There will be no honeymoon period for whoever becomes the next leader of the Nationalist Party. With two consecutive heavy defeats, a cunning government that needs to be under continuous watch and less than 20 months before the next elections in 2019 for the European Parliament and Local Councils – the new leader of the Nationalist Party will need to hit the ground running. This is what I’m promising to do if I am given the privilege and the responsibility to lead the party I grew up in.
In a nutshell, I’ll be determined, from day one, to bring about the change the party needs in order for us to be ready for whenever we are called to write the next chapter in our country’s history. I will bring about change in the party by making it one that genuinely embraces inclusivity, that continuously reaches out to others. The job that lies ahead is not one that can be carried out surrounded by high walls. The challenge can only be won if we make room for all those willing to contribute towards an objective that goes far beyond anyone’s personal glory.
As leader, I will invest my time working closely with those who keep the party moving forward – not only the members of the party and the employees of our media company but also our activists and volunteers. I will empower them with all the space and resources they need and I promise to be always available, at any time, for each one of them.
Through an unprecedented outreach exercise, we will set a clear agenda for the party, with systematic, measurable milestones and methods of evaluating them. We will bring in the freshest minds, the brightest young people, the most experienced community organisers and the civil society. We will invest heavily in empowering our candidates with the political tools they need and create innovative platforms through which everyone will be able to contribute to the development of policy and the sharing of ideas. We will re-build the party network across our towns and villages and keep it constantly well-oiled.
And while change within the party is taking place, we also need to monitor the government’s every step. We now know very well who we’re dealing with. If Labour’s first term was laden with scandals, we cannot expect this one to be any different. I will ensure – on my first day as Leader of the Opposition – that each member of the parliamentary group is completely focused and has all the necessary tools at their disposal to not lose sight for a moment, of government and parliamentary affairs. I have been in Parliament for almost 10 years and I understand what is needed for an effective, unrelenting political force that keeps government in check. We will be the government’s allies when it comes to genuinely pushing the country forward but – make no mistake – we’ll be ruthless in the face of corruption, unfairness and dilettantism.
Contesting the election to become leader of the Nationalist Party is neither another adventure nor a personal ambition. My advantage in this race is that I know the party inside out, I know what the most urgent needs are and what we can achieve if we bring everyone together, open wide our doors, reconnect with those who have distanced themselves and make sure that we’re constantly at the heart of our society, with our hands on the pulse of the country we love, and setting an ambitious and modern agenda to take Malta forward.
On the way home at the end of each day during this leadership campaign, I feel that exciting sense of urgency. I feel there is not one minute to waste. The challenge is enormous and winning it will fill us once again with pride. We will do it for the party and the country we love. This time we cannot get it wrong. And we won’t.
Chris Said is contesting the election for the next leader of the Nationalist Party.