A myth debunked

The result of the vote for Malta’s six MEPs is a watershed moment in Malta’s political history. For the first time since the 2009 MEP election, the Labour Party did not garner the majority of votes in this tussle for EP seats.

Indeed, Labour has been continually obtaining a big majority of votes since the general elections in 2013. This was the result of the so-called ‘movement’ created by Joseph Muscat.

The results created the myth that Labour’s popular support was such that Labour losing an election was perceived as something verging on the impossible.

Last week this myth was debunked – even though Labour still garnered the relative majority of votes and claimed victory.

Suddenly, the idea of Labour losing an election was no longer an impossible dream but began to be perceived as a real possibility. That is why the results were a big boost to the morale of the PN. The myth of Labour’s invincibility was debunked.

This does not mean that Labour will lose the general election in three years’ time or so. It only means the morale of the Opposition will be much higher than it has ever been in over 15 years.

Robert Abela’s populist policies have their limits. Abela cannot hope to carry out whatever he thinks that Labour voters want in order to assure their loyalty to the party. He cannot afford to be perceived as indecisive and trying to hold on to the support of both those who still believe in his predecessor and those who feel Labour’s Joseph Muscat chapter should be permanently closed.

According to Alfred Sant, the scenes in front of the law courts – when Joseph Muscat (together with others) was accused of various breaches of the law – led to the decrease in Labour’s share of the vote. That was only part of the story, however.

Abela can no longer have the cake and eat it by allowing known Labour supporters to organise such shenanigans openly when his government is claiming to be leaving the course of justice alone without any interference.

By trying to satisfy both those who support Muscat and those who feel Muscat does not deserve any support, Abela is trying to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds and this does not wash with level headed persons.

His reaction to the MEP election result was confused and unclear. According to ‘l-orizzont’ last Tuesday, he said that the people believe in him but in a different version – whatever that means. Then he followed this nonsense by blaming civil servants who do not do their job properly and even indicating that he will put the abortion issue back on the country’s political agenda.

Too many diversions, I would say.

I understand that when the MEP election result was discussed in a joint meeting of the PL executive and parliamentary group no clear path forward emerged, with many blaming each other for the disappointing result.

This is where Abela’s leadership was needed, but according to Labour insiders, this leadership is lacking. In this scenario, former minister, Evarist Bartolo, has rightly questioned how the Prime Minister can take difficult decisions when he is now much weaker. But Labour has no alternative. Without a strong focussed leadership, its days in power will soon be over.

There is talk of a Cabinet reshuffle. This sort of action helps the perception that Abela is doing something in the right direction, but it does not seem that he would have more hold on a reformed Cabinet than he does on the current one.

It is true that many Labour voters who refrained from voting to candidates of their party in the MEP elections, will revert to voting Labour in the next general election. But Abela cannot assume this without giving Labour voters a new impetus, without showing true and unambiguous leadership.

Abela cannot keep playing the game of trying to satisfy everybody. This leads to satisfying nobody. He must come out of this debacle as a strong leader who knows where he is going and has the gumption to lead his party even when it is divided – not by pandering to everybody but by pushing what he believes is the right line.

Otherwise people will not believe in him and Labour’s worst nightmare will come true.

Remember it is governments that lose elections and not Oppositions that win them.

Stupid examiner

A Maltese exam paper with a comprehension exercise and questions centred about a published opinion piece written by Environment Minister Miriam Dalli, with her name and title included, was given to some secondary students.

Jason Azzopardi claimed that it was given to students with learning difficulties.

Miriam Dalli was quick to respond making it clear that she had ‘absolutely nothing to do’ with the exam adding that she heard about it from the media. She said that the excerpt used was from an opinion piece written for a local newspaper and stated that no excerpt with her name as a minister should have been in an exam paper. She added that she herself has children and understands that politics in an exam paper would upset everyone.

The Ministry for Education also issued a statement saying that no minister has any access to exam papers or their content. It explained that there are, and have been, procedures in place specifically to ensure that the exam process is run by experts in the education sector without political or administrative interference.

From my experience, I know that the Examinations Department is run as a very watertight ship and this sort of political interference is well-nigh impossible. I do not believe that things are any different now. I therefore believe what the two ministers have said about the incident.

Whoever is responsible for this gaffe must be ferreted out. It must be someone who is such a stupid person that they should have never been nominated as an examiner. Is it possible for this idiot not to have realised that there would be a reaction to this stupid choice?

The Education Ministry said that it is setting up a board to establish the facts and produce conclusions as well as recommendations ‘to make the current system better.’