The silly season is round the corner. Many will break away,at least for a while, and enjoy the lethargies of the long hot summer days and beautiful nights.  This does not apply to a government which has been acting daft for quite some time now. The alleged seriouscases of corruption, nepotism and mal-administration revealed by the independent media are a serious cause for alarm and a vindication for the Nationalist Party.

Government’s pledges for transparency, justice and upstanding political behaviour have been badly sullied.Under pressure,the PL front-liners are seeking to take refuge to justify their doings by comparing theirs with the doings of previous administrations. This is not helping them get out of the hole.

If anything, two wrongs don't make a right.

During the coming summer holidays, the PL front-line needs to re-group and take a long, hard look at their performance as the roadmap is getting cluttered and muddy by the day. 

Although letters of resignations are not yet on the table, it is not business as usual. And it cannot be. The alleged cases of gross corruption are draining all energy from those who have a finger in the alleged corruption pies.    

This is showing.

Political pressuresare mounting. To ease some of the internal pressures, last week Government setup Fort Security Services, a company to provide security services.

At face value it looks fine, but it’s not on many counts.

Would Fort Security Services be in direct competition with other security services companies in the private sector? 

Is the purpose of this new company to entertain PL supporters who, in the last round of local elections, made it amply clear that they will stop voting for the PL unless their demands are met?

Would the engaged workers be transferred onto the public sector wage bill in the near future discreetly, by-passing all established public sector employment procedures?

In a nutshell, is the purpose of this Company to entertain the hard-core of the party or to have disguised and covert security services personnel roaming around?

Good sense would dictate that Government buysspecialised and professional services from the private sector.No wonder thateven PL loyal supporters are against the introduction of this service. This goes diametrically against to what was promised to the private sector.Government should not be a player in the security services market, or most other sectors for that matter. In general, government should provide the necessary infrastructure and stop there.Let’s hope that Government does not intendto go back to the years of producing chocolate and bottling capers.

Unfortunately, the ‘Malta Taghna lkoll’ pledges are disappearing at a rapid pace. What is of concern is not the speed at which these promises are shot down; it is more about the way things are being done.

For the very first time after a change in government, with the exception of the PL’s twenty-month in office which was plagued by altogether different issues, we are today witnessing alleged cases of institutionalised corruption of all sorts. In normal circumstances, newly elected governments are busy enough with a tall order of electoral promises. The leader of the party is well in charge and none of his subordinates dares make a move unless dulyauthorisedby the leader.It is very telling that just after two years in government, the PM seems to have lost his hold on his subordinates as more and more cases of alleged corruption, nepotism and mal-administration surface.

It is very clear in this legislature the PM is being ill-counselled by his political appointees.   

Government must, for the sake of the nation, take all reasonable steps to give peace of mind to the people and ensure that law and order are topmost on the list. So far, this has not been demonstrated. Many still have vivid recollections of thugs and members of the police force terrorising people for supporting the PN. Unfortunately, the unease is returning.

What is being uncovered in the Gaffarena/Zammit business relationship must be addressed by the competent authorities without delay with care and objectivity, but nonetheless, with a firm hand leaving no stone unturned.

God forbid Malta is thrown back to dark years of the 80s.  

 

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