The Forza Nazzjonali, made up of the Nationalist Party, ably led by the honest and principled gentleman Dr Simon Busuttil, and the newly formed Democratic Party led by the vivacious Dr Marlene Farrugia, who was elected on the PL ticket in the 2013 general election but broke all ties on a point of principle with the PL around mid-November 2015, suffered a massive defeat at the polls. While for the PN it was the second consecutive electorate defeat, DP leader Marlene Farrugia was returned to the House notwithstanding that the DP was only founded around this time a year ago. Kudos to Marlene!
The general election result is water under the bridge now!
After the snap general election called by the Prime Minister, the hectic electoral campaign which ensued, the outstanding result for the PL and the celebrations held on the Florina granaries last Saturday during which PL supporters had the opportunity to vocalize wholeheartedly Joseph, Joseph at the top of their voice,people are returning to their normal lives.
In the past weeks, the electorate wasbarraged with a wide range of proposals from all political parties, but mainlyfrom the two leading political groupingsthe Moviment and the Forza Nazzjonali. The two political leaders, Dr Muscat and Dr Busuttil, crossed swords on various issues and both emphasised topics of particular interest to different cohorts of society.
Dr Muscat’s cavalli di battaglia included Malta’s first budget surplus registered in 32 years, economic growth, high employment and low unemployment levels, awell-functioning economy and the introduction of civil liberties. On his part, Dr Busuttil pushed forward 500 proposals, while highlighting the alleged cases of corruption and the emerging gross social injustices emanating from the unaddressed alleged institutionalised sleaze.
The electorate endorsed Muscat’s proposals.This time round, good governance did not feature as too an important issue on the radar of the electorate.Thus, the political bearing of this second term of the PL administration in office is now set in place and will be going into motion shortly. In this regard, any resistance offered either by the PN or the PD would be futile. The PN and PD should only hold the PL accountable for failures relating to the electoral manifesto.
Together with the PL and the PN, the DP will be the third political party in the House in the thirteenth legislature since Malta’s Independence in 1964.It should be a given that good governance, the rule of law, transparency, accountability and meritocracy should be amongst the main characteristics of the Moviment in this legislature for the benefit of Malta and each and every one of us.
I will not focus on the PN’s second consecutive defeat at the polls. I will do that constructively when the dust settles. For the time being,I am jotting some notes. Nonetheless, I feel that theveiled acrimony expressed in some of the opinions penned against Dr Busuttil in this newspaper and elsewherereveals why the PN has suffered another landslide defeat.
Let me take you back to the 2013 electoral defeat suffered by the PN which to a certain extent was expected, though no one anticipatedsuch alandslide victory in favour of the PL. It is pertinent to recallthat during the Gonzi administration, though Malta survived the world-wide economic and financial woeswhich equalled only to the 1930 Great Depression, the electorate saw fit to oust the PN from office.The main reasons cited for that electorate defeat centred round the high level of arrogance with which some ministers and their immediate subordinates treatedthe electorate,particularly PN loyal supporters. Sheer arrogance was the core of that electoral defeat. The 3 June 2017 electoral result is very similar, if not worse but arrogance was certainly not the cause, nor was Dr Simon Busuttil, or the electoral proposals put forward but I have a strong hunch why.
Back to the last general election,I feel quite confident that not even the staunchest of PL supporters were expecting this Forza Nazzjonali drubbing at the polls. However, for some reason or reasons,the electorate saw fit to confirm the PL administration in office for another term with a majority equal to that of the 2013. This notwithstanding the fact that the PN has raised various important issuesduring the past four years.
It is pertinent to note that in his first interview after the win, Dr Muscat pledged that he has taken note of the serious shortcomingsof the past four years.As a start, the Prime Minister put up his personal car for auction, the proceeds of which will go to charity. The Alfa Romeo earned Dr Muscat €28,000 during the past four years. Perhaps this was a first step in the right direction. But despite this token gesture, Dr Muscat failed to address properly the much more serious questions concerning Mr Konrad Mizzi and his chief of staff Mr Keith Schembri who, although both owned offshore companies and secret bank accounts in Panama and elsewhere, were once again confirmed to senior posts of minister and chief of staff once again.
It is clearly not the time for the PN to quit and scale off responsibility.
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