Letters • December 07 2003

Conflicts of interest

Edward Torpiano
Floriana
Kindly allow me to reply to the letter titled, ‘Conflicting one’s interest’ by correspondent Saviour Sammut (MaltaToday, November 16, 2003).
It is, or should be, evident that diehard socialists and ex- Malta Communist Party members do not relish being reminded of their party’s dirty past, not only in the broadcasting sector, because, and with good reason, they are now ashamed that they approved what the Malta Labour Party did from June 12, 1971 up to May 9, 1987 when Dom Mintoff, and his successor Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, were finally swept away from power.
They are now attempting to distance themselves from these obscenities by saying, just as correspondent did, that any person who chooses to remind them of their dark past, (in this case myself), is not ‘adopting a forward – looking European approach,’ whatever this might mean.
One can remind all hypocritical socialists that as from June 12, 1971 up to May 9, 1987 when, that is, the Malta Labour Party was in power, the Nationalist Party was not allowed to voice its opinion on TVM (Television Malta). This was state-controlled broadcasting.
To add insult to injury, so that the Malta Labour Party government would show its true colours the then minority Prime Minister Dom Mintoff went on to state that he was not going to consider this particular application because, (always according to him), he was treating it as a joke! The fact did not recently prevent him from tuning up at Net Television accompanied by Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici during the ‘Joe Grima live’ television programme. In order to run a makeshift radio station the Nationalist Party had to go to Ragusa and the then Maltese socialist government tried to obstruct this (studiomaster) radio station from going on air. When this did not succeed the then Mintoffian government went to speak to the President of the Republic of Italy in order to convince him to expel Richard Muscat from Italy.
This is what socialists many of who are still with us must have approved of at the time. Readers can contrast this with how a Nationalist government behaved, and not excluding, of course, the time when Alfred Sant was Prime Minister as from October 26, 1996 up to August 3, 1998. A Nationalist government granted a radio and television station permit to the Malta Labour Party, (even though the Malta Labour Party had never applied for it), even before granting a radio and television station permit to the Nationalist Party. A Nationalist government then went on to grant a radio and television to Smash Communications Ltd and another television station permit to a station which has since then gone down the drain. A Nationalist government also granted radio station permits to Island Sound Radio, Radju Lehen il-Qala, Radju Hompesch, Radio Ten Sixty Six, Radju FM Bronja, Fantasy Radio, Radju Sokkors, SVPR Radio, Bay Radio, Radio Calypso, Radju Xeberras, Radju Katidral, Capital Radio, Radju Vilhena, Campus Radio, Radju Tlett Ibliet, BKR Radio, RTK Radio, Christian light Radio, Eden Radio, Radio Voice of the Mediterranean, Radju Lehen il-Vitorja, Radju Kottoner, Radju Luminarja, Deejays Radio, Radju Maria and Xfm Radio. When broadcasting legislation was being debated in the House of Representatives, during a Nationalist administration, the then Malta Labour Party/Opposition leader said that he was against liberalisation being implemented in the broadcasting sector because this would create confusion in local society.
What correspondent would have us forget is that a few days after the September 17, 1976 General Election a celebration lunch was held at the Xandir Malta canteen. This event attracted the participation of most TVM ‘journalists’ and, also, included the participation of Remig Sacco. The canteen’s walls had been decorated with Socialist/Dom Mintoff posters as was appropriate due to this ‘memorable’ and ‘historical’ occasion.
As regards Jason Micallef’s evident conflict of interest, even though correspondent denied that any such conflict of interest existed, because Jason Micallef happened to be a fellow – socialist, (that’s objectivity for you!), one has to urge the Broadcasting Authority not to give in to socialist attempts to again manipulate state – media. Were this to happen the consequences would be disastrous. The newly – elected Malta Labour Party Secretary – General was the same person who, during the second Floriana Local Council campaign prophesied that I would not be returned as a councillor. In order to continue the Malta Labour Party tradition of shooting itself in the foot he then, subsequently, went on to castigate me by uttering snide remarks because I had not voted for Publio Agius to have another, (second), term as Floriana Mayor, even though he was well aware that I had no obligation to vote for Publio Agius to become Mayor for the simple reason that he had not contested on behalf of the Nationalist Party, (as I had and as I still do). Evidently enough, not being content with socialist media manipulation, the Malta Labour Party wanted to attempt Floriana Local council manipulation!
As regards Joe Saliba, whose name was dragged into the polemic by correspondent, one wonders why correspondent felt the need to insult him, (or to attempt to do so), for having attempted to earn a decent living from the building industry and, subsequently, as a University of Malta precincts officer. By this same, (illogical), line of thought correspondent might attempt to insult Jason Micallef should one of his uncles be a prominent contractor. Since I hold, and have never held, a brief for the University of Malta, correspondent might have considered asking the same questions forwarded to me to the University Rector. One wonders why a person should not have been a precincts officer and should not have been allowed to continue to study, (according to correspondent), just because Joe Saliba was, and still is, Nationalist. The Nationalist Party was, and justifiably so, not elitist in this sense unlike then Malta Labour Party President Mario Vella who distributed Alfred Sant propaganda under the ‘Harvard’ heading while attempting to insult Eddie Fenech Adami by calling him ‘a simple village lawyer’, (thereby copying Daphne Caruana Galizia). That’s humility for you! This, if proof were ever needed shows that socialists never change.
With people like Saviour Sammut, Jason Micallef and Alfred Sant hand-in-hand the Malta Labour Party leadership will continue to win elections for years on end, (even if only internal!).