The American presidential election was held at the same time that the two major political parties in Malta were starting to get into election mode by recruiting potential candidates. In the case of the Nationalist Party, this also involves the selection of a deputy leader to fill this recently vacated seat.

Having monitored, as a political enthusiast, the American election experience, particularly the manner in which Mitt Romney and Barack Obama ended their election campaigns with their final speeches and post-election speeches and their magnanimity in reviewing the whole election process gave so much food for thought which local established and aspiring politicians would do well to digest.

The notion of politicians being there to serve was constantly heard and rings equally true for local politics; it is particularly relevant at the time of writing, as the two major parties are identifying potential candidates to join their ranks. The Labour Party, having been in Opposition for a number of years, has been recruiting candidates from several walks of life, all aspiring to give their contribution to local politics; the Nationalist Party has also been putting forward names on a regular basis. Ultimately, however, it is not the numbers that count, but the quality of those chosen that really appeals to the public. Few are those who would refuse the chance to stand for elections – the possibility of contributing to a political party’s ascent to government is too tantalising to refuse. One can only hope that the parties have put the necessary mechanisms in place to ensure that their candidates have the quality to serve in one of the three pillars of our democracy, that we do not merely elect aspiring, over-ambitious ministers, but that we vote for candidates who have been recruited and scrutinised by the parties to ensure their integrity and capability. These are the candidates that the parties should be presenting to the general public.

What caught my attention in President Obama’s victory speech was the comment he made regarding the fact that Romney did not explain how he intended to implement the changes he had proposed. President Obama described it as “the oldest trick in the book”. This struck me as being similar to what is currently happening in local politics. The public has both a right and an obligation to make an informed decision when casting its vote in the next general election. Both the Nationalist Party and the Labour Party would do well to question whether they are enabling the public to make an informed decision, and whether they are providing people with the necessary material to understand the permutations of their choice over the next five years. The global economic climate does not leave much space for misinformed or wrong decisions and politicians should be clearer when addressing citizens and communicate in a more dignified manner while refraining from engaging in tit for tat quips and retorts which ultimately alienate citizens.

I was also struck by the way the American people lived through this hard-fought presidential campaign and the dignity with which defeat was accepted by Romney and his supporters, which in practical terms amount to one half of the American electorate who chose to exercise their right to vote. The way he wished the best for the country and congratulated the victorious showed a sense of maturity, which I long for and desire for our country. Politics must not remain the be all and end all of our lives; many times we are quick to forget that we remain one nation. Politicians have a lot to work to do in this regard; they must set an example for the electorate and this is where the importance of recruitment of the right kind of candidates comes in.

The Nationalist Party has another recruitment process underway, that of deputy leader, to replace commissioner designate Tonio Borg – another interesting development in an unexpected time frame. While at the time of writing this article there is only one nomination, that of Simon Busuttil, I would be very surprised if he remains the only candidate, as surely there must be other interested parties for this coveted post. Normally, such internal movements take place after an election defeat or a change in leadership, barring one previous exception, making this the second time that one of the two major parties is undergoing a change in deputy leader out of time (the Labour Party had Dr George Abela resign from his post as Deputy Leader when Labour was last in government). Looking back over the last 40 years, one notes that the Nationalist Party has had some four deputy leaders in the last four decades, only one of which eventually became prime minister. The Labour Party has had a change in this position in the nineties when it converted the post into two, with one deputy leader for party affairs and one for parliamentary affairs. It has had some 10 deputy leaders, none of whom ever made it to leader of the party.

The months to come will undoubtedly be politically charged ones and they are an integral part of every democracy. We the people need to recognise the importance of these times and adopt a more mature approach. The coming months afford an opportunity for the electorate to form reasoned opinions based not only on personal motivations, but inspired also by the common national interest. Petty emotions and trivialities should not form part of this important decision-making process.