Letters | Sunday, 02 August 2009

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Too much spin and not enough governance

During these last months it has become more clear that the Nationalist government is losing its sense of direction. This could be seen clearly in the last gimmick manufactured by PN propaganda claiming that Joseph Muscat, way back in 1998, abused of his position in being granted the permits to built his residence.
This gimmick was clearly done to deviate attention from the Bahrija saga, where the PN council president applied and was granted a permit to build his farmhouse on an area designated as ODZ.
This unfounded accusation against the Labour leader is incomparable to Victor Scerri’s case, who in the last days, against the opinion of Lawrence Gonzi resigned from his post in the PN national executive. Can a reasonable-minded person compare a permit being issued in an Outside Development Zone, with one being issued in a residential area? This is all living proof of the PN’s total chaos, where they are trying to justify the unjustifiable.
But behind the scenes of this obscure situation, one has to read a clear message being given by the government: Gonzi doesn’t want to change things. Despite all the fuss about MEPA reform he prefers to give the go-ahead to issue such unfounded and mudslinging stories to distract the Maltese citizen, who is restlessly asking what good governance is left in our country.
Before making extravagant legal reforms, Gonzi has the duty to reform the way he handles politics. We need a more accountable and transparent permits system, not being too harsh and at the same time not being too lenient with ‘certain privileged individuals’; we need to keep our minds at rest with a system that regards all Maltese citizens alike, despite their political belief and affiliations. The Maltese deserve a better government and apart from a better government, a new way of doing politics in a more transparent, accountable and meritocratic way.

Alex Saliba
Tarxien

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