This Monday, 4 May 2015, Malta will inaugurate a new and formidable chapter in its legislative history.  The house has been built.   The hall is ready, all modern and functional, waiting to host its first Parliamentary session, open to test, like La Bocca della Verita in the portico of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome, Italy.

The most famous characteristic of the mouth, is its role as a lie detector.  Starting from the Middle Ages, it was believed that if one told a lie with one's hand in the mouth of the sculpture, it would be bitten off.

Our representatives had better be on their guard.  So, too, because one can quite easily imagine a hungry lion making its way out of the openings set in the walls of the pit eager to attack its prey.

This is no ordinary House of Parliament.  Malta has grown so used to the silent corridors of the Grandmasters, the creaking armoury in the hallway, the spindly steps down to the little hideaway rooms and the reassuring ballroom at the end of the corridor, reminding all the aspiring members of the House that all of it will be worthwhile and lead to grand occasions with social recognition and power.   Those walls were familiar and almost made you feel at home with their sombre paintings on the wall and scenes of battle.  Many Maltese homes present the same style, especially those houses in Valletta, still inhabited today by stubborn  aunts or grandparents who refuse to go and live anywhere else, despite the stairs, the dwindling population and the parking problems.  

Now it is time to launch into a new era.  Valletta is regenerated.  The walls have been opened and the noon shadow is no more.  There is a sense of nervousness, a wobble, unaccustomed as we are to open spaces, as we walk over the bridge at the entrance to Valletta.  We have always wound our way through narrow streets, taken measure of the tight space afforded us, careful not to bump into the next person and here we are now, standing in the middle of a wide-open vista.  The territory is totally strange and any sort of danger could be threatening us.  We are unprotected and vulnerable.

No surprise that the latest issue to beset the character and scope of the new House, is that of security.   Contrary to the intention of the creator, the project has been turned on its head and what freedom and transparency has been created should once again be restricted and reduced.   The public will not be allowed access to the building, except in the foyer.  The Monti will now be the real City Gate as it used to be in the past and the Parliament building will join the "barra is-sur" sector.  No need, therefore,  to bother continuing the project in the ditches with  landscaping and gardens.   The besieged mentality is re-established and life in Valletta can carry on as normal. 

Our country has a golden opportunity, brought to us by a forward and brave thinking Prime Minister, Lawrence Gonzi and his government, to move into not just a new building but a new era.  The changes are all around us, in our customs, our work, our surroundings.  Those who are ready to move on into this monumental phase will celebrate and feel proud of this achievement as a reflection of where we are now.  Others, who cling to the past and feel intimidated by the truth and the light, will crouch and hide and look for the walls for security.

Hopefully, the new environment will help to ease the nerves and even nudge the honourable members of the house, to aspire to a new level.  These past two years have all been about transparency or the lack of it.  Let us really augur that the Institution will be respected and we can look forward to some enlightened work, in a mature and democratic  assembley.  Dr. L. Gonzi  explained very lucidly and humbly, what Parliament is all about.  These were his words:

"The inauguration of the new Parliament building is a solemn occasion symbolising Malta's dignity as a sovereign and mature democracy. We are moving out of the "Grandmaster's Palace" into an iconic building which was itself conceived as a symbol of a successful, vibrant and ambitious democracy.

"I am very proud of this achievement and of the significance of the event. It is precisely this sense of pride in my country that bars me from taking any initiative which demeans the occasion.

"As such, I have always maintained that the building should be inaugurated by the Head of State who is entrusted by the Constitution to represent us all together as a people with our unique characteristics."

It is time for the government of Joseph Muscat, to get in step and follow.  Maybe he has been shaken to realise the strength of those in favour of a new mentality, those who can no longer tolerate backward thinking and the sabotage inflicted by vote lobbies onto a democratic people.  He will have to choose.  Up to now he felt himself a master at playing both sides.  That time is over.  When he steps into the Bocca della Verita, he can expect an invigorated Opposition and a population quickly losing patience with his double standards. 

The PN will present a ground-breaking new Bill on the Public Domain.  This Bill deserves much attention and serious debate.  Given the way  things have been done in this legislature, nothing at the moment can be more important. Basically, this law is the key to establishing a clear set of rules tied to the government's powers and duties when dealing with the nation's property. We have seen lands transferred without impunity to business interests and trading of property between the Labour party and the government.  The time for accountability is now, before it is too late. 

So, please Mr Prime Minister, stop dithering and posturing and muddling your protocols and show some respect to the constituency.   If you can stand up to the hunters and realise your mistake, you can have a chat with the hawkers before it is too late and give them, too, a new space, where they will not be resented and stand as a symbol of ignorance.   In addition, reverse the decision of not proceeding with the landscaped ditch and make reparation to Renzo Piano for your misguided loyalties.  Essentially, be proud of the new House you occupy and make sure the people of Malta are too.  It is not hard to realise that, failing which, the PN will be remembered for the Parliament house and the LP for the Monti stalls, the PN for Malta joining the EU and the LP for the Premier saga.  Amends are due.

In building this house, Piano has not only made an iconic structure, but has restructured our minds and challenged the very core, not just of our great city but above all, of our being.  We offer him our thanks and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Buon lavoro to all!