Last August, I wrote: “The Opposition leader… as far as local politics are concerned, looks more like a fish out of water”.

Dr Simon Busuttil’s refusal to accept the final conditions of the Individual Investors Programme, which have been found acceptable to the stakeholders, proves that instead of isolating the Prime Minister and his government, Dr Busuttil has now isolated himself and the Opposition instead!

From Dr Busuttil’s and the PN Opposition’s first reaction, two weeks after the IIP was announced, it was obvious that the Opposition was proposing one specific condition that would make the IIP a non-starter, namely to have citizenship tied to a five-year residence. Indeed, I had opined in this paper: “This is why I am convinced that the real reason behind the Opposition’s desperate efforts to try and scare potential investors in this programme (IIP), is due to their fear that if this programme is a success, their electoral hopes may be over for a very long time.” Dr Busuttil’s hard-headedness in continuing to say “No”, even if the IIP now incorporates a number of the proposals of the Opposition and the stake-holders, proves beyond any shadow of doubt that Dr Busuttil and his party are more interested in what they think is their own party’s interests than those of our country and people.

Time will prove, yet again, that Dr Busuttil, contrary to what many may have hoped for, is just what I also wrote in this paper in October: “Dr Simon Busuttil is not the kind of leader who can inspire confidence and trust.”

Alas, Simon Busuttil still cannot find the courage to rise above petty partisan politics and thus prove that he has the necessary qualities for a leader who aspires to lead our country in the foreseeable future.

Eddy Privitera

MOSTA