What a sorry state of utter pandemonium the Nationalist Party has allowed itself to descend into.  With a caretaker party leader who seems to be merely biding his time until his time is up in September, the party is in a sheer state of chaos and at the rate that the party is going, there will hardly be an Opposition to be reckoned with by the time a new leader and administrative team is elected come September.

The supporters of the different leadership contenders are going at each others’ throat like packs of hyenas, or, from an outsider’s point of view like Toms and Jerrys hell bent on either seeing their man elected or taking the entire party down with them. 

They are going for each others’ jugulars very publically on social media but they are sadly failing to understand that not only are the PN’s supporters watching this grisly display, but so is the Labour Party, the leaders of which are no doubt sitting back and enjoying a good chuckle while their political opposition tears itself to shreds.

They are also failing to look at the greater good of the party, and they are failing to comprehend that at the end of the day and whoever is elected to lead the party, people will have a hard time putting their trust in the party after witnessing such infighting and bad blood.

It is appreciated that the party as a whole is suffering some sort of bout of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the wake of last June’s disastrous electoral trouncing, but are the people who are still supposedly in control of the party willing or able to control their own people?

Judging from the carpet bombing unleashed by Nationalist Member of Parliament Mario Galea yesterday, it would appear not.  Why did the MP feel the need to take to Facebook to expose the sorry state of the party rather than being able to vent his anger within the party’s parliamentary group or within some other party structure? 

The answer is that the party’s structures have suffered a meltdown, it has become a case of every man for himself and party loyalty is no longer being appreciated or indeed expected.

People who joined the PN’s ranks before the last election because they were disgusted by the corruption they saw all around them are now left disgusted by what they are seeing in the party today. 

The governing Labour Party is meanwhile riding a wave of popularity and its parliamentary numerical advantage is, as it was in the last legislature, practically unassailable.  It has just won its second historic landslide victory, the numerous and persistent claims of corruption against some of its top brass have slipped off it like water off a duck’s back and the party is just sinking it teeth into another five years in power.

As such, and in fact under any circumstances, having as strong opposition is one of main underpinnings of having a strong democracy. Not only is a strong opposition able to challenge the government and keep it in check, but it is also collaborates with the government and provides essential input on the drafting of new laws and policies.

The Opposition needs to be reminded that it has this crucial constitutional role to fill irrespective of whether Parliament is in session or not.

One prominent PN member had suggested the institution of an interim leadership team, that was one good idea that was either never officially floated or had simply not been taken up and pity that advice was not heeded.

At this rate it is doubtful whether the Opposition will even be able to function as a proper opposition come time for Parliament to get down to business again this autumn, let alone present itself to the people as any kind of alternative government.

While the race for leadership appears to be wide open as matters currently stand, the party’s should ensure it does not become a race to the bottom.

And whoever the party chooses to address September’s Independence commemorations as its new leader, that person will certainly have his work cut out for him if the party is to collect itself and comport itself as is befitting of a real Opposition.