Whether it is official or not, the country is already in tense election mood and wherever you go people keep talking about the political instability and have a shot at guessing the most plausible date for a general election. GonziPN adamantly keeps giving the impression that this coalition is meant to survive till the last day of legislature.

Even though it is basic knowledge that the term of this legislature from now on does not depend on him but on the support of his parliamentary group and coalition member, GonziPN keeps projecting a stage set of business as usual!

Without parliamentary majority and hanging on the support of already tightrope situation within his parliamentary group, surely it’s not an impossible mission but mission impossible for the Prime Minister.

The rot

Instead of calling a spade a spade and taking the bull by the horns to put his house in order, GonziPN keeps pointing a finger at il-Partit ta’ Muscat for all the problems afflicting its own parliamentary group! Incredible! It takes a person with a super inflated ego greater than a helium hot air balloon to attribute this messy state of affairs to others without even considering that ultimately it could have been his modus operandi that precipitated such meltdown.

In actual fact, this legislature has been characterised by vociferous public dissatisfaction voiced by particular outspoken backbenchers within GonziPN who claimed that they were not consulted and of being used as a rubber stamp. The episodes and outbursts were numerous and their main grievances boil down to the fact that the Prime Minister is unreservedly defending controversial decisions and poor performance by arrogant Ministers.

The controversial St John’s Co-Cathedral project, the notorious BWSC contract and ill-advised decision to opt for heavy fuel oil power station, the scandals and rot at Transport Malta, the fiasco of public transport reform, the anti-climax of SmartCity, the thousands of people on the waiting list for an operation at Mater Dei and the hardship people face when they need to go to the emergency department. Who is responsible for all this, il-Partit ta’ Muscat?

What about the weekly generous honoraria of €500 for Cabinet members when at the same time most people saw their purchasing power literally fading away, the hefty increase in utility bills, fuel and gas, the increase in unemployment, the widening deficit and rocketing national debt. Who is to blame for all this, il-Partit ta’ Muscat?

Despite all the hype regarding the ongoing educational reform, hundreds of teenagers end their studies either when they finish Form 5 or after a few months attending a post-secondary institution. Certainly, the priorities were not right and the building of a new Parliament was not one of the most popular decisions taken lately. The branding of AirMalta, which cost close to €2 million in the course of a restructuring phase and when workers are constantly reminded of sacrifices that have to be made and to shoulder the burden, is beyond doubt another inappropriate decision. Who is answerable to all this, il-Partit ta’ Muscat?

The crisis within GonziPN has been going on for months now, unfolding into a political impasse. The government side and the Opposition have the same number of Members of Parliament. Now it all depends on whether there are enough Members of Parliament to support the government with their vote. A Prime Minister who is not capable of preserving his parliamentary majority is a reflection of leadership style that is far cry from the election slogan of a ‘safe pair of hands’! Who is responsible for all this, il-Partit ta’ Muscat?

When GonziPN accuses il-Partit ta’ Muscat for the rot and meltdown, he is simply barking up the wrong tree!