of
Connaught’s Own Band Club for 25 years
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The Birkirkara
lawyer explained that, when replying to Alfred Sant’s criticism
of the last budget, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Lawrence Gonzi had
done a magnificent job.
"In fact, I phoned him myself to congratulate him," he
said. "He should continue to affirm himself as a leader however,
the party’s members of parliament and ministers need to inject
themselves with dynamism and enthusiasm."
Dr
Fenech, who was justice minister during the controversial decision
to award Brazilian drug trafficker Francisco Queroz with a Presidential
Pardon, said that he believes the problems the PN is facing at the
moment are far from new.
"Nothing seems to have changed and the same old problems are
emerging again, such as the difficulty in taking a solid decision,"
he said. "I think this is why the Nationalist Party did so
poorly in the last Local Council elections."
Turning to the Prime Minister, Dr Fenech sees no reason why he shouldn’t
hold office until Malta joins the EU.
"I also think that this is his motive and, if there were no
EU involvement, perhaps Dr Fenech Adami might think otherwise,"
he added. "But the EU is an important issue and I know that
he wants to continue running the show. And rightly so."
Dr Fenech said that the recent results of the local council elections
should serve as an eye-opener and a serious warning to the Nationalist
Party’s leadership.
"Unfortunately, there’s no PR in the present Nationalist
Party and the reasons behind some of the measures being implemented
are not being relayed to the people, so they cannot understand or
appreciate them," he said. "The Nationalist party is not
good at getting its message across, or communicating well with people,
it looks as if the party’s public relations system is no longer
serving the purpose it used to."
He said that the lack of dynamism which some present ministers portrayed
could be contagious and easily be felt by the public.
"We’re in the same boat as we were before the 1996 elections
when everything was taken for granted," he said. "Fortunately
for the Nationalist party, but not for the country, the opposition
in Malta leaves much to be desired. They are not credible and are
unable to govern."
Dr Fenech added, however, that some of those who didn’t vote
Nationalist in the local elections may have been sending a message
to the government to pull up its socks and start delivering.
"And, if these people don’t see results, then they may
abstain at the polls in the coming general elections," he warned.
"Just months before the 1996 general elections, I remember
I had told the Prime Minister that I thought we were going to win
the elections by only a very small margin. However, instead we lost
by more than 7,000 votes after winning by 13,000 at the 1992 polls.
It may happen again."
Turning to the MLP leader, Dr Fenech said that he cannot view Alfred
Sant as a confirmed statesman.
"Had he been one, he would have been able to solve the simple
clash with Mintoff over the Cottonera project," he said. "But
he was unable to understand Mintoff, and everyone now knows the
rest of the story."
Dr Fenech pointed out that both parties had always had not only
good leaders but efficient statesman as well.
"Nerik Mizzi, George Borg Olivier, Lord Strickland, Dom Mintoff
and Eddie Fenech Adami were statesman of high calibre, but Alfred
Sant simply does not seem to fit the bill," he said. "For
him it appears that the country never comes first - only the party.
At first everyone, including myself, thought that he was going to
fulfil his obligations as a leader of the opposition. But it seems
we were wrong."
Dr Fenech said he finds it difficult to understand the MLP leader’s
position on the EU.
"Everything that Dr Sant wants from a special relationship
with the EU can be obtained while being a member, if we ensure we
get the right derogates and exemptions," he said. "Being
out of the EU does not make sense both in terms of security and
the economy."
He believes that the two parties should work together on matters
of foreign policy, rather than being at loggerheads on the issue.
"The Opposition should unite with the government and clarify
the issues it wants from the EU and together they should try to
obtain them," he said.
He is confident that derogations and exemptions would be obtained
in an easier way if Malta negotiates with a common front.
"If Malta becomes an EU member with the relative derogations
and exemptions, it would definitely be better for us as we would
enjoy the benefits and advantages of membership like all other member
states," he said. "With a separate treaty, Malta would
only be entitled to the conditions of the treaty and nothing else.
And if we do not join now, then we would have to wait for at least
another 10 years."
Regarding the referendum, the former justice minister admitted he
was sceptical as to whether the government would win, if it were
to be held today.
He believes that the Maltese people are very conservative and prefer
to hold on to what they have today, rather than tread into the unknown.
"This may also happen because of poor public relations,"
he said. "Few are receiving the message and accordingly not
many know how important the EU really is."
Dr Fenech explained that he became interested in politics during
the 1950s and was a founder member of the Nationalist Youth Movement.
He did, however, retreat momentarily from the political scene in
1958, as he was disappointed with the way politics were being handled
at the time, believing that Dr George Borg Olivier and Dr Herbert
Ganado should have sought out a solution to the party split in the
national interest.
Dr Fenech explained that he decided to contest the first general
election with the Nationalist Party a month before the 1966 polls.
"The Prime Minister and leader of the Nationalist Party at
the time, Dr Borg Olivier, asked me to contest and I accepted,"
he said.
Dr Fenech polled nearly 500 votes while the present Prime Minister
polled around 900. Neither of them was elected.
However, Dr Eddie Fenech Adami was then co-opted to parliament after
the death of a member.
Dr Fenech also failed to get elected in 1971, missing out by just
a few votes. He was eventually voted into office in 1976 and since
then was always re-elected until 1996.
It was during his time as justice minister that the whole controversy
erupted about the Presidential pardon awarded to the Brazilian drug
trafficker, Queroz – a pardon given on Dr Fenech’s recommendation.
Dr Fenech has no regrets about the pardon, saying that he would
make the same recommendation today if he were presented with the
same circumstances.
"I believe I acted in the best interests of the country,"
he said.
The former justice minister did not contest the 1998 general elections,
reaching the decision that he had done enough for the party and
the country, while he also had to undergo an open-heart by-pass
operation.
"But I still miss politics, even today," he said. "It
is still very much a part of my life."
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