Delia calls on ministers to: ‘do the honourable thing and tell Muscat to resign’

Opposition Leader Adrian Delia has placed the onus on the Cabinet of Ministers, telling them that they must do the honourable thing and tell Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to resign.

Speaking on the Nationalist Party’s radio station yesterday morning, Delia said ministers, “should stand up and do the right thing for the country”, which is passing through a constitutional and institutional crisis which can only start to be solved when the Prime Minister goes.

He was referring to reports that indicated that the Cabinet is split on the way forward, with some ministers wanting Muscat to resign and others who want him to stay on. These reports have been denied, and the Cabinet has so far officially declared its unanimous support to Muscat.

But, Delia pointed out, there were people in the Cabinet who have been more publicly outspoken, and this shows that there are elements within it that no longer see Muscat as the best the country should have at the moment.

Ministers should decide on whether they want to continue showing loyalty to the Prime Minister after people close to him were embroiled in criminal activities, or else showing loyalty to the country, as their oath of office says.

So far ministers have missed the chance to tell Muscat to go, but they are still in time to do so, Delia advised.

Muscat has declared that he wants to stay on to guarantee stability, but his continued presence as Prime Minister is creating severe instability. Malta’s reputation has been shattered over the last six years, and Muscat should shoulder the political responsibility for this. When a reputable newspaper like The Times of London carries a leading article describing Malta as the “island of corruption”, it shows the depth of the damage Malta is suffering, Delia said.

Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne himself said that we have reached a stage at which the damage caused to Malta could be irreparable, and he is not the only one from the Labour side who has spoken up about the situation.

Evarist Bartolo, Robert Abela, Jose Herrera and Miriam Dalli have all expressed their concern about the way things are developing, while many Labourites recognise the harm that is being caused to Malta every hour that Muscat stays in place, Delia pointed out.