Traditionally after every election, parties who fail to win the confidence of the people, indulge in a soul searching exercise with the specific intention of analysing what went wrong and what remedial action needs to be taken if they are to win the confidence of the electorate at the subsequent election. From press statements and meetings taking place between persons authorised to carry out post-mortem analyses, both Labour and Alternattiva Demokratika have initiated this process.
We believe the Nationalist party too, having won by a whisker, against all odds, should carry out a similar soul searching exercise in its own interests, if it is to remain the so called ‘natural party of government’ that earned the people’s confidence in five out of the last six elections.
This necessity to analyse the result and draw conclusions arises from the particular photo-finish of this election as well as the real possibility that the result could well have gone Labour’s way had Alfred Sant revealed Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando’s lease agreement of Mistra in its full details days before the election and not on the last day.
The starting point for the party should be its realisation not only that it encompasses a grand coalition but more importantly that this rainbow of interests, within its ranks, necessitates that it gives a voice to all currents within the party including its liberal wing, which to date has remained a part of the whole mainly owing to its misgivings of Alfred Sant, who has now resigned. The party must appreciate that in a fast changing world, certain issues close to the thinking of its liberal wing, like a broader definition given to the family, co-habitation rights and divorce, are also placed on the political agenda at least by allowing an open debate to take place within the party.
The second all-important matter to be drawn from the result is the need to give concrete recognition to civil society in the workings of government. This effectively means that civil society is given a voice on government boards and agencies in the long-term interest that the county’s representative democracy is indeed strengthened through greater participation in its decisions, where citizens are actively engaged in the decision-making process and not merely a five-yearly election of governments.
Particular importance needs to be given to analysing why there was a three percent fall in voter turnout, a not insignificant figure in our highly charged political system where higher turnout figures have been the order of the day. The party needs to look into what made many of their core supporters stay at home: what caused the sense of disengagement and alienation from their traditional home? Were there traits of arrogance, misconduct and unethical behaviour, and if so how can these shortcomings be minimised in the new government? It would be tragic if the younger crop, as evidenced by the misbehaviour of Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, also suffered from some of the shortcomings of the older crop of politicians.
Following Lawrence Gonzi’s commitment to be a “a government for all the people”, the PN must rethink its operations – its media, no differently from Labour’s, already serves to divide rather than unite the country. Its one-sidedness is a disservice to journalism. It should be even bold enough to consider privatising its commercial operations and run them in full compliance to the Constitutional provisions relating to broadcasting which oblige the broadcaster to impart impartial news and current affairs programmes.
It is clearly evident that the electorate has sent a message to the party. It wants it to remain in government with a slender majority, with the hope this signal will keep it on its toes over unethical behaviour and bad governance. Whether this admonishment of sorts will teach the 20-year-old Nationalist government a lesson is yet to be seen. Scepticism at this point in history would be justified. Lawrence Gonzi will have to prove the people wrong.
His party fortunes were saved by the slimmest of majorities in our political history. A relative majority is not a matter of little significance: rather it is a calling to run the country using up all talent available irrespective of political leanings. It could be the best result for the country which needs to bury once and for all the culture of winner-takes-all. It is an opportunity for the country that the Nationalist Party acts like a natural party of government and most especially for Lawrence Gonzi, to show that his remarkable win can prove to be a significant turning point in our history, with Malta finally really having a government which truly administers in the interests of all the people.