From Ms N. Fenech Adami

The Nationalist Party is the party that brought innovative ideas to this country, bettering the lives of all Maltese nationals in the process. Not only does the Nationalist Party bring innovative ideas, it is continuously renewing itself. This perpetual regeneration is characterised by a relentless drive to bring our country firmly into the 21st century.

Malta’s development had been held back not only because of her subject status (which the PN overcame through Independence in 1964) but also because of those 16 years of socialist rule, which lacked the vision most appropriate for the needs of a small island State like ours.

Those 16 sad years of failed social and economic experimentation were consigned to the history books in 1987 and Malta has never looked back since then.

Even the 22 months of the sui generis Sant administration were based on the idea of continuing to build on what had already been achieved. In fact, the Labour Party is still very clear in its position: if ever it returns to power, it intends building on what has already been built. The implication is clear: much of what successive PN administrations have done is worth keeping and building upon. This is not a statement made by some PN fanatic: it is a statement uttered by none other than the MLP itself. If the PN’s record is so good that even its main adversary wants to adopt it and make it its own, why should one trust that adversary whose own record is dismal?

Local councils are one project brought to fruition by the Nationalist Party. In the beginning, its main political adversary was wary of this new idea. The MLP decided not to participate in local council elections at first, until it realised that the only way to contribute to politics on a local level was by going the PN way.

Local councils have since been a tremendous success. They have improved the lives of all Maltese nationals by bringing public administration directly to the level of the man in the street. Ministerial posts that had been allowed to grow politically obese, were slimmed down. They were made to shed that extra padding, which came from using political power on a petty level that had left them breathless for their proper job, namely that of running the whole country and bringing the nation forward. Why should ministerial resources be wasted on changing lamps, or resurfacing streets, or co-ordinating refuse collection, when the same resources could be used to create a more efficient and productive administrative system that could attract foreign investment, plan long-term economic reform and embark on socially worthwhile projects? Why not allow the residents themselves to take care of this local aspect of public administration?

This principle introduced by the PN has now been accepted by the entire political spectrum. The far-sightedness of the PN has been continuously fuelled by the regeneration within its ranks, by the enlisting of the younger generation to carry on its mission of doing politics by persuasion. The PN has succeeded in persuading the people (old and young) of this country that it holds the right strategies for the future, the right way of tackling the challenges facing our country, the right people with the right ideas, thus attracting them to join in its efforts to be of service to the community both on a national and local level.

This is the secret of the PN’s success of the past 20 years. It is also the secret that will take the PN to new heights once again. The secret that manifests itself in its ability to regenerate itself, by offering young people full of enthusiasm the opportunity to fulfil its political obligations to the people of Malta. The residents who will vote in the next local council elections are called to respond and allow the PN to carry on its service to the country.

Nicola Fenech Adami

MOSTA