I have no doubt many crave changes; others are marking time for an alternative credible political class worth its salt, one that is trustworthy to lead these Islands forward. The one currently in charge is smeared with alleged cases of collusion, corruption, nepotism and blatant political discrimination.
While the political mercenaries are finding ways to bypass administrative procedures, the small fry are caught in the bureaucratic nets.
It is tough being small fry. Take the recent news of a man who had a serious car accident last April and is still recuperating from the severe injuries he sustained. Since the accident, he has lost his job and is currently living on €62 benefits a week. He is about to become homeless as he is not in a position to pay his rent. It has always baffled me as to why, in such circumstances, the state is absent.
Notwithstanding his efforts to get assistance, the man received no feedback from government and was left with no other option but to make his predicament public.The authorities entrusted with the role of solidarity have blinkered eyes and straight-jackets. Perhaps he did not fit exactly into a category that would have entitled him to assistance.
Shame. So much for solidarity.
On the other hand huge amounts of Euros were made available to the selected few and as yet nobody has assumed either administrative or political responsibility. This is calling for mandatory clear delineation lines to ensure accountability and transparency of ministers and the administrative arm. This should be an eye opener to the party sitting on the Opposition benches.
It is becoming a matter of urgency for these Islands to firmly puton the brakes. Level-headed citizens are seriously disappointed, as the Maltese were promised meritocracy, accountability and transparency. Regretfully, these trumpeted values have long been silenced to entertain political partisan exigencies. The TaghnaLkoll resounding mantra has stopped and is replaced by the sound of the wooden clapper.
At the ratethat government is going, before we know it, government might be heading for a head-on collision.
It would be a pity.
It is now widely acknowledged that the peddled values of meritocracy, accountability and transparency were nothing but a scam. The political movement, much touted before the election,has been dismantled and the partisan political exigencies have taken over. This is pushing ordinary citizens into tight corners.
This can be very dangerous.
It is no secret that at times individual politiciansmiss the mark and drag their grouping into a quandary. To save their skin,they keep hangingon to power. Here, the party leadership becomes imperative.
Politicians tend toturn a blind eye to what civil society and pressure groupings express on a wide range of issues.Unfortunately, this has happened in the past and is being carbon-copied today. The Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development is a case in point.While the strong environmental lobby group claims that the SPED is not an acceptable replacement of the structure plan,government is acting like a bull in a china shopcrushing every lucid suggestion put in its way. Large pieces of pristine land can now,under different pretexts, be earmarked for construction.
What a shameful waste.
As was expected, this created a stir in the House.During the debate, the Nationalist Party voiced its strong concerns.
Yet nothingchanged.
While strong stands are necessary, people may be more interested in the commitments that the Opposition pledges to honour once returned to office. One such commitment should be that the consultation periodshould not be of less than sixty days in all circumstances.
The publication of a green-paper before that of a white paper should also be seriously considered as a political commitment.
The PN should commit itself as to how chairpersons of public entities and other senior appointees are selected. It may be opportune to introduce grilling sessions of those nominated before parliamentary committees prior to appointment.It has to be clear that appointees should serve the country and not the party in office.
The people have had enough.
The PN has a difficult task ahead. As is clearly evident, political promises before an election meannext to nothing. The PN has to assure the electorate that its electoralpromises are devised in the best interest of the Islands.
People have become tired of blatant political lies.
The current stock-take is showing substantial discrepancies.The PN must work harder to ensure that this deficit is addressed.
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