The new leadership team of the PN has now been installed, mostly lawyers in their 40s. All coming from different backgrounds with a wide range of experience in different fields and committed to tirelessly work towards one common objective - regroup the troopers and plot a proper, well-devised strategy forward for the PN. The only way is forward, various speakers pledged at the PN General Council last Sunday. Undoubtedly the new motivated leadership team will turn yesterday’s page and seek to use a new clean fresh page to redesign the way forward for the PN. Public apologies were also made loud and clear for various shortcomings. This will initiate the necessary healing process with former PN faithful. As expected last Sunday acknowledgments and credits, rightly so, were also unreservedly showered on the outgoing prime minister and leader of the party and other senior officials for their sterling service in the difficult environment they had to work and lead.
The much awaited report, commissioned by the former administration of the PN, has now been discussed at length at different levels and hopefully, shortly, the new appointees at the helm of the PN will start oiling the wheels of the organization. Indeed, adjustments are needed to ensure that all is tuned and running smoothly as early as possible. The earlier this is done the better it would be for all.
During the past weeks I have noticed many onlookers on the peripherals, and not solely PN supporters, have already entered into a new frame of mind, waiting with renewed enthusiasm and energy for direction from the top of the organization; others will follow suit once the wide range of promises made by the Labour Party are not fulfilled for a thousand and one excuses. It must be very encouraging to the new PN leadership team to see more people coming forward to give a helping hand.
On the other side of the fence the flocking of Labour Party supporters to ministries is evidently becoming more intense and the pressure is mounting at times to unbearable levels. Avoiding people by switching off the mobile and instructing private staff not to pass calls will not solve the promises made during the electoral campaign. They keep coming and coming! “I would not be at all surprised if shortly a particular Minister/Parliamentary Secretary would throw in the towel at this early stage of this legislature” I am told by a level headed collaborator within a particular ministry. “Last week the minister blew his/her top and made a scene in his/her office. Ogni promessa é debito.
To further complicate matters for the PL, the list of appointments to former PN people who for one reason or another justified or otherwise switched to PL continues to get longer and longer. This is infuriating loyal aspiring PL supporters. It is very clear that a handful of former PN members of parliament switched to PL as they failed to uphold the prerequisite party loyalty much as the PL maneuvered with meritocracy during and prior the last electoral campaign as bait to catch the gullible.
The sweet talk from the PL has now stopped and changed and recently the Minister for the Family and Social Solidarity followed in the footsteps of the Minister for Home Affairs and National Security and unexpectedly visited a place of work under her watch. In both instances it was alleged that workers were not found at their place of work. While it is unacceptable for workers to desist from properly attending to their duties, it is similarly deplorable for ministers to witch-hunt workers. Ministers should not interfere in the role of senior and middle management and should by no means play a role which is not theirs unless, of course, they want to play the star role or attract media attention. Ministers’ role is to form and ensure electoral promised policies are well executed by the administrative arm of the civil service.
The reasons behind such visits become more obscure when one takes into account the massive number of transfers within these ministries which were served during the past days. It seems that part of the duties of these Ministers is to ensure that PL supporters, who acted as stool pigeons and informers on their colleagues, are now being rewarded. It is a huge mistake that while sanctioning these transfers, the quality of service is ignored.
In this regard the much talked about PL road map is now taking shape. Primarily, the pledge made by the PL during the electoral campaign to conduct a public service personnel audit in all government places of work is set into motion. Secondly, a highly political appointee in charge of the civil service fitted in nicely in this plan. Thirdly, mass transfers are now being served while the PL sweet talk has now vanished. The PL is turning the public sector into a partisan political administrative tool. It is appalling. I hope that if not all, at least some trade unions have already noticed such politically motivated moves and will act with swiftness to safeguard workers best interests.
Gejtu Vella
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