The Labour Party Leadership election takes place today, and PL paid members will be voting between 8am and 8pm in thirteen voting areas across all of Malta’s electoral districts.
Two candidates are up for the post, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne, and PL MP Robert Abela.
By now, both candidates have faced criticism, Fearne for his RIPN comment and his argument that the independent media have an agenda, and Abela for ignoring sections of the press.
Both candidates of course have also made interesting proposals for those eligible to vote to consider which could potentially push the country forward, and other comments which have been criticised.
One thing however needs to be kept in the minds of those voting, and also in the minds of the candidates. Whoever wins this race, will be Malta’s next Prime Minister, not just leader of the Labour Party.
Obviously certain rhetoric about the free press, and decisions to ignore sections of the media by the candidates were made, but this cannot be the way forward. The winning candidate will lead the nation.
Malta’s reputation internationally is in tatters. A Prime Minister who would work against the independent media, or show preferential treatment towards some is not acceptable in a democratic country that respects the fourth estate.
It is the job of the press to scrutinise public persons where it believes their actions, or statements they made, are wrong. That is how a democratic country functions. Without the free press to criticise, one would quickly find themselves in a fascist state.
If a Prime Minister tries to paint sections of the press as being ‘against us’, then that sets a precarious precedent. It firstly creates distrust by the people in the free media, which is the first step towards the collapse of democracy. Secondly it will potentially lead to violent acts against the media. Thirdly, If the more vocal sections of the media are turned into the enemy, or are attacked in any way, it could scare sections of the press into not reporting on wrongdoings, or on statements made which require scrutiny. How would Malta benefit from a media that keeps its mouth shut? Would the people have known about the 2012 oil scandal? Would the people have known about the Panama Papers? No, a free press is essential to unveiling scandals.
By tomorrow, Malta will have a new incoming Prime Minister. Malta is in the centre of a political crisis. We need a Prime Minister who will accept press scrutiny and work on improving the issues Malta’s institutions are facing. That is the best way forward to ensure more unity in this fractured country.
Both candidates are intelligent individuals, but their actions will have repercussions, and as such they must take the right action for the country as a whole to move forward and not further divide. Such action must include respecting the independent media, responding to its questions, and not favouring one section of the press over the other. That needs to be the starting point.
The next step should be increasing the autonomy and the strength of Malta’s institutions, and not keeping such a strong centralisation inside the Office of the Prime Minister, as the Venice Commission had pointed out. The first steps, dividing the role of the Attorney General, have already been made, but a lot more still needs to be done.
Chris Fearne, Robert Abela, one of you is the immediate future of this country. You are inheriting a very problematic situation, a country that is split, a country facing many questions about the autonomy of the institutions, and about the authorities. It will not be an easy fix, but one of you will be entrusted to forge a path for this country, and must do so in the right way.