Establishment ‘has been trying to stop us since 2013,’ Prime Minister Robert Abela tells supporters

Prime Minister Robert Abela took aim at ‘the establishment’ during a political rally on Sunday, saying that for years ‘the establishment has been trying to stop us.’

During his speech in Qormi, in which he spent a lot of time urging people to go out and vote for the Labour Party in the coming elections, Abela said that “no matter what the newspapers say, we are zero-zero.”

This was seen as a reference to surveys showing a PL lead of over 21,000 votes. Despite this, he said: “We are working against all currents.”

“The establishment believes that at least one episode can make us lose our strength. Our duty is not to let them, not just for the Labour Party, but also for our country. They have been trying to stop us for years, since 2013, when under the leadership of Joseph Muscat we began changing this country.”

“Remember how many protests they held since 2013, how many maneuvers in the open, hidden maneuvers, and even maneuvers abroad there were.

“But in the most tense moments, we responded with calm. We thought with our heads more than our hearts. The calmer we were, the more frustrated they became, the more actions they took and the harsher their attacks became.”

The Prime Minister has been under fire for statements he had made about the magisterial inquiry which resulted in charges being filed against present and former public officials, including former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, former Chief of Staff Keith Schembri, former Minister Konrad Mizzi, former Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne, and Governor of the Central Bank Edward Scicluna. They are to have their first court sittings on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Continuing his speech, Abela said that on Monday he will be in court “to defend the sacrosanct right given by democracy, that a democratically elected government with a majority is left to run this country in the name of the people.” This was in reference to another court case which was opened by the Nationalist Party with the aim of recovering public money paid to Vitals Global Healthcare, which was later substituted by Steward Healthcare, as a result of a 2015 hospitals deal. The deal was annulled last year through a court decision.

He said that the truth is that it is unknown who is leading the country now, as the current Prime Minister is caught up in a ferocious struggle with a former Prime Minister. “Robert Abela made a pact with the devil four years ago,” Grech remarked.

The PN Leader said that with the publication of the inquiry, it has now been revealed that during his presidency, Robert Abela has known that there is fraud for three years. He continued that it is now known for sure, “black on white,” that three years ago someone had informed Abela that there is fraud, and that the inquiry shows that he was complicit.

“There is no honour among thieves,” Grech commented, “It’s almost like we’re watching a political thriller on Netflix with Robert and Joseph. Ironically, Joseph says he is finding it difficult to be able to remain subscribed to Netflix. No worries, he does not need to watch it, because he wrote the film himself.”

48 hours from now, Muscat is summoned to go to court. After saying this, Grech posed a question for Prime Minister Abela; “Where will you be on Tuesday morning? Will you be at Castille, leading the country, or will you be at the court, cheering on Muscat because you are still afraid of him?”

He said that the Prime Minister has become Muscat’s hostage, “the hostage of an ex-Prime Minister who is lost and hysterical because he is terrified that his hour has come”.

Grech concluded by saying that the country can no longer keep going down the route that the government has taken it down. He added that the time has come for Malta to once again become independent, and urged everyone to go out and vote in the upcoming election on the 8th of June.

Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament and MEP candidate in the upcoming election, also spoke at the rally.

She began by saying that the PN has a consistent message of unity and loves the country, “unlike the Labour Party, which wants a country where they benefit and make money”. She added that the PN is working in politics because its members want to make a difference in people’s lives, and that they know the difference between genuine politics and political opportunism.

Metsola said that everything the PN has been saying has been confirmed by the contents of Sunday’s newspapers. She said that the proof has been found, despite some saying that there is nothing to find. “There are those who think that by attacking us and trying to silence us, people won’t realise what they have done and are doing,” she commented.

For her part, the EP President concluded that the PN is aiming to elect three members to the European Parliament in the election.

“We are not afraid of attacks, because we are on the side of the good. On the 8th of June, we will work to elect three members to the European Parliament. We will work to create more opportunities for you, because we love this country.”

Norma Camilleri, a PN MEP candidate, said that the main goal of politics should be to better everyone’s quality of life, but that the scope of the government’s politics has become geared towards politicians rather than towards the people.

She commented on the cheques being sent by the government in the lead up to elections, and specifically referred to how “coincidentally,” parents are now receiving €500 as a special allowance for children who are students, and she remarked how as a mother with a daughter who is a student, her daughter typically asks for money at the beginning of the scholastic year to buy books and other necessary items, not at the end of the scholastic year when exams are beginning. “It’s amazing how many coincidences we have.”