People of privilege
We would like to categorise the 144,936 votes cast for Labour leading to the re-election of this privileged government of Dr Joseph Muscat and close confidantes, as honest, wellintentioned and positive choices.
Rachel Borg is an independent columnist based in the tourism industry
22 July 2003
ithin this large majority are a minority of less honest people who seek an opportunity and take advantage of it.
The kind of people that any foreign intruder into a country would search out and gather together to form a staunch rousing of fellow nationals to their cause. They form a close circle around the privileged power base and from there they can reach out to the furthest edge of opportunity.
Joseph Muscat worked this group and established a strong following with them. Jobs, permits, status, and primarily by giving the example of himself and his cronies as having no boundaries to privilege, he quickly filled their imagination and went on to combine this base with a popular message capable of hitting the nerve of several discontented targets.
Success followed and so did a gross abuse of privilege. The most recent was the way that the labour government completely ignored any limits to their power of incumbency by giving out hundreds of building permits and fictitious jobs. That arrogance contributed further to raising the profile of Muscat as beyond the establishment.
The most antagonising position, however, concerns the serious and damaging allegations of corruptions which were simply dismissed. Such was the confidence and gall of the Prime Minister who defied not just Parliament and the Opposition but also the PANA committee, the order of our country and its institutions and democracy itself, in order to pretend that he was vindicated by the electoral result and by his claims for proof.
In the real world, though, the strand of allegations and evidence still stands. Like a trace of DNA sufficient to lead to a conviction of a crime committed, the implication remains around the PM, Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi and the many others, who indirectly benefit from their activity, not least the hundreds of persons in positions of trust but also the common person who is aroused into defending false beliefs because they want to believe and not be in conflict with themselves.
Ultimately this is how a corrupt political party builds trust. It is also how it drives a country apart and sinks to indignity using privilege in a distorted and undemocratic way. Certainly not the way of a country built on respect for rule of law and democracy.
Incriminating documents are pushed aside whilst the system is in place to remove anyone who would investigate executive privilege. To treat our hard-earned constitution in this way is to spit on our history and values. This isn’t a lottery where the chances of facing the consequences of anticonstitutional behaviour are not scrutinised just because of some self-assumed privilege. But it is soon reaching that level, sinking lower each day that passes and some other case has been dismissed or that other discrimination has taken place against an innocent person.
Privilege is bestowed and it is to be understood by those who enjoy it. In the same way that one should not rent a car to oneself just because you enjoy the privilege of being entitled to a car and driver in your role as Minister or Prime Minister. Or the privilege of being able to serve the country should not be for personal gain but for the good of all. Neither does the privilege of being the leader of the party and Prime Minister mean that court cases can just be dropped in favour of your party and property and funds be redirected to them.
Advantage should not be used against those who do not share that same advantage. For example, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff has the privilege of being close to the PM and having access to his contacts and meetings. In this way, he has an advantage when it comes to making a deal, as for example, when he is present at road shows that promote the IIP citizenship scheme (Individual Investor Programme).
It is extremely important that the organisation of the democratic system is not taken advantage of and because privilege also implies entitlement it should be heavily scrutinised. Anyone from the press who therefore holds persons of privilege to account is not only right but is also doing a service to the same individual who should be proud of showing the public the good use they have made of the privilege given to them. Calling out the press or other authority for doing so shows a complete disregard for the ethics of holding privilege. It also implies fear of being guilty of some abuse or another.
Every politician and aspiring politician should know that this right of privilege comes before the very role and position they hold and should be held in great esteem and not peddled for commerce or advantage.
One also has to measure up to the job and give it the dignity and stature it deserves, arising out of that privilege to serve.
Being a Prime Minister is not just for Christmas.