Lately we have been hearing the term ‘national interest’ too often. It is being used and misused in order to send the message that Malta’s national interest is best served by the PN.

To some it seems irrelevant that, following the vote of confidence in Parliament two weeks ago, the government lost its parliamentary majority and it can barely continue to function like this any longer.

According to the PN strategists, there can only be stability in Malta if the PN continues to be in government. An alternative to this seems inexistent. In a way this is understandable, as to the PN strategists, stability means only one thing. It means that the status quo should be maintained at all costs. A status quo where a few individuals seem to exert all the influence and take all decisions, where almost all the resources seem to be at the disposal of a few and where rules are bent to accommodate them; a status quo which was described by one of their own MPs as evil. A situation which the same MP described as an oligarchy.

The Prime Minister pushes the idea that a general election will bring instability at this point in time. He tries, very hard at times, to convince us that perpetuating the current situation is better than asking the people to decide their future through their vote.

Such declarations expose a great deal about the Prime Minister’s frame of mind and that of the PN strategists. Claiming that a general vote will bring instability is equivalent to stating that the mechanism of democracy destabilises the country. Any short-term instability caused by a general election is no excuse for staying in power without a majority in parliament. It is a well-functioning democracy that brings stability and not vice-versa. In any politically mature democracy, such statements would have had serious negative repercussions on any one making such claims.

Ironically enough these messages are being expressed at the same time when the PN is holding a leadership contest, or sort of. So, are we to believe that calling a general election, which will decide the way forward for the next five years, will bring instability while changing a Prime Minister a few months or weeks before a general election will bring stability?

I still have to meet someone who harbours doubts as to whether Gonzi will be re-confirmed as PN leader later this month. Who in his right senses would contest Lawrence Gonzi at his point in time as leader of the PN? One needs only to look at the blind worship for Lawrence Gonzi from all those who spoke at the congress and at all PN political activities to see that this is no more than a joke. However, his reconfirmation will not by itself clear in any way the problem faced by GonziPN. It will not get Gonzi any closer to finding a real and long-term solution to PN’s problem in parliament.

The second insight obtained from this stand-off is that according to the PN, stability can only be maintained if it stays in government ad infinitum. It indirectly implies that the Labour Party and its supporters are some inferior subgroup unable to govern this country, as if they have a different genetic makeup! Even if the PN rebuff such claims, deep down many of the PN top brass hold this belief, albeit perhaps unconsciously.

Those responsible for the PN communications try hard to give the impression that what Gonzi is doing is after all for the good of the country. You will agree with such a statement only if you are convinced that the PN is the country. In any other case it is rather obvious that the current situation is simply making things worse. It is making sure that any economic initiative is delayed and that people continue to refrain from taking important decisions because they do not know where they stand. And this is being done in the name of stability.

The simple truth is that stability would be better served if Gonzi acknowledges that he has lost his majority in parliament and that, as a consequence, it is causing instability which freezes the economy and postpones economic decisions. It is best to acknowledge that the best solution is to settle the issue through fresh general elections.

Dr Anton Refalo is Labour spokesman for Gozo