Another term in office was what Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi called for yesterday, based on all the people of Malta and Gozo’s judgment of facts, achievements and a clear vision of the future.

Just as the Nationalist Party had done time and time again, said Dr Gonzi, citing former leaders George Borg Olivier, and Eddie Fenech Adami, he was prepared to lead the country forward with the backing of the people.

Dr Gonzi was speaking on the culminating eve of Malta’s Independence Day, 21 September, during a Nationalist Party activity in Floriana at the traditional granaries venue. Thousands flocked to the event, with children flooding the amusement rides that were there, while others brought their folding chairs and tables. It was clear that the crowd was there for the long-term.

The evening began with popular modern party anthems, including the original Europe track (no pun intended) It’s the final countdown and a remix of the said piece.

The introductions followed with party secretary general Joe Saliba being given a warm welcome. Deputy leader Tonio Borg followed, also, to a generous reception. Dr Borg touched on a few issues but mainly focused on the fact that the PN had never been afraid of change and granted the Maltese and Gozitan people the right of self determination. Dr Borg said the PN should be judged on its achievements. “We have increased the cash we inject into education consistently, we have reduced the deficit to below three per cent and Smart City will create some 5,600 jobs,” said Dr Borg.

Continuing, he said: “The MLP inherited an old airport, we gave the people a new one. The MLP inherited an old hospital, we gave the people a new one. We always tried to improve the lives of Maltese people during every legislation.” He said that this happened under governments led by George Borg Olivier and Eddie Fenech Adami. The name of ‘Eddie’ still inspires the nationalists’ faithful as familiar chants began to ring out in the crowd.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi then rose to the podium, and although he has still not got his own personal chant, the crowd was enthusiastic, greeting him with shouts, claxons and much flag-waving.

Dr Gonzi urged the crowd to judge his government on what had been achieved and he also warned against trusting a party in opposition which had consistently changed tack on a number of issues. He went back to as far away as the notion of “Switzerland in the Mediterranean”.

“That was even before the latest string of reversals by Dr Sant. They told us that we would get a paltry Lm1.5 million from the European Union and what we actually received was in the hundreds of millions,” he said.

He reminded the crowd of previous declarations by the MLP, such as the introduction of conscription and the possibility of “missiles flying over our heads” if Malta joined the European Union.

He challenged: “Can any youngster here in front of me say that they have been forced to join the army? Can anyone here tell me if they have seen missiles overhead?”

Dr Gonzi cited another factor: “Only recently, Dr Sant gave me the suggestion to devalue the Lira, our currency, by 10 per cent. One of the foremost financial observers in the world, the International Monetary Fund said that to do so would be sheer folly.”

Time after time, he said, the MLP had made mistakes. “But it is not only the mistakes. Anyone can make mistakes and anyone deserves to come back from them. But, let me remind you, this person said that the MLP had won a referendum in which the people of Malta and Gozo had decided in favour of EU membership,” he said.

The PM told the crowd that Dr Sant twisted the truth at every opportunity. “Who are you going to trust ? The watchdogs of the EU or Dr Sant?”

He said that opportunities in Malta were palpable, citing the hospital, the burgeoning IT industry, pharmaceuticals, electronics, financial services and other sectors as places where Maltese people were employed, leading to an increased improvement in quality of life.

Dr Gonzi said that the main difference between the MLP and the PN was that his party believed in the capability of the Maltese people. “We will never call our people small fry (makku), we believe that the most important asset that this country has is its people. Which is why that is the sector in which we always invest,” he said.

The Prime Minister said that belief in the country and its human resources was the cornerstone of the current PN philosophy. “We know that you are the future and you have to rise to that challenge in the face of it all – new record oil prices, record grain prices and the impact of irregular immigration,” said Dr Gonzi.

The theme of immigration did not raise much enthusiasm with the crowd, but the PM persevered with the points he wanted to make and insisted with those present that they employ the traditional principles of PN justice including tolerance, solidarity and compassion.

Closing, he said that these were not simply PN values but Maltese values. Dr Gonzi did not divulge the date of the election, but implied that it was close. “The time will soon come where all of you have to decide. Do you decide on mistake after mistake and change of tack or do you decide on facts and achievements,” he said.