Editorial: Panama Papers - Disappointed is hardly the right word

The Panama Scandal was one of the most disappointing events that happened in the last three years of his legislature, the prime minister said some days ago. 

In an interview with Lovin Malta, the Panama debacle, together with the death of hundreds of people off Lampedusa, were the two most challenging issues he had to face so far.

Dr Joseph Muscat described the Panama Papers story as "disappointing" because it dented people's trust in the whole political system. "I need to work hard to rebuild that trust. Not only me, but I think people do understand what I stand for."

Replying to questions by Chris Peregin, the prime minister said that he felt disappointed, rather than betrayed, by the stories circulating about his two close colleagues. "I was so disappointed that the good things we were doing during that period went by unnoticed and people were focusing on just this issue."

Now this is a double surprise.

Here we have the head of government admitting, as in a confessional, he had been disappointed by the Panama Papers saga.

And yet all through he has been unable to address the issue, to tackle it at its root, to ensure it does not get repeated, to warn his followers of dire consequences if anyone were to follow Konrad Mizzi's example.

So we have a 'disappointed' prime minister who is also impotent to do anything about what has brought ignominy on Malta and on his own administration.

Then, correcting his aim, Dr Muscat says first that he was disappointed because people's trust in politicians was dented as a result of the Panama Papers episode.

Then, correcting even more, he says he was disappointed because the good things his administration was doing went unnoticed.

So we have two, possibly three, interpretations of the word 'disappointed' in one and the same breath. Actually, Dr Muscat never went as far as saying he had been disappointed by Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri. That does not seem to enter his mind. It is almost as if the disappointment was an Act of God for which no person is responsible. When we all know who caused it.

Ironically, and this states volumes about the Maltese public opinion, the issue had rather quietened down, pushed to the background by terrorist attacks and summer lethargy. It was Dr Muscat himself who seems to have re-ignited interest in the Panama Papers. Sunday after Sunday the issue gets mentioned by the Leader of the Opposition but on a national scale, the issue has become dormant, not to say comatose.

But when the Maltese snap out of their summer lethargy and start thinking about politics, and mentally preparing themselves for the coming general elections, the issue will still be there with all the toxic consequences it carries, made worse by long neglect in the public consciousness.

In short, Dr Muscat has not taken any step to face the issue, to cauterize the ill-effects and this will still matter in the public domain.

from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/2aRkyG5
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