I remember clearly that night 50 years ago.

I was coming back from a holiday. Before we left, the sailors on the Tirrenia ship had delayed leaving Syracuse until they could see the Santa Lucia silver bust and the procession accompanying it get to the waterfront promenade where the ship used to berth in those days.

The sea was rough as it has been these last days. I slept all through the crossing, waking up when the ship was outside the Grand Harbour.

"We are a republic now," the Customs Officer, unsolicited, told me, while rummaging in my suitcase.

In those days there was no internet but I had been catching up with what was happening in Malta, sort of, through the reports on the Italian media. So I told him "I know ", which maybe surprised him.

Today we have been celebrating the 50 years of the republic with all the solemnity that the State can rustle up on State occasions with parades by the armed forces, the usual pontifical Mass at St John's and the awarding of Gieh ir-Repubblika to those the State thinks meritorious.

On this occasion Heritage Malta is holding an exhibition at the Grandmasters' Palace which HM is restoring after the ravages of the war, the depredations by the British colonial lords and the misguided attempts by the Maltese.

It was inaugurated last week with speeches, in descending order, by the President, the Prime Minister, the minister, etc. The usual waffle.

None tried to objectively draw a trial balance of these 50 years. Nor indeed they could since only history will do that, in time.

But at least one can try.

The Maltese Republic was born with the most inauspicious beginning - the government majority splitting the Opposition in two.

Maybe Gorg Borg Olivier was too sentimental about the links with the Crown to think ahead, unusual for the man who had guided Malta's path to Independence.

The fact remains that Dom Mintoff, the canny, dour, iconoclast jumped at the opportunity to drag the Opposition through the mud and shame and show who's king now after so many years of colonial dictatorship, religious oppression with interdicts, refusal of blessings, interference in free elections etc. The new republic was born out of the humiliation of the Opposition and Mintoff's vengeance.

Through the republic we shook free of the British monarchy, a step taken by other former colonies and still waiting to be taken by Australia and Canada. No big deal for us.

Pity the Brits who've had to pay an enormous price that's only now is being collated for the privilege of a four hour extravaganza so that the new king and his wife could prance about with a crown on their heads.

Through the republic we have had a series of presidents. Some have been middling, some decidedly bad (Agatha Barbara, maybe Gorg Vella). And Lawrence Gonzi's parting gift - George Abela and the beginning of the Abela dynasty. We have had good presidents too - I name Censu Tabone and Marie Louise Coleiro Preca. Guido de Marco was himself, love him or hate him.

It was a mistake to have de facto restricted the successive presidents to former politicians, even Eddie Fenech Adami. Generally, ex-ministers were better as presidents.

One reason for having a head of state is so that all those in Malta can feel they're part of the same country whereas for 50 years we have had the winner taking all and the loser ... losing all.

Surrounding themselves with flunkeys who operate in the shade and cream off the benefits of the State, these petty dictators enjoy the palaces built to be enjoyed by those other princes, the grandmasters. This tradition has never died down.

So what have been the achievements of these 50 years? In 1974 Malta and Singapore were practically level. Today Singapore is far richer than Malta. True, they did not have a real democracy. But then, did Malta have one?

People mention the European Union as if this was our achievement but we must remember we joined with the least majority which was purchased with expectations of huge amounts of money coming our way. And even today, whatever the government might say, we are not exactly poster models.

In education we are far below the achievements of the Baltics. Same in the use of new technology. As for inflation Malta is no European champion.

The basic question to ask is: what do these 50 years of republic mean to people caught up in the interminable traffic jams on a daily basis?

Malta is over-populated and still we allow more to come, as we do to cars. Otherwise we will have a big crisis.

What do 50 years of republic mean to those below the poverty line? What does it mean to women living a situation of injustice? What does it mean to all those who see others getting promotions, jobs, perks through a network of injustice? What does it mean to those who have had it up to here seeing all this structured corruption? And what does it mean to the thousands of guest workers imported just because they're cheap and still made to feel they're not wanted?

I notice that not one of those extolling the republic declare that poverty has been eliminated and that our children have a brilliant future. They can't because they honestly can't promise and deliver. So much for the much-acclaimed republic.

This country has become a monopoly of power, an interlocking circle of power that feeds upon itself, and that does not allow those not in the circle to come in. A top-heavy country increasingly slow to move and change.

50 years of republic - the time has come for a thorough review and a correction.

A refounding.

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