It might sound somewhat ironic to start off a New Year’s Day article in which I sincerely wish the very best to all of your readers irrespective of their political views and leanings, by quoting the US Navy SEAL philosophy as outlined in the Mark Owen bestseller NO EASY DAY. All about the covert operation that led to the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden.

I have chosen this ‘loaded’ and provocative title on purpose, in the hope that we (and by WE I mean the whole political class) will rise to the occasion in the coming weeks as the campaign begins to unfold within days

We have never had a political truce as fake and cosmetic as the one we have just experienced.

A truce ironically broken most by the same politician who had popped the idea and suggestion first.

The ceremony near the Karen Grech monument in San Gwann might have grown into a ritual over the years, but through his well calibrated and well measured speeches – particularly these last two years – Joseph Muscat gave added meaning and gravitas to this sad occasion.

Having already adopted the same spirit of compromise and tolerance when appraising our various national days, in the case of the Karen Grech memorial ceremony Joseph Muscat went one step further – way beyond the stock in trade approach adopted by other politicians who should know better – who tended to pit Karen Grech (as our martyr) against Raymond Caruana (the Nationalists’ martyr).

In symbolically comparing them to siblings while hoping that the country will never experience such dark moments again Joseph Muscat showed that he is really committed to forging ahead with his agenda of seeing a new era of political tolerance, understanding and maturity unfold.

Even when he talks of the need to see that justice should be done, he always makes the important point that it is pointless to talk of doing justice with those who have suffered injustices, while at the same time creating new injustices.

That is one challenge that a future would be PL administration will definitely be committed to sticking to and meeting bravely.

All types of political violence should be pushed aside, the same way moral and psychological violence should be sidelined too.

All it takes is strong leadership and political will from our country’s leaders to see such a culture change through.

While I am sure that the fear factor will be played to the hilt in the coming weeks, the biggest challenge that the two major political parties will be facing will be THE CREDIBILITY TEST.

As to how much their promises can be believed; how sustainable will they be; how doable will they turn out to be; and how much can those making such promises be actually believed and trusted to see them through.

While this event was unfolding at the same time a Bollywood styled show was unfolding down at the newly refurbished PBS buildings, with GonziPN & Co making merry at the refurbished and renamed Broadcasting Creativity and Innovation hub.

It must have been creative indeed to transmit the whole bash live and repeat it twice over during the same evening and yet again during prime time the day after.

But as some independent observers have just pointed out to me the worst form of creativity however, was when the Karen Grech very special 35th commemoration at San Gwann ended up relegated to the back end of TVM News with the only script being to the effect that the PL officials had laid flowers at the monument to Karen Grech without even bothering to mention Joseph Muscat’s most memorable speech.

In politics you are always bound to come up against winners and losers, even though some believe that they have a natural gift to lead and rule forever. But although 2012 must have been a BAD YEAR for many and a GOOD YEAR for the privileged few, in my humble opinion the biggest loser throughout 2012 was not even government itself that lost its majority in the House and even ended up defeated in a confidence vote, but the country’s key institutions.

Be they the judiciary, state broadcasting, so called independent authorities like MEPA, government funded organizations like WASTESERV, as well as the plethora of hyped up government projects with hardly any datelines or time lines that one can even bother to take seriously.

We have just ended a year where either certain key government promises remained unkept – THE WHISTLEBLOWER’S ACT, FUNDING OF POLITICAL PARTIES, COURT REFORM etc. or even worse where to add insult to injury we had such documents as the government NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY that should have seen us through this legislature being announced almost literally on election eve, and other interesting action plans like the one on BIODIVERSITY that saw the light of day only when the sun had long been setting on this administration.

These are unfortunately all signs of the hubris that has been holding this country and this administration firmly in its grip – almost since the 2008 election results were out.

Let us hope that whoever wins the forthcoming elections will stop making a mockery of certain basic values, and give this country what it needs most.

Confidence in itself.

Confidence in its institutions.

Confidence in the political class.

Confidence in the major stake holders.

Unless transparency, accountability and good governance are resorted to with a strong sense of commitment and even ‘passion’ all these aspirations will remain pipe dreams.

Let us all work together for a better future. Deep down I am convinced that the majority of the Maltese all have this mind set regardless of the direction in which their political leanings might take them.

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