This 2017 electoral campaign is GonziPN in reverse.
Gone is the broad appeal of a fresh-faced Opposition leader Joseph Muscat in 2013 inviting one and all to unite in a Movement against the sleaze and corruption after nearly 25 years of Nationalist governments.
Just four years down the line, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is engulfed in a flurry of scandals. They are just too many to list and I have to stick to my word limit. But let us not forget the hijacking of our institutions thanks to the appointment of Labour acolytes, not least the three promotions in four weeks for the AFM Brigadier and the revolving door for five Police Commissioners in four years.
The list is never ending – and God help us, the best is yet to come.
A question of trust
When Minister Konrad Mizzi was outed by the Panama Papers, the Prime Minister leapt to his defence saying that he had seen Mizzi’s draft ministerial declaration of assets where he was going to declare his trust in Panama. This followed the major effort made by Minister Mizzi to cover all his tracks.
At the very least, the Prime Minister’s handling of the Panama Papers, including the corollary latest prima facie money-laundering allegations against his right-hand man Keith Schembri, flushed any remnants of decency and accountability down the drain.
The very fact that there are so many serious doubts about all the much publicised ‘projects’ including oil, passports and now the Vitals contract lead me to believe that, in calling a snap election, Dr Muscat was more interested in saving his skin rather than in looking after the interests of his country. A much more sensible approach would have been to stand temporarily aside and avoid jeopardising the country’s stability, especially that of the financial institutions.
Politics is fundamentally a question of trust. I entered politics a few weeks ago because I believe that not all politicians are corrupt or fundamentally prone to be corrupted – as the Labour media would have us believe. In that respect, we are different and proud of it.
The way forward
The Nationalist Party is led by a man of integrity with a proven track record in effecting change. He has climbed mountains that sometimes seemed insurmountable and his strong advocacy for EU membership is testament to this. He took over a crumbling party four years ago in a move that is also testament to his love for his country before his own personal interests.
Under Simon Busuttil’s leadership, the country is assured of integrity and honesty – the core values of politics. There have been proposals and counter proposals which may have confused many but at the end of the day this 2017 electoral campaign – Forza Nazzjonali v Joseph Muscat’s Labour Party – is essentially, a contest between a coalition committed to fighting sleaze wherever it comes from, against a Labour Government mired in scandal.
These have certainly been four very eventful years.
Jason Zammit is a PN candidate on the 10th and 13th Districts.