For the first time in 60 years, Malta has a de facto coalition government. Neither Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, nor Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi put it in as many words after their meeting on Thursday night – but that is the political situation.
Dr Pullicino Orlando resigned from the Nationalist Party, but said that he will continue to support the government on matters relating to the party’s electoral programme. He also says that he expects to be consulted on matters which are not in the programme, such as the budget. Commentators may remark that he has a cheek to say so, but let us look at it realistically.
We will not go into the merits of how and why JPO did what he did, our purpose is to look ahead; and the reality of it, is that we now have a coalition government. JPO was elected on the PN ticket, and his voters gave him their trust, on the assumption that he would act to implement what was promised in the party’s electoral programme.
From a moral standpoint, he must also continue to give support to measures which had cropped up during the legislature that required ad hoc parliamentary approval. Whatever he has supported so far, he should continue to support at final reading.
On the other hand, JPO is completely correct in saying that he expects to be consulted on matters that were not in the PN’s electoral programme. In fact, he has the duty to do so. In a sense, JPO might hold all the cards in terms of the government’s survival, but now he also has the opportunity to act as a real watchdog for the people.
Some say his credibility is shot. Others say he really is a voice in the wilderness. The truth may lie somewhere in between. JPO says that he no longer feels comfortable within the PN, and one would have to say that his decision to leave, and the way that the party itself accepted that decision, is a true exercise in democracy.
Whatever one may think of Dr Pullicino Orlando, at least he had the courage of his convictions, and resigned from the party. One hopes that he will now use this remaining time to responsibly show our insular nation the meaning of a coalition government. Equally, one hopes that the government (and not the PN) will respect his position as an independent MP. However he has gone about it, Dr Pullicino Orlando is an independent member of parliament, with loyalties towards the constituents who voted him in on the PN ticket.
As things stand, the country’s government is stable. The President has also issued a statement which is absolutely correct – it is Parliament which decides whether or not a Prime Minister has a majority to govern.
JPO indicated that he will continue to give his support. No one expects him to pander to the government in his new ‘role’. This publishing house still believes that the country lost its most able civil servant in Richard Cachia Caruana. But we implore all parties concerned to do the right thing and steer this country a little further forward. This is not the right time for an election, but it will come soon enough, perhaps in just a few months. We can only now hope that this country can mature a little politically in light of political mess after mess. This is it folks, this is what coalitions are all about.