The Nationalist Party’s General Council on Thursday adopted a new statute for the party through a unanimous vote.
The new statute aims to help the party better organise its structures, and help the party have a wider outreach. But it also gave an indication of how it intends to tackle politics in this day and age.
Among other things two particular new posts have been created, a President for Political Research, and a President for Social Dialogue and Outreach. Such particular posts will see people fill them have a dedicated focus on these particular issues. This was a good move by the party, but will only be successful based on the skills of the people that fill such posts.
There are of course many other changes, such as creating a new category of members for foreigners living in Malta who have the right to vote in local and MEP elections, and the creation of a new layer of organisation at regional level through the establishing of five Regional Committees. The former will help bring in new blood to the party, and perhaps will help build new ideas through people coming from different cultures. The latter will possibly improve coordination in terms of helping to spread the political message and electoral organisation.
But the statute alone is only the beginning. While it sets out a good basis for the PN to move forward, it is the party’s actions that will truly matter.
There are many questions that the PN will need to find answers to, and fast. Why is it that the PN, no matter what it does, remains steadily lagging behind the PL? Why is it that in-fighting within the party continues to be an issue? Why is it that people trust the Labour Party more? Why is It that no matter what the PN does, it is criticised? These are just some that those within the party will need to answer if it is to make any strides forward.
Another obstacle will be, of course, trying to convince the people that the PN is capable of leading a country. This, when over the past few years it could barely keep itself together.
The party needs unity, but a change in statute and structures will not do that. It will give the party the means to better spread its message, and improve dialogue with the community, or at least the party hopes it will, but in order to change people’s minds about what the PN is in today’s world, that will take a level of political leadership which is not currently present within the Nationalist Party.
It would take a uniting figure who will not be able to have his or her reputation tarnished as there would be no possibility of doing so, and a person who has the political will, understanding of the situations people face in Malta, and who is willing to instil a sense of trust in his or her capabilities.
At the same time, the PN will need to create a proper political strategy, which possibly the new posts created will help in doing.