Nationalist MP John Dalli insisted yesterday on the need for the PN to make a strong effort to reunify its supporters, since only by doing so can the party ensure that it will win the next general election.
Replying to questions during an interview by l-orizzont editor Frans Ghirxi at the Zebbug MLP club, Mr Dalli said local election and referendum results held over the past four years clearly showed no swing in favour of the Labour Party, because PN supporters feeling distanced from the party were simply not voting and the credibility gap has simply not been won over by the MLP.
“The big question now is whether these people will be overcome by emotion, feeling obliged to vote, as the general election draws closer. While I feel concerned as a Nationalist Party supporter, I believe the party can win the next election” said Mr Dalli.
He said he will be insisting on a strong, objective analysis of the situation within the Nationalist Party and on the need to reunify supporters and “bring them closer to the party”.
As Mr Dalli’s interviewer posed questions regarding his unsuccessful bid to take the helm of the Nationalist Party in February 2004, and the fact that he had stepped down from the post of Finance and Economic Affairs Minister a few months later, the Nationalist MP made references to the ethical way he has always worked politically.
He said his basic philosophy is honesty and transparency, and he could not tolerate politicians who tarnish other people’s reputation for their own glory.
Mr Dalli, who will be again contesting the general election, said he has always been loyal towards everyone and the democratic process always had to be respected. He said that after working for 16 years as a minister, having resigned meant that he had to start off from scratch, because he had abandoned his private practice completely.
“It was not easy at all to start off again, particularly since people did not want to have any connection with me because of the false reports that were issued prior to my resignation,” said Mr Dalli
“The media is despicable and it is not providing a service to the country in this regard. It is a market driven by the two main political parties that use certain journalists to negotiate stories between them. In this sense, the media is betraying citizens,” said Mr Dalli.
He said he believes in politics that focuses on people, since he said the human person is the most important thing that decision makers must keep in mind.
“My primary loyalty remains towards citizens, because when it comes to politics, we are talking about the life of a population. This is no joke.”
Referring again to his resignation, Mr Dalli said that while he could deal with attacks from the MLP, it was impossible to work with attacks from the party he belonged to. These attacks and totally false reports were not only affecting him, but also his family, who was suffering extreme consequences with him.