A diehard Labour supporter tells Robert Abela that his apology is “#Not in my name”

Blog post from a diehard Labour supporter.

I have followed with some interest the various submissions of your readers regarding the apology made by Dr. Robert Abela to the Caruana Galizia family.

The apology made by Dr. Abela seems to have wounded a number of people who have genuine and real regard for the Labour party. Lest you forget Labour Party supporters, it is good to note that the apology was made by the current Labour Party leader to someone who wished the person who is regarded as the father of Socialism in Malta, Dom Mintoff, to rot in hell – her very words – upon his demise.  Dr. Alfred Sant’s accession to government in 1997, was accompanied by a torrent of invectiveness in the local media that was disgusting in its ferocity and hate content. If memory serves me correctly, his former spouse had then replied to the writings of Daphne Caruana Galizia in The Sunday Times.  It is very likely that these articles can easily be unearthed.      

I am a completely insignificant member of the masses who has always voted Labour but has never, thankfully, needed any ‘pjaċiri’ or help, and who quietly, but rather adoringly, follows the party – or at least used to follow – from the confines of home rather than frequent the ‘każini’ or ‘kumitati’ etc, and is not a frequenter of the mass meetings. Yes, such people do exist and as such a person, I really get the ‘Not in my name’ response.

But beyond the wounded feelings of Labour supporters, let us consider the basis on which this apology was made.  A trio of once active and two retired judges whose conclusion was predictable before even they started their investigation.  A trio so palpably biased in their outlook and beliefs that there was not even a pretence at appearing unbiased or neutral in their judgment.  A trio that included one judge who hid the links between members of her family and Mr. Yorgen Fenech. Big deal, they told us that her writing was at times injurious and based on gossip that would appeal to her followers – insatiable for little titbits of information that could ruin the reputation of the person who was being attacked at that moment, making his or her life extremely difficult. Such were the lofty heights of the writings at the time.

The writing was on the wall as soon as the inquiry had started – and the way that it was conducted angered a significant portion of the public who felt that they had no real power or medium through which to show their disagreement with how the inquiry was conducted.  The publications of Daphne Caruana Galizia benefited only ONE entity – the Nationalist Party – and they too should have been held responsible for the inability or unwillingness to protect her. They stood behind her writing steadfastly, for the political mileage they gained from all that she put forth. They used her – shamelessly – but those who managed to survive her journalism, in all probability had to swallow their initial anger as the party then provided huge support in bringing the case to court and in garnering support in Europe.  In the latter case, I am sure that the people approached in this sphere have no understanding of the socio-political ramifications of the nature of her writings from the beginning of her career.  Who besides us could fathom the depth of her hatred towards anything that is Labour?  And who besides us could understand that every line was written to smear, wound, malign and injure mostly the Labour party and its supporters – whether based on truth or not.

There has also been talk about compensation – another thing that is worth considering carefully.  Money that comes from our taxes – paid to a family who have been involved in proceedings in court and yet refuse to submit information regarding tax as well as electronic devices central to the court case.  Which one of us would have been allowed to get away with that?

The Labour Party with Dr. Abela as its leader needs to be taught a lesson – not by the Nationalist Party – but by its supporters.  It has become arrogant or insensitive to its very core – does no one notice that in this recent behavior, the Labour Party has trodden all over and utterly disrespected the very love of its supporters who have brought it to power? 

#notmyleader #notmybelovedpartyanymore #notinmyname