PN overwhelmed by internal dissent – Paul Borg Olivier
‘Letting down’ the people who trusted PN was biggest disappointment according to Nationalist secretary-general Paul Borg Olivier.
26 April 2013, 12:00am
Jurgen Balzan
Jurgen Balzan
2 min read
Paul Borg Olivier
With the first round of the PN leadership election just over a week away, the party's secretary-general Paul Borg Olivier dissects the 9 March electoral defeat in a frank interview.
Borg Olivier gives an incisive insight of what went on within the party during the last five turbulent years and talks about the PN's future.
Speaking to MaltaToday, Borg Olivier says: "It was disappointing, not only for the result in itself, but our inability to hold on to the people's trust makes it a bigger disappointment."
The outgoing PN secretary-general, who together with current PN leader Lawrence Gonzi carried the weight of the heavy defeat by not re-contesting the post, explains that the result cannot be attributed to one factor but there were several factors, which led to the result.
"However, if I had pinpoint one reason it would be the wave of change, which swept the country. The call for change can only gather pace and grow bigger when a party has been in government for such a long time."
He points out that the momentum had been picking up before the 2008 general election, and was a determining factor during the 2008-2013 legislature.
"Obviously there were other determining factors such as the internal dissent. I have to be self-critical and admit that as a consequence the party became inward looking and alienated from the people's needs, feelings and aspirations."
Was the defeat inevitable? "We did not throw in the towel and we kept battling till the very end. I believe that we had a strong political programme which was doable, but it was an uphill struggle all the way," Borg Olivier replies.
He stresses that the dissatisfaction went beyond the election result, underlining the disappointment of "letting down" the people who previously trusted the PN but looked elsewhere and voted Labour.
In the interview which will be published on this Sunday's printed edition of MaltaToday, Borg Olivier delves into his role in quelling the internal dissent, rebuts criticism on his effectiveness in the role and gives a clearer picture of the PN's financial situation.
Read the full interview in Sunday's printed edition of MaltaToday
Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.
Emmanuel Mallia •
Nationalists turn down seat on bipartisan committee on economic growth- where is the change in PN ?
Emmanuel Mallia •
Gonzi and his top ex-government ministers always used to take the front seats in some ceremonies at St John's Co-Cathedral ! But in practice, have they behaved like Catholics as politicians ?? Other politicians do not claim to be any practicing Catholics, but some of their policies are very close to the Gospel !!
Emmanuel Mallia •
Being Christian or catholic is a way of life, not just liturgy, chants rosaries etc etc. Many nationalist, including very high officials claim to be Catholics, but when it comes to politics, its politics first, then God ! Paul Borg Olivier once said that his party was consecrated to the Holy Name of Jesus !!!!!
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Tisma in-Net TV u taqra l-bloggers favur GonziPN-anke illum-ikollok aptit tirremetti bil-hdura u bl-arroganza taghhom!
Din hi l-vera raguni tat-telfa: l-elite ta GonziPN kienu jahsbu li huma 'God's gift to Malta and the PN' fil-waqt li kulhadd jaf-specjalment in-Nazzjonalisti genwini li minnhom ghandi hafna hbieb-li 'l-elite were simply protecting their turf, interests and greed!
Sewwa mela, iffangaw huma u wara marru fil-vomitorjum aktar minn darba,illum, xaghrejn wara it-tkaxkira li ghadhom anqas biss jistghu igerhu- iridu jaraw it-tibna f'ghajn haddiehor: meta huma ghandhom travu ta l-abjad f'ghajnejhom!
L-aura negativa u ghajjura u ta hdura ta l-elite ta GonziPN ghadha issaltan, u jekk se ikomplu hekk fl-oppozizzjoni se jibqghu!
Get real PN and get clean of GonziPN elements that tarnished the Party with their hdura and greed!
Emmanuel Mallia •
You are too true Mr Grima, the way the PN was, and is still behaving is like some kind of secret society , that we all know of! The puppets & the puppeteers !
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Nistaqsi lil Dr. B.O.: ghaliex qisu kulhadd jaf li se jitla Dr. S. Busuttil, bhala leader u Dr. Chris Said bhala seg. Gen.? Mela l-affarijiet hekk isiru bhal fil-mazunerij:int trid tkun hekk, l-iehor hekk u l-iehor xorta ohra u kulhadd joqghod ghal li jghid il-kap ix-xih skond gerarkija approvata. Ghaliex ma (nissuspetta)ma thalliex johrog ghall-kap tal-PN Dr. Chris Said ghax hu kien l-iktar wiehed capaci johrog lil PN mill-abbiss li jinsab fih.
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Nispera Pawl li se tghidilna x sar mil-flus li tajna ghal partit
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Franco Debono and JPO were right all the time.
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For all the reasons mentioned here you had been warned by many, yet arrogance and fear of more corruption kept you proceeding in the way which led to the disastrous defeat. It's no use crying over spilt milk now. 'Bniedem avzat nofsu armat!' Yet you decided to ignore truth, ethics and morality and go on with demonising the PL and, as usual, character assassinations, with the help of those whose aim was revenge and their own pockets and not the good of the country. As you used to say in the 80's "is-sewwa jirbah zgur!" ... And it did. Oligarchy and dictatorship, even a subtle one, is not accepted by our independent , free, moral citizens.
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Dr. Borg Olivier, it seem after defeat upon defeat you still want to tell others as you know it all. Well my opinion as one who voted for the PN in the past is your biggest problem is PRIDE. As it is written in the Bible, Provers 11.2 When prides comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. How true.
You treated us like old fools and as Mark Twain said: When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. Yes Sir, the people grew and realized you are nothing but empty vases.
Maureen Attard •
Is-sewwa, yes, the main factor was Austin Gatt, the Prime Minister behind the curtain. The Lorry Sant of the 2000.
Maureen Attard •
Is-sewwa, yes, the main factor was Austin Gatt, the Prime Minister behind the curtain. The Lorry Sant of the 2000.
Emmanuel Mallia •
We are fed up with lawyer like talk and policies ! No wonder you always choose lawyers as your leaders !It"s no more the times of trying to convince people that black is not black, but is white and other diplomatic languages or have to read between the lines to solve an issue. Others, were, and probably still are, the real leaders of the party, not Gonzi. Gonzi was a yes man. You must get rid of people working and steering behinds everybody's back. You never admitted this fact and you will never gain our confidence unless you tackle it publicly !
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What you SOW is what you get !
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Dr Paul Borg Olivier. how embarrassing for your party not to notice that deficiency before the election took place. I hate to say i told you so but I did, now it is official. Even your own supporters tried to open your eyes and tell you what you knew already but again, you and your leader let your arrogance lead you into an election defeat and yes, by your own supporters. Arrogance came within your party and from some of your arrogant ministers up until the end. As a matter of fact even the Prime Minister lead with that notoriety and that same arrogance. The PN forgot the people and as stubbornly as ever they did not care one way or the other. Besides Dr Gonzi there were one or two other Ministers that thought they were untouchables. One even sneered at the people when he talked to them. And for the "Clique" everybody knew it was there and everybody knew exactly who they were. I know it is hard to admit but more than once Franco Debono tried to warn the PM but it seems the PM himself was part of the "Clique" or at least he approved of it. This is no hind side PBO this is arrogance by your party before the election and beyond. You did not need a panel to find out what went wrong, all you had to do was stop and think but you and your colleagues were way too busy ignoring the call of the people. Shame on you for that. The PN has four years to get their act together and learn that people come first.
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Dr Paul Borg Olivier. how embarrassing for your party not to notice that deficiency before the election took place. I hate to say i told you so but I did, now it is official. Even your own supporters tried to open your eyes and tell you what you knew already but again, you and your leader let your arrogance lead you into an election defeat and yes, by your own supporters. Arrogance came within your party and from some of your arrogant ministers up until the end. As a matter of fact even the Prime Minister lead with that notoriety and that same arrogance. The PN forgot the people and as stubbornly as ever they did not care one way or the other. Besides Dr Gonzi there were one or two other Ministers that thought they were untouchables. One even sneered at the people when he talked to them. And for the "Clique" everybody knew it was there and everybody knew exactly who they were. I know it is hard to admit but more than once Franco Debono tried to warn the PM but it seems the PM himself was part of the "Clique" or at least he approved of it. This is no hind side PBO this is arrogance by your party before the election and beyond. You did not need a panel to find out what went wrong, all you had to do was stop and think but you and your colleagues were way too busy ignoring the call of the people. Shame on you for that. The PN has four years to get their act together and learn that people come first.
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And the arrogance will return the very minute that PN will win an ellection and be returned to govern. This happened every time they get in power...but I am sure that it will take long for the voters to forgive them. I for one an ex supporter will nevergo back
Emmanuel Mallia •
You never learn, don't you. The man who designed, and engineered the PN's electoral campaign is never mentioned ! Where is he now ! I guess I know why ! He is still there, steering, with his other adviser friend, at the back helm, waiting for the right moment to strike again ! Where is he hiding now ! This is the issue we want you to talk about , not about other nonsense. We are fed up of your lawyer's talk ! The party has proven to be undemocratic, by governing without a majority ! A true dictatorship !
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At one point one should have stopped and reflect: if even our own supporters, nay even our own MPs are turning against us - could it be, could it possibly be that we may be doing something wrong??? ... The mis-management, the corruption, the scandals ... Latest when the divorce referendum took place and the people had spoken you should have woken up from your dream-land and faced reality, but you not even then did you reflect. And the sheer arrogance to continue obstinantly on the same path without even asking yourselves this question is what cost you the election! ... You had no programme left, you had no vision and you simply stooped to fear-monger at what would happen if the LP won the election ... and now you have the result. No disaster happened. No pn clubs were burnt and there was no violence. So even your worst fear-mongering dissipated into thin air, and you are left with absolutely nothing - not even DIGNITY! ... People were fed up with you, with your style, with your fairy-tales, and even now you still 'oppose' everything -- however how you straighten up (or not) will be a reflection of how your future will be. At present you have made yourselves irrelevant and obsolete.
Mark Fenech •
There was a main reason which those interviewed todate are afraid to declare.
That was the Austin Gatt factor. He was stronger than Dr. Laurence Gonzi for some unknown reason.
