Some very nice, heavyweight fighters for justice in Malta have advised me to keep as quiet as possible about the PN. To not criticise it, to shut my most unimportant mouth.
The reasoning of these advice-dispensers was that we need to point our guns at the real enemy of democracy, the government led by Robert Abela.
Seen this way, the advice makes sense. Given a choice between what we have at Castille - including other assorted ministries - and anything else, maybe the anything else is better. Looking at the surveys where Robert Abela beats practically anyone in the trust quotient is like witnessing a tragic farce.
How can anyone prefer Robert Abela to anyone? To anything for that matter.
Robert Abela beautifully and meticulously continued what Joseph Muscat started: dismantling the true fabric of our democracy, transforming most of our institutions, including the top echelons of the police and the attorney general, into feeble offices doing nothing but doling out what the prime minister and his gang decree. Or if not what they are commanded to do, they do what is perfect music to Castille.
Yes: the greatest threat to democracy is Robert Abela and his team of Labour Party stooges. Robert Abela fears the truth and hardly ever - barring a cosy fireside chat - faces a proper journalist ready to grill him. His interviews are all nice and breezy ones at One and other government-friendly entities.
Joseph Muscat and Robert Abela both tried - and managed admirably -to degrade TVM into a government bulletin board with no one in there capable of asking the authorities proper, relevant, uncomfortable questions. They turned TVM into a slightly better-sounding parrot of One news.
Yes, the threat is real. The government is the true enabler of a world of degraded democracy, curtailed freedom and fear, deep-seated fear, of truth.
The situation in the country is dire, desperate; close to the brink. Close to the point of no return. Close to the point where, with practically all the media toeing the government line, or in awe of the people in government, we have no proper investigative journalism. Few scandals are being uncovered. When they are, few journalists dig deep, deep enough to get to the full truth and to the real source of the rotten core.
Therefore, because the situation is so bad, the party in opposition should be not just a beacon of hope, but a bulwark which will do everything to stand by the truth, and nothing but the truth.
The PN needs to be seen as a fearless party which can confront the past, discuss the present and give us a vision for the future. To be ready to face criticism, to show that it is a party for transparency, clarity, true democracy.
And what is the PN doing in these dire times? What image is it portraying? It resembles a mouse, a piddly mouse, scared, terrified, and in no way ready to seek truth in all.
The rule forbidding the two leadership contenders from debating each other is reminiscent of something out of a North Korean manual for democracy. When first announced it went even further: Adrian Delia and Alex Borg could not mention each other.
If this is how the party sees itself in power - by blanketing out any search for truth - we are in more desperate times than anyone ever feared.
If the PN now changes course and removes this draconian, dictatorial, unfathomable decision, it will still be a horrendous stain on its status. The PN has shown that deep down it is not interested in truth, democracy or justice. It cares about whitewashing itself out of the wilderness. It wants to gain power without really caring what democracy is all about.
To be fair, Adrain Delia called for this rule to be overturned and asked for a debate between the two contestants. That Alex Borg did not - to my knowledge - agree immediately, and that the party did not revoke the anti-democratic rules of combat is another nail in the coffin of democracy.
The country deserves better. The PN needs a thorough look at what it really represents and how to symbolise truth, transparency and real democracy.
If the new leader - somehow by some miracle - manages to bring real change to the party, gets it to embrace diversity, full truth and propel it into the 21st century, then we can hope for a new PN and hope for the country.
If not we might as well join those people who told me to keep quiet as Malta and the PN flounder on into the dark abyss.
[email protected]