The public debate on whether, and to what extent, it is appropriate to have an electoral alliance between Alternattiva Demokratika and the Nationalist Party has been in full swing on social media over the past week, fuelled as it was by Michael Briguglio's interview on the Maltese weekly Illum last Sunday.

Michael Briguglio presented his views, no doubt based on his experiences and perceptions, concluding that the avenues leading to an electoral alliance (at times also referred to as a coalition) should be explored without delay. The fact that the ethical behaviour of leading members the PN Opposition leaves much to be desired necessitates more caution. There is no need to rush.

The political party donation mess in which the PN and Silvio Debono of the db Group are entangled requires full disclosure in order to ascertain the precise facts. Has the PN (illegally) avoided the provisions of the political party financing legislation through the channelling of funds to its commercial arm under the guise of payment for (fake) services? Is the db Group "donation" a one-off, or is it one of a number?

Wouldn't this give the lie to the PN's declared commitment to good governance? If such a basic issue in the PN's electoral platform is just paying lip service, how can one give weight to any PN declaration of adherence to principle or policy of whatever form or shape?

There are other issues related to the behaviour of senior PN MPs which need clarification.

For example, Claudio Grech's declaration that he does not recollect ever meeting George Farrugia with reference to the oil sales scandal, is not convincing at all. The acceptance of Claudio Grech's declaration by the Leader of the Opposition throws considerable light on the functionability of the ethical compass which is an essential tool for the self-appointed leader of an anti-corruption coalition!

Nor are matters on Beppe Fenech Adami's role in the Capital One Investment Group/Baltimore Fiduciary Services any clearer. In quasi-similar circumstances, Joe Cordina, former Labour Party Treasurer was forced to resign.

Mario de Marco has made a public apology for his error of judgement, which error of judgement was made when accepting the brief of the db Group relative to its acquisition of the land at Pembroke, currently hosting the Institute for Tourism Studies, from the government. Fine, but apologies are certainly not enough.

One has also to consider the proposed ODZ villa which Toni Bezzina, PN spokesperson on agriculture and co-author of the PN policy document, sought to develop contrary to both the letter and spirit of the policy document he had just proposed. The Leader of the Opposition instead of dismissing him on the spot absolved him as "he had done nothing wrong".

Taken together, the above shed considerable light on the extent to which "good governance" and "ethical behaviour" is often absent in the Opposition's ranks. In any other democratic country, each one of the above, even if considered separately, would have been more than enough to wipe out the whole Opposition leadership.

Can Alternattiva Demokratika forge an electoral alliance with a political party whose leading members are so compromised and have so much to explain regarding their behaviour? Moreover, how can the PN claim moral leadership in a coalition against corruption before it gives satisfactory explanations on the behaviour of its leading exponents? The fact that the Labour Party has even much more to explain is no justification for the Opposition's behaviour.

The mess in which the country is currently submerged, the direct result of Labour Party stewardship over the past four years, is also the direct consequence of a two-party system which needs to be smashed to smithereens. The two-party system which has controlled the machinery of the state uninterruptedly since 1966 is ultimately responsible for the current state of affairs as it has continuously returned a Parliament which, due to its composition, has, with insignificant exceptions, been unable to hold the government of the day to account.

While the setting up of an electoral alliance could eventually be beneficial to the country, in the present circumstances it is not the right time to rush. At this point in time, linking Alternattiva Demokratika to the PN through an electoral alliance may send wrong messages.

While Alternattiva Demokratika will never close the doors to possible discussions on an electoral alliance, I believe it is certainly the season to be extremely cautious until the murky waters have cleared. It is only then that the time would be ripe for the necessary decisions.

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http://carmelcacopardo.wordpress.com

Mr Cacopardo is an architect and civil engineer and is Deputy Chairman of Alternattiva Demokratika - The Green Party in Malta.