Repubblika warns political parties not to hog anti-corruption protest as PD targets Adrian Delia

Partit Demokratiku will be joining Saturday’s anti-corruption protest, saying that it will also be protesting against Opposition Leader Adrian Delia. Delia had told MaltaToday that he and the Nationalist Party will also be present at the protest.

“Delia seems to think that our Republic is a bandwagon he can ride. His track record in protecting the Republic is littered with inconsistencies,” PD said in a Facebook post.

“We will attend the protest on Saturday and we will protest against Adrian Delia too.”

The protest is organised by NGO Repubblika following the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Keith Schembri refusing to testify in a defamation case he himself had filed against former PN leader Simon Busuttil.

“We firmly believe that our Republic needs to be protected from people like Keith Schembri who seem to think they can use their public role for personal profit,” PD said.

The party, whose leader, Godfrey Farrugia resigned last month, added that Delia is not fit to lead the movement for change and that since “the press say he is under investigation for money laundering offences”, he couldn’t possible protest Schembri who is also under investigation for money laundering.

PD argued that Delia is simply riding the bandwagon since he refuses to move a motion of no confidence in Konrad Mizzi, the Tourism Minister caught with an offshore Panama company, but has no problem filing one against Schembri.

“By what measure is Delia choosing Schembri over Mizzi?”

Repubblika warns political parties 

Repubblika issued a statement on Friday saying that it noted how political parties were showing interest to being present at the protest it organised. While the NGO didn't say these parties were not welcome, it said that it warned parties not to stifle the civil society space for airing grievances.

"This is a civil society movement... political parties have plenty of opportunities for expressing themselves: in parliament, in the media etc.," the statement read.

It added that it would not appreciate political parties using the protest for their own political motives or to project some differences between each other. 

"As long as these are observed, we welcome any persons with good intentions that detest corruption to join."

Occupy Justice says only battle is against corruption

Civil society movement Occupy Justice has said that the only fight on Saturday is that against corruption, and any political parties peddling their grievances against other parties should not be present.

"Occupy Justice believes that it is pathetic that politicians can even suggest that an anti-corruption manifestation can be used by them as a platform to fight their own battles.

"We strongly feel that the only political battle that should be fought is the one of putting pressure on the Prime Minister to acknowledge that his chief of staff, Keith Schembri is corrupt, that his star minister Konrad Mizzi is corrupt and that, by extension, he, too, is corrupt... the three of them should resign immediately." 

READ ALSO: Simon Busuttil snubs Adrian Delia’s request to co-sign motion on Keith Schembri