With two other couples, last Sunday, I tried my best to make my friends enjoy the views of our magnificent harbour while walking lazily on our way for lunch to one of our favourite spots. It is always a pleasant experience at the Valletta Waterfront. However, despite my efforts, they were uninterested in the views.
My friends, and my better half, who all support Italy, were not the least bit interested in my observations about the Grand Harbour. They were only too keen to rub in salt in the fresh wounds as the night before England lost to Italy. Much as England played their hearts and used all of their energies in an entertaining match, it is goals that count. With that unfavourable result for England, I tried my utmost to change subject.
Thankfully, the judicial protest filed by the Ombudsman against the Home Affairs Minister came to the rescue. A first, and rather worrying, in our political scenario. The Office of the Ombudsman is protected by the Constitution, and forms part of the checks and balances sustaining our democratic structures. In the Ombudsman’s judicial protest it is claimed that the Home Affairs Minister seems to be refusing to cooperate with the Ombudsman in his search for the truth about Army personnel promotions and was creating obstacles in every possible way. The Ombudsman is not only the guardian of citizens, but also an effective instrument for the improvement of public administration by ensuring an open, transparent, clear and accountable administrative process at all levels. The law, the Ombudsman said, gave soldiers making the complaint the right to submit their grievance before the President but it had to go through the AFM Commander and the Minister responsible for the Army. This is unfair.
On its part, the Ministry of Home Affairs denied that Army personnel were deprived of their right to file complaints in terms of the law. The Ministry said it had broadened the complaints procedure by setting up the Injustices Board, which to date had upheld the majority of complaints. These will be addressed in the coming days.
Taking into account the filed judicial protest by the Ombudsman, and the yet to be submitted counter judicial protest by the Home Affairs Ministry, Army personnel seeking redress are faced with procedures that are cumbersome and complicated. Hopefully, all this will change once Army personnel, like the other three disciplined forces, are granted the right to join a trade union of their choice. Presumably, the disciplined forces personnel, or rather their unions, will be granted an efficient grievance procedure tool that enables them to seek redress on behalf of their members in the shortest time possible.
The tweeted question and answer: “Isn't it time for Sunday sermons by party leaders to stop? I say it is and I will go first” from Dr Simon Busuttil also came into our relaxed exchange of views. A step in the right direction, indeed so good that Dr Busuttil’s tweet gave us a good excuse to get another bottle of fine wine under the watchful eyes of our ladies. We raised glasses in support of Dr Busuttil’s tweet. It is a good move, breaking from the past is necessary. The tools which have served well the PN in the past should be re-visited and if need be adjusted, changed or stopped completely. It is time for new and fresh initiatives.
I am a firm believer that personal contact is the best means of communication. Leaders may find themselves isolated from the grass roots for various reasons. This is when the trouble begins. In this regard, leaders should make time and give people an opportunity to voice their concerns. Listening to people’s concerns and opinions is the number one priority, and as much strenuous and time-consuming this may be, it is a source from where new initiatives take life. Politics should seriously take into account the will of the people, who should not be used as pawns and sacrificed on the chess board.
The Sunday morning political sermons did lack inspirational political content and were not an attraction to newcomers to the political arena. This has been glaring but somehow not apparent to political advisors. Many PN frontline men and women were often conspicuous by their absence at such Sunday morning meetings sending the wrong message to party supporters. The PN, which had manifestly introduced the political dialogue concept in the local political scenario of the 80s, has over a span of time gradually lost track of the concept and the usefulness of listening to the people.
With another negative electoral defeat on the scoreboard, more radical changes are necessary. While it’s of no use crying over spilled milk, it would be counterproductive for the PN to walk in the same old labyrinth. The formulation of new strategies and policies coming from people’s aspiration leading to a better quality of life should be a priority.
As we settled the bill, the restaurant owner, an affable person, offered us a complimentary liqueur. A bitter-sweet digestive brought our lunch to an end.
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