In popular parlance it has always been the good, the bad and the ugly.  Here, however I decided to place them in a different order, the bad, the ugly and the good. Let's stay positive. 

The bad

During the past days the PL was caught with its pants down. The PL's promise of a gas-fired power station reveals the lengths that power-hungry politicians can go to. The much-touted proposal that now has fizzled out has dented severely the credibility of the PL, and to a larger extent that of the Prime Minister. The PL made a wide-range of electoral promises, which included the building of a new power station within extremely tight time-frames. This issue was debated at length prior to the general election by politicians. Despite all the hype, experts in the field and detailed technical reports were almost absent during the debate, except for some minor input. When the PL was about to lose ground on this issue, Dr Muscat, then leader of the Opposition, came to the rescue and pledged his political career if the project was not finished within the promised time-frames.

He went on record claiming that he will take full responsibility in the event that this project would not be up and running by March 2015. It is now clear the project will not be ready as promised, and is expected to be completed months later. This time the Prime Minister did not make the same mistake and did not pledge his political career if the new target date for the completion is not achieved. For the most obvious reasons, the revised completion date is being kept under wraps.

The ugly

As this total let-down was unfolding, government's plan to cancel the scheduled 2015 local councils' elections was aborted. The government's see-through and feeble excuses to cancel these elections were rubbished by the PN. As pressure kept mounting, government must have been persuaded by its spin-doctors to refrain from juggling with too many fire-torches at the same time. I trust that today people have a better understanding of the meaning of the PL-promised values of meritocracy, accountability and transparency.

Given that the PN has an excellent track-record and has always been at the very forefront to protect basic democratic principles and values, the PL's proposal to cancel the 2015 local councils'elections could have led government into another cul-de-sac. It is amply clear that government was left with no other option but to withdraw its proposal.The messages which unequivocally were being given by Dr Simon Busuttil and his team were clear. The PN was not prepared to budge. In a bid to limit further damage to its credibility, government announced that a compromise has been reached.

To compromise is to bargain, to concede, to negotiate, to meet halfway. To compromise is to let go of something which may or may not be of value in exchange of something which normally carries a higher value. The PN conceded nothing and compromised nothing.

Government's proposal to cancel next year's local councils' elections came on the initial premise that people are suffering from political fatigue, and secondly to cut costs. What a whopper. The PL should have known better: There is absolutely no room for 'compromise' when democracy is at stake. 

A compromise can be fruitful when conducting negotiations between trade unions and employers' organisations. Trade unions push for improved conditions of work and higher wages, while employers seeknew work practices to improve productivity. Level-headed trade unions and employers' representatives are always in search to find ways to improve both. Undoubtedly, both sides are aware of the importance of competitiveness. Like democracy competitiveness cannot be compromised or sacrificed.

The Good

On the other side of the political spectrum, the PN has recently introduced in its structures ten policy fora, all chaired by experts in their respective fields with the aim to update the party'spolicies. Newand fresh recommendations should bring the party closer to the people. This process should reflect better the needs and aspirations of present and future generations.

Lately  Pope Francis called on all participants attending the extraordinary assembly of the Synod of Bishops to speak their minds with fearless frankness and to listen to one another in a spirit of true charity. Indeed words of wisdom. This applies to all political parties and organisations, whether voluntary or institutional in search to serve the people well. With the introduction of the ten policy fora the PN is gradually moving towards the listening stage...the road is long but it is certainly the right one. Well done Dr Simon Busuttil.  

[email protected]