The atrocious heat seems to have lightened ever so slightly and we can breathe again. Until the next heatwave.

The fact is our world is heating up and this area of the world is particularly prone.

Here in Malta we have had another apocalyptic week with power cuts affecting almost everywhere.

Besides, I have a point to raise: I would expect there would be a record of all the power cuts.

If that register exists, it should be 'sub poena-ed' and examined by an independent expert. We could then find out, for example, why there were no power cuts affecting the widely popular Isle of MTV.

And there was another concert at Ghaxaq the previous day, likewise well-attended.

I have nothing against these popular annual songfests or the many festas but then you could have people dying in the heat for lack of electricity and air-conditioning. Or be confined to the upper storeys because the lifts do not work.

Even international football games have been affected, and court sessions interrupted.

The amount of sob-stories we heard about people badly affected by the power cuts was incredible.

Electricity today is the mainstay of modern living, far more than it was in the past. Without it, or its alternatives, we are lost.

Minister Julia Farrugia earned a place in history when she memorably told people some time back to 'read a book' during power cuts.

Minister Miriam Dalli earned a place higher than her colleague without uttering a similar memorable quote. Mainly people noted her absence of empathy for those suffering from power cuts so much that Prime Minister Robert Abela was pushed to offer an "unqualified apology" instead of her.

Now the Nationalist Opposition has moved a Motion of Censure and of No Confidence in her regard. The motion will most probably be discussed but will certainly not be carried.

In this regard the Opposition seems to have grown a small pair of you know what when it refused to support Minister Rosianne Cutajar's proposed constitutional amendment on equality which required a two-thirds majority in the House.

There was widespread criticism that not enough consultations had taken place and also an allegation the amendment could be used to remove the Crucifix from classrooms.

The Opposition's real test will come once a new Chief Justice is proposed.

The fact is that the country is slowly grinding to a halt in many ways. The electricity debacle is a case in point but not the only one.

To explain: three years ago we had the same kind of heatwave and the same consequences - power cuts, anger all around. Then the government rallied round and promised remedial action. Which it did - some streets were pulled up, new trunking put in. But only a relatively small part of Malta got the treatment and meanwhile the population of Malta continued to increase and multiply with the pressure of new buildings reinforcing the increase of population and vice-versa. We keep running after development rather than anticipate it.

There is only one explanation for all this, as I see it. This is a very dysfunctional government which gets it wrong time and again and which is weak compared to the developers but still clings to power while the Opposition is even more dysfunctional.

But all this could be about to change once the present situation grinds to a halt.

All it needs is a further increase in non-voters, plus a further decrease in the government's support. Although an increase in the Opposition's support could be welcome the two other developments may be enough to force through the changes that are needed.

No side on its own can solve the electricity supply problem in time, let alone the other changes that we have neglected to do.

There is very long list of changes that need to be made in the other existing laws which have been blocked by the duopoly/monopoly in power.

Principal among them is ensuring that each vote carries the same weight as the one next to it.

The two parties have ensured that other parties besides them get kept out of Parliament.

The process of change should begin by removing the so-called gender mechanism that we are seeing how ridiculous it has become. But how will you get people who are in Parliament through this mechanism to vote themselves out?

The alternative is stark - a more dysfunctional government and Opposition. More people crowding in, more power cuts, more despair. More anger.

[email protected]