Saturday, 27th June 2009
Distorting Labour Party history
It is indeed a great pity that the glorious history of the Labour Party in Malta has been hijacked by pro-PN writers and is today presented in a distorted manner to downplay the achievements of the PL and to magnify its defects in the eyes of first-time voters who do not remember much of Labour's past.
I was recently speaking to the old PL stalwart, Reno Calleja, who is the Secretary of the Association of ex-Members of Parliament. Mr Calleja deplored the distortion of PL history and urged initiatives to remedy this situation. In fact, I have followed his advice and a radio programme with the participation of some of the leading actors in the political events of the Fifties, Sixties, Seventies and Eighties will now be aired on the party radio. In this way, I hope that justice will be done to the truth about Labour's past.
A peaceful revolution
What many people tend to forget is that from 1971 to 1987, Labour's most criticized period in power, a revolution occurred in Malta. This historical period saw great political, social and economic changes. It was a period of progress and great achievements. Malta became a Republic, the British military base was closed, the economy was diversified, the emancipation of woman became a practical reality, the disabled started being integrated into Maltese society, the infrastructure was strengthened, national entities such as Air Malta and Sea Malta were created, the Welfare State was also created, the list is endless.
Rapid change, however, comes at a cost. In its eagerness to get things moving, the Labour Governments sometimes clashed with the reactionary forces in Malta. These were the privileged few who belonged to social groups which were reluctant to lose their hegemony over the rest of Maltese society. Perhaps Labour Governments, for their own sake, could have shown more tact and prudence in the way they handled these reactionary elements. What is sure is the fact that this would have slowed down the rate of progress at the time.
A condemnation of violence
In no manner whatsoever am I trying to justify violent political incidents that occurred in the past. However, I think that justice should be done to the facts as they actually happened. To keep on insisting that most of the political violence of the past was Labour's fault is not a correct interpretation of historical events. Labourites were victims of both physical and psychological violence in the Fifties and Sixties. Those who lived through those times will never forget them.
Who can forget the violent attacks of De Gray's police on Labour supporters in the 1950s and 1960s? In which democratic country do you have the Leader of the Opposition thrown down and dragged in the dust as happened to Dom Mintoff during the Labour Party protests against the form of Independence granted to Malta in September, 1964?
Now, remember, this incident was a direct result of police violence during the Borg Olivier administration of 1962-66. And let's be honest, Labour did have its violent elements in the 1970s and 1980s but so did the Nationalists. Labour also had its victims because pro-PN writers conveniently forget innocents victims like Karin Grech when they write about the violence of the Seventies and Eighties.
The lessons of the past
It is imperative that we correctly interpret violent political events of years gone by if we are to learn from the lessons of the past. Thanks to Alfred Sant, political violence has almost been totally eradicated from Malta although some minor incidents still occur.
I am sure that nobody wants violent political confrontation today but extremists are found in every aspect of politics and the rest of social life. Joseph Muscat's Labour Movement of progressives and moderates is a guarantee of a better future for our country, built on cooperation in the national interest and the elimination of the political polarization of the past. It is up to the Nationalists now to seize this opportunity to initiate a new and better style of politics in Malta.
The goodwill is there, what is needed is to build upon it. We owe it to our younger generations to provide a truthful evaluation of the mistakes committed in the past so that both we of the older generations and the members of the younger generations can learn from them and avoid repeating them.
RSS
Comments
Quoting you Giovan "The Maltese Voter must be very, very, very stupid." Maybe that explains why we've been in opposition for 22 years. lol. There's never any gain without pain Giovan!
As for my memory, I am a bit like you in a way, I remember clearly what happened 50 years ago yet I forget what I had for dinner last night. Also very much like you I love our Labour Party and relishes Mintoff's memories. hi hi hi hi hi hi. Ir-ragel Ggant tas-seklu Giovan u jixraqlu monument fill progett ta Piano.
Ahem... Charles.
Was it not you who first mentioned Doris' name first?
Who's getting forgetful?
I think that Doris Borg had better go back, door to door, and educate the disgruntled NP (or PL) voters who wrongfully expect the government to be a good government only if it hands favours and freebies.
This mentality should change and the sooner the better because in the real world nobody owes anybody else any favours. When Doris goes to a grocery shop she pays for what she buys and never expects favours because she is pretty or the town's deputy mayor.
As it stands now, does the NP owe some 45,000 favours? Can you imagine how many more favours the LP would owe to its supporters after an absence from government of over 22 years save 22 months? Can the nation's government afford to be granting 'favours' to whoever asks for one?
Hi hi hi,oh that Doris Borg,the dep.mayor of Birkirkara,there were so many like her that I forgot her name. You should read the full report in Malta Today.
You agree with Doris? Who is Doris? I see nobody by the name of Doris here. First you confuse me with the Buttigieg from Gozo and now you are getting me confused with a person named Doris.
Even if I am one of several you choose to ignore, I will not let you get away with statements which you know are half truths at best.
When one mentions Raymond Caruana's murder, you very quickly mention Karen Grech as if to balance out the horrible events.
On one hand, it was a fact that the prime suspect (can't call him otherwise} was given 48 hours to scrub himself clean of any powder residue from a firearm, then interviewed and let go for 'lack of any evidence'. Now, the LP for the least irregularity at a government department, demands the resignation of the respective Minister. Something went wrong with the Police Department that time but no minister resigned, instead, the police went one disgusting step further and framed an innocent farmer on whose life an attempt was made to silence him and close the Raymond Caruana file.
Regarding Karen Grech, you often assume that it was done by someone other than a Labour supporter implying that under the circumstances existing then, it must have been a covert 'professional' plot.
Continued
If I am not mistaken, in one of your comments some time ago, you mentioned that EFA once said that he knew who sent the bomb but did not say who.
That being the case, and let us assume that when he said that, he enjoyed some kind of immunity, now having returned to private life, should he not be questioned since keeping evidence from the Police regarding a murder case, not subject to the statute of limitations, it amounts to obstruction of justice?
You argued that the Karen Grech case was 'a professional job...aimed at discouraging the medical profession from giving their services at St. Luke Hospital'. That could very well be true but it can also be argued that it may have been someone with a personal grudge against Karen's father and who had received some second class (at best) treatment at St. Luke's at a time when communication between patient and (foreign) doctors was often difficult. Had it not been for the doctors' strike and the mass exodus of Maltese doctors who sought better conditions abroad, this might never have happened. But the stubbornness of the Labour government's leadership prevailed.
Continued
While history cannot and should not be rewritten nor forgotten and neither used to be used to continue to divide the country, it is up to the Party which, no doubt has the thickest and most violent chapters written about its political history, to tone down the rhetoric and refrain from constantly reminding us of its past or dump on the NP whenever the slightest thing goes awry. Re-appointing to sensitive positions within the party of personalities who until lately were shelved and who were components of the former detested Labour administrations is controversial even within the party.
Consistency is an element most lacking in the LP and instead of maintaining the unnecessary animosity towards its political opponents (who will always be there) by doing everything possible to make governing more difficult than it needs to be, it should be concentrating at adopting policies which make sense and which will make it electable.
Pettiness in not granting pairing, over-criticism and sowing doubts in people's minds is an archaic divide and conquer tactic which the more sophisticated and better educated public sees right through making their choice that much easier at election time.
Giov De Martino.
Wake up and smell the coffee. This is today's brew and what the people are drinking today not 30 years ago.
Birkirkara’s deputy mayor Doris Borg stressed that “the PN must seriously look into all the issues that have driven voters away from it. I have had it up to here listening to the people’s disgruntlement. Some are genuine, others’ are not, but believe me the disgruntlement is so intense, that I actually had to stop house visits halfway through the campaign for the council election. The situation out there has never been as serious as it is today, with people just not interested in the PN.”
Just realised that you are confusing me with Joseph Buttigieg Attard. Be more carefull and go have a rest.
Just what are you talking about? Which two 'black' episodes connected with the PN?
This is what I wrote.’ Since the two incidents happened during the most turbulent period of our political history one would have expected the presenter to emphasize on those facts even though that does not justify the wrong doings’. I was clearly referring to the Karen Grech and Raymond Caruana’s episodes without connecting the PN with both.
@ Giov De Martino.
We should leave all souls to rest in peace even that of Raymond Caruana.
The case of PP Busuttil was proved beyond doubt that it was a police frame-up most probably politically motivated, whatever, it happened during a Labour Administration and I have no difficulty to accept that, and this is what makes me so different from you thank God.
Raymond Caruana’s killing, like Karen's murder, is still shrouded in mystery and no one can say that it was the work of a PL supporter-do you have enough courage to admit that.
Loss of life is always a big tragedy but as far as I’m concerned even if the killer of Raymond Caruana was caught and proved that he is a Labour supporter, it would be most unjust to blame the PL. Karen’s assassination is a very different story as it is very clear that the killing was the doing of a professionally organised covert operation to hinder our health services by scaring-off the medical profession from giving their services at St. Luke Hospital. Nevertheless I still stand to be corrected because the case is wide open for speculations.
Since the two incidents happened during the most turbulent period of our political history one would have expected the presenter to emphasize on those facts even though that does not justify the wrong doings. The presenter said that he had tried to include the story of Karen Grech as part of the show but he was precluded to do so due to the justified absence of Dr. Chetcuti Caruana but declined to tell us whether there was an effort to interview members of Karen’s immediate family. At any rate I do not feel that the murder of another political victim should be treated as a small part of the whole story, it merits a full documentary as that presented on the tragedy of Raymond Caruana, no more any less unless we want to just present the facts of only a selected part of that epoch.
Ivan Bartolo started a new show last night, ‘Vespri’ on Favourite Channel. It was a good presentation of facts surrounding the brutal killing of Raymond Caruana and the infamous frame-up (frame-ups are always infamous) of P.P.Busuttil. Although there is no excuse for the two horrendous acts I would have expected to hear a comment or two by some of the personalities who’s reputation was tarnished by the expressed personal opinion of PP Busuttil and for all we know they may have been completely unaware that the whole charade was a dastardly manufactured frame up.
Beggars were found everywhere and in all cities and villages. That was a legacy left by 2 PN Administrations!
@ DeMartino ... I already forwarded on these blogs two documented episodes about the 'black history' of your beloved party, But you and Martinelli play deaf and dumb. So what is the use of forwarding more concrete and documented evidence about your loved party's black patches if you both play mute and blind. Distorting political history to your likings was and will always be your 'discredited ploy'.
Finally,I personally condemn all 'political misbehaviour' of all political parties. You both give me the impression that while you condemn the 'political misbehaviour of one party' you both condone and justify the 'blackest' of the other party. SShame!
3 days and 17 hours ago you made a comment to which I reacted 3 days, 14 hours ago and asked for your response.
I state facts, what about you? the majority you speak of is a perception of yours that all those voters where nationalistsm, or almost. But then again anything that would make you feel stronger and empowered will do.
Lets say for the sake of this argument that the government is arogant, what should we say about the opposition, still on the opposition benches and with a premature majority under its belt and all this arrogance. Ahseb u ara jekk jitilaw fil gvern!!!!!
Unfortunatly for you when it comes to the real deal people know that in the long run PN is the best solution for Malta. All I can say is, thanks to the electorate the government got a nudge to do things better than before.
the electorate by announceing various projects and we all know most of them will never start,
as the only intention is to divert attention from the real problems we are facing.Although pn
can be assured that this strategy did work for sometime but not any more because as the saying goes.Once bitten twice shy.And part of pn strategy is that they go back in history to enc
ourage the parties diehearts not to abandon ship as thousands have done.
Talking about PL’s arrogance, is Giov De Martino part of the PL? Quote "The Maltese Voter must be very, very, very stupid.' unquote.
@ Bertie O’Casey.
When, in 1987, your precious PN managed a marginal majority of 4,000 they commissioned a song ‘IL partit tal folol kbar’ and bragged about the absolute majority until they lost it in 2008. Never in our political history, since 1947, did any party manage to hit such a massive landslide as the PL did in June, at least we have something to be proud of. Sadly your fear that the PL in government will be one "l-ewwel lil laburisti, imbadd lil laburisti u jekk jifdal lil laburisti" is the result of being a victim of your own party’s scare mongering campaign, fortunately 45,000, who used to sanctify Gonzipn like you and 40% of the Maltese still do, did not swallow the bait.
Incidentally, lauding one’s own success is normal, arrogance is when one fails miserably and blames somebody else for their dismal failure.
First of all I am no expert of the 'distant past' unless you regard the distant past as events which happened in my lifetime. My earliest recollection of political events date back to around 1950.
With regard to the 1971 events which '...NP Minsiters were arraigned...another PN Mp was taken to court for pocketing social benefits of dead people...and five years later others were taken to court for trying to 'buy' T MLP Mps to cross the floor' does not explain why none were convicted.
Mintoff made begging illegal, thus the nuns who used to be collecting loose change (sitt habbiet here and a few soldi later), vanished. Begging was then illegal but poverty hid behind the laws. Fast forward to today when the LP moans about families who have been reduced to poverty. Social assistance has not diminished, on the contrary Malta enjoys some of the most generous social benefits anywhere to the point that it can hardly afford it. So, what is it going to be? Not enough or too much? About time the LP gets off the fence.
I need not repeat that criminality from any side can never be condoned especially State sponsored.
Ma x'biza, as a prominent labourite said, "l-ewwel lil laburisti, imbadd lil laburisti u jekk jifdal lil laburisti".
Forgot to ask, my memory, like 55% of the Maltese people's, isn’t so good, my question- could Mintoff’s ethnic cleansing has anything to do to advantage the PL with 35,OOO votes, just wondering?
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday that the MEPA reform should include a review of policies to plug loopholes which some people had exploited to the extent that developments went against the spirit of the policies themselves.
This man really believes that he’s always right and the culprits are always the others. Loopholes? MEPA was a PN brainchild to replace PAPB twenty years ago, why did it need 45,000 PN voters to convince Gonzi that all is not OK at MEPA? Is it true or not that prior to the general election, during his quest for votes, Gonzi himself assured the meek that occupied the earth at Armier, that their illegal summer dwellings will not be touched? Is Joseph Muscat wrong when he insists that Dr. Gonzi has two faces?
Giovan there’s absolutely nothing evil to dig up from Pappa Nerik’s glorious past so praise yourself, on the other hand what you write about Labour’s past atrocities is indeed evil, known by all and doesn’t need concrete evidence. What you never mentioned were Mintoff’s ethnic cleansing where thousands of pregnant women from the Nationalist camp were murdered in our streets. Sad memories no doubt, shame that 46,000 PN supporters forgot that black era and voted Labour. Such is life Giovan, sounds like preaching in the wilderness. Mur strieh.
What's the use of giving you more examples of the above if you break all running records not to answer such questions. When/if you do respond on the above then I will deliver a third 'black page' of your beloved party. Of course the 3rd will be followed by a 4th and the 4th by a fifth etc etc. I assure you that there are many many 'black chapters' of your beloved party.
But not before you respond on the 1st and 2nd 'black' chapters' of your beloved party.
About the present 'injusticies, political discriminations. abuses of power, etc etc one needs tons of papers to write on. But of course, you are too far away to comprehend. No offence meant of course.
Note too that I menioned the Terrinu Saga because you play expert of distant past. Again as an expert of past political history will you please tell us all who was behind the shooting of an International Socialist Delegation at Zurrieq??!!
As far as I know in 1971 two X NP Minsiters were arraigned because of the number of departimental files that were found in their house and for destroying a good number of said files! Please correct me if I am wrong. And another PN Mp was taken to court for pocketing social benefits of dead people! Am I right?
Few years later others were taken to court for trying to 'buy' T MLP Mps to cross the floor.
And if you play expert of past history will you please tell us how MIntoff 'got rid' of the beggars one used to meet on entering Valletta !
We know YOUR dark side, how come you never specify (like we do yours) the dark side of the Nationalist Party?
All of a sudden you bring Lord Strickland into the picture. It leads me to believe that you have been searching far and wide and deep to turn up some concrete evidence to support your allegations and found none!
Why am I not surprised?
Your party jailed two prominent NP ministers in 1971 - first act of the new Mintoff government - denied one of them of vital medication for days on end and finally had to release them because your government's serious allegations proved to be nothing but empty rhetoric.
Your history is disgusting from day one and no one with sufficient knowledge of it and with personal dignity would ever associate himself with such a party. Your history is not just dotted with some isolated incidents by supporters who should have known better but by strategic plots, years long, obviously condoned, if not supported by the party's bigwigs.
BTW, if you know some sinister details about the present GonziPN, report them to the police Commissioner unless you think of him as a 'paraventu'.
Let's not count the chickens before they are hatched. In the last election around 45,000 PN supporters did not vote. Does anyone think that they would vote for us in the next general election. Some hope!!!!!!!
Long time ago Lord Strickland accused your beloved party of misinformation, twisting and manipulation of events, half truths and political dishonesty! How true was Lord Strickland in giving your beloved party those 'trade marks', which were most valid then and more valid nowadays.Your beloved party's history is thus build!
All the 'black episodes' of each and every political party that ever existed in Malta is condensed in your beloved party.
".......he cannot convince anybody else" ? 46,000 former Gonzipn voters have already been convinced ans still counting. What were you thinking Giovan?
DZM should be writing about the practical ways that the LP can REALLY change its ways and become acceptable for the majority, relative or absolute thus becoming an alternate government-in-waiting.
DZM is however handicapped by the fact that the LP itself refuses to cut the links to the past as evidenced by Joseph's policy of accepting anyone from the past who had been ostracized by the same party, yet brought back from limbo and given responsibilities in areas they had so ardently fought against!
Labour's history was written by the party itself, therefore if it were sincere about starting fresh it should never have imported old outdated and rejected relics from the past. It is like fixing a 'new and improved' label on a can whose contents are the same old ingredients. Its a fake! The label is a lie. The wording cannot be trusted.
Part 1
DZM, one wonders who is not presenting past events truthfully and completely.
We begin with the events of the 40s with Boffa's Party very much a major force and representing the Maltese workers for which its name stood.
Enter Mintoff who, had his own brand of Workers' Party and obviously Boffa did not quite fit his ideal portrait of a leader. We all know what happened and how. This seems forgotten or 'swept under the carpet', a favourite LP sympathizers' phrase these days.
Not only Boffa was ousted and Mintoff became leader but he managed to form a government in the early 50s which ended in chaos and the suspension of self government. There was no church involvement, no excuses, other than it was, as always, either his way or no way. He listened to nobody because he regarded everybody else as not good enough. I remember when police stations were burned and trucks heaved over the docks and a visit to the Times photo archive should produce ample proof of this. There is no reason to distort anything because witnesses are still alive and archival evidence is still available.
Continued
It is pointless to repeat the events of the 60s, 70s and 80s since the events have been debated many times in different media and still there are Labourites who with evidence staring at their face, still cannot admit, or better, not believe that their 'glorious party' could abuse its power to such an extent..
There is absolutely no reason to debase the Labour Party had it not been its ill conceived approach to change. Did the Labour Party accomplish wonderful changes? Yes and an unequivocal yes, but it could not stand its own success and instead opted for excesses which changed it from a progressive force to an oppressive dictatorial regime.
The ideal situation for Malta is to have two (or more) democratic parties, each vying to do the best for the nation and not, upon election, undo the good that the previous government had done. As recent as 1996 when Sant's Labour was elected it did away with the VAT and replaced it with a worse tax called CET. A clear example of removing a fair tax simply because it was not Labour's idea!
So now, one can look at the important element of trust.
Continued
The Labour Party under Dom Mintoff, became influential in the 50s so if we look at a sixty year history, one can establish a trend. A trend of controversy, U-turns, lack of vision and ineptitude.
What is diametrically opposite of Integration? I would say, separation and independence from an integral part? The 'Malta l-ewwel u qabel kollox' Party (Malta first and foremost) sought to enclose Malta in a small capsule in the immensity of the British House of Commons and make us a bureau of Her Majesty's domain! But when that failed and when the NP whose policy was Dominion Status even before Mintoff was born, asked for Malta's independence, Mintoff jumped on the bandwagon for independence Mintoff style.
In 1971 Mintoff was elected and the first legislature was promising and good things were accomplished but with five years under his belt, he started playing games and worse, play country against country in order to achieve his aims. Once his ploy was discovered, it was game over, he saw a dead end and passed on the reins to non-elected KMB capping the most violent and thankfully last chapter of the dark 80s.
Trust Labour? Why?
Thank God Malta always had other countries to defend us from the foreign aggressor but after independence we were faced with a different problem, the drastic changes that were required to find alternative employment for the former servicemen and civilian personnel who were made redundant by the British Government. That situation wasn’t brought about by G. Borg-Olivier or Mintoff; it was a natural phase which we needed to go through and solve.
Emigration was one option but that would have meant a haemorrhage and a brain drain of our highly skilled human resources so the Government decided to employ these workers in infrastructural projects until they were taken up by the private sector. That scheme was difficult to work in view of the traditional militancy of our trade unions and a solution had to be found, hense the VOLUNTARY Labour Corps and everybody was given the right for a different option.
Objectively now Michael, please tell us what do you find so objectionable in that temporally measures? We will talk about Kingswell and your personal sufferance later.
Most countries in Europe and the other continents had, at one time or other, mandatory military conscriptions which interrupted the young men’s education for two solid years. Their military training is tough and they are normally paid pittance. In 1961 I enlisted voluntarily in the Royal Air Force and my British salary, as a single person, was UKL 15.00 per week. A fellow non volunteer conscript was getting UKL 2.00 week. A big percentage of the British National Servicemen were forced to sign up in regular service to improve their income and general conditions. I had colleagues who were called up during their academic time at Oxford and Cambridge and yet they were forced to sign on for five years as it was simply impossible for them to live on UKL 2.00 per week. And you know what dear Michael? - They all accepted those conditions for the love of their country because Great Britain and the other countries in the world needed their sons to defend them.
I hope the radio programme will include the suffering and humility of the Labour Corps under military rule, with no Union to defend their rights.
I doubt whether Mr Marmara will mention the day I was attacked by thugs at the GWU and when KMB took my family into hiding for the safety of my children& my wife.
I challenge Mr Marmara to read word by word on the Radio Joe Attard Kingwell's open letter to the Times on the workers conditions pertaining during those horrid times, which stated that "Never were the conditions of workers trampled upon by any government as these were under the Labour Government." Keep in mind JAK was an MLP General Secretary, and contested general elections for the MLP before he became GWU General Secretary.
Having stated all this I have never said and will never say that the Nationalist Party did not have its B lack Patches as well, but these never matched those of the MLP.
Pity that both Karin's & Raymond's murders were never solved!
Michael Seychell
Tal-Pieta