One of the first arguments that people put forward when Joseph Muscat succeeded Alfred Sant as the leader of the Labour Party was that it was more of the same, that the man was cut from the same cloth and that it was an ‘anointed one’, a protégé of the outgoing leader.
How wrong they were. Agree with his politics or not, Dr Muscat emerged to be a competent leader of his party, securing a landslide victory over the Nationalist Party in the General Elections. In one way or another, he has also maintained control of the party, and its members. He is now, of course, Prime Minister of Malta. Many said that they would have preferred the now President George Abela to lead the party because he would have offered the PL a better chance at success. Well, history speaks for itself. Dr Muscat was hugely successful. He is nothing like his predecessor and has led the party as he sees fit.
And this is where we wish to draw a parallel. As soon as it became known that Simon Busuttil was the PN’s leader elect, the social networks went crazy. Of course, there were those who gave him their full support, but others came up with the argument that nothing has changed and that his winning the election was being perceived as his being an extension of his predecessor. Others said that the ‘clique’ has won again and others still, said that Dr Gonzi would be pulling the puppet strings. We cannot agree with any of the above statements, especially when we put it into the context of Joseph Muscat’s leadership of the Labour Party.
Dr Busuttil will be confirmed as the leader of the PN in his own right. He overcame obstacles when contesting for the deputy spot, and as in every political race, we are sure that he overcame obstacles in competing for the post of leader.
What people need to do now, is give Dr Busuttil a chance. He has gone on record saying that he believes that the PN must renew itself and reach out to people, and change. But he has also said that the PN should be loyal to its values. It is only once Dr Busuttil takes over the held and gets down to business in that he can be judged. When Dr Muscat was elected leader, people jumped the gun and shot him down before he even had a chance to put things into motion. Those same people speak very differently now. As we have said, ultimately, it is up to Dr Busuttil to prove himself. He needs to prove that the PN is willing to listen to people. He also needs to prove that while it will not abandon its core values, the PN will become more accepting of minorities who were shunned in the past. He also needs to prove that the party’s officials will be more inclusive and open to the suggestions that come from within its own ranks, and those that come from the outside. We will only know once Dr Busuttil’s plan is put into action.