Simon Busuttil’s refusal to comment on reports that he asked MDA chief Sandro Chetcuti to contest the general election on the PN ticket makes one wonder if the claims are true.

The mere thought of this is mind boggling. For a start Sandro Chetcuti is a well-known PL supporter. Secondly, he is the face of the construction lobby, which is regarded by many as being the main force behind the destruction of this country’s natural environment.

Presenting Chetcuti as a PN candidate would surely not go down well with those who believed the PN Leader’s pledges to protect ODZ land – even if the party’s credibility on that sector was already dented in the Toni Bezzina debacle.

But there are other ramifications. PD Leader Marlene Farrugia told The Malta Independent this week that she had no idea whether the claims, published in MaltaToday, were true. She insisted that she was not particularly perturbed by the idea. “We are not against developers,” she said, “just against unsustainable development.”

Well the truth is that the construction lobby is not really known for pushing for sustainable development. And things are getting worse. Under the current administration we have heard talk of land reclamation, sky scrapers here and there, hotels, the whole lot. The perception out there is that developers are ‘making hay while the sun shines’ and building some hideous new structure in every available space.

Marlene Farrugia says she is not worried, stating that any candidate would need to abide by the coalition’s manifesto. But if Simon Busuttil had really approached Sandro Chetcuti he is no doubt doing this to pander to the developers, in an effort to get their support and, most importantly, their vote.

And if the developers were to trust the PN then their ideas would most probably not be in line with those of Marlene Farrugia and the PD. They would also probably not go down well with those who may have not been planning to vote PN but had recently changed their minds because the coalition seemed to offer some peace of mind on the environment front.

When Marlene Farrugia joined Simon Busuttil at a rally in Zonqor, in protest against plans to build a university on virgin land, many thought that the country finally had two politicians who truly cared about the environment. But if the PN is really trying to cosy up to developers that has all flown out of the window.

If this is not the case - if Sandro was never approached and the PN still stands by all that is said on protecting the environment, than Simon Busuttil should just say so. Silence does not help in situations like this.

The PN needs to be careful. By agreeing to form a coalition it is practically admitting that it cannot defeat labour on its own, despite the PL government’s blunders, weekly scandals and allegations of corruption.

But a coalition is not only a tool to win the election; it will have to hold together even after a victory at the polls.

Marlene Farrugia, who was once so critical of the PN, quit the Labour Party over the Zonqor/AUM saga. Simon Busuttil cannot afford making a similar mistake if he is entrusted to lead a PN-PD coalition government. The strong-minded Marlene Farrugia would probably quit the coalition if she feels her party’s principles are being betrayed.

The situation is already fragile. The PD seems to be unwavering in its principles on protecting the environment. The PN, while it can keep a healthy distance, cannot go to war with the developers. This in itself could create some friction.

Simon Busuttil has no doubt been warned about this but has decided to go for a coalition nonetheless.

He might be rushing into things, as some PN MPs will tell you about the latest updates on the coalition talks.

It seems that both the PN and the PD have made it their mission to bring down the Labour government which, they say, is the most corrupt in Maltese history. And, after all, beating Muscat includes pulling his movement down, a union of those who didn’t get their way under the Gonzi administration and found solace in Muscat and Schembri. Of these Sandro Chectcuti was a pivotal chip, so how does Simon Busuttil think he can court him into his parlour?  The new coalition cannot afford to be short-sighted. The PN and the PD have to put all their cards on the table and iron out their differences. Any alliance cannot serve only to bring down a government but is should also be prepared to be a better alternative, and one that can last.