Monday, 10th March 2008
From Gonzipn to Gonzimalta
Lawrence Gonzi has won the general election. …. Just, but
just is good enough. He will be the Prime Minister for the next five years. As
a friend of mine put it, Dr Gonzi managed to snatch victory from the jaws of
defeat.
His charisma prevailed. By the end of the day more people believed in him than in the alternatives others proposed. Many people were ready to forget mistakes made by his government, the arrogance and incompetence shown by several of its members at different levels, the pettiness of those who find magnanimity towards others something too complex to understand. He readily acknowledged mistakes, apologized and promised to do better. Besides his charisma, Gonzi had positive results of great significance to show. These results were achieved thanks to his hard work and that of many others around him.
Dr Gonzi
successfully faced many challenges. Now back at Castille he faces several other
others. I would like to focus just on one of them, i.e. the transition from gonzipn to gonzimalta. The transition from a party leader (gonzipn), a role which by its very
nature is partisan, to a prime minister
(gonzimalta), a role which by its
very nature is national.
During the electoral campaign he repeatedly said that “Kullhadd ghandu valur”. “Flimkien” was the operative word. Now, as Prime Minister, he has the duty to change these slogans into an action programme.
We can look at this country of ours as a country split in the middle. Two almost equal halves. This kind of analysis shows a negative attitude. It shows the attitude of those who are not able to change a threat into a possibility. On the other hand we can look at our country as a living organism with two lungs, not two halves. It will be the challenge of Lawrence Gonzi to see to it that both lungs are used. We will move forward only if we move forward together.
In 1981 Mr Mintoff, faced by a country split down the middle with the majority rejecting him, decided to put forward the most divisive policies. Undoubtedly Dr Gonzi is not that kind of politician. Quite naturally he has a political programme to put forward and it would be wrong of him not to do so. But while doing so, he has to be wise enough to throw overboard the dead weight, prune the arrogant and give room for all possible and available talent to give a contribution. It would be a disaster if people feel left out because of their political leanings or attitudes. The people who now feel hurt, abandoned or betrayed have to be shown by concrete measures that there is a place for them and their talents in the building of the country.
I think that the best way to achieve this is for Dr Gonzi to leave the greatest possible place and space for civil society to actively participate in all sectors of society. Past experience has shown that in the environment of civil society people of different political persuasions work together for a common aim. The civil society organism is using both lungs to breath. The forging of more civil society/public partnerships is consequently the best way forward.
Competent people of different persuasions should find a place in boards of different entities, councils, companies etc. One could consider the feasibility of asking the MCESD to put forward names of competent people who could then be considered together with others to fill in the posts that will now be vacated on all these groups, councils, company boards etc.
While acknowledging that all the Presidents of Malta, whatever their political persuasion, excelled in the execution of their task, one should make an effort to have the next President either from a political background which is different from that of the government or from a non-political background.
The Maltese bishops addressed the post election period in their pre-election pastoral letter. The Bishops stated that: “After the elections: Besides, we would like to suggest that, as from now, the political parties start taking decisions, which are made known to the people, on the kind of attitude they want to follow after the elections, whatever the service the party will be giving to the country, in Government or in Opposition. We would like to see, as from now, the political parties promising to collaborate together as servants of one nation, especially in social matters, such as the drug problem; young people and their future; usury; the protection of stability in marriage and the family; the environment; and the historical heritage.”
The electoral campaign should be now put behind our backs. Our politicians take up this challenge proposed by the Bishops because it is the challenge being proposed by the country.
The other winner
This election gave us two winners. Lawrence Gonzi on the PN side and Michael Falzon on the MLP side.
Dr Falzon’s behaviour at the Naxxar counting hall put him head and shoulders above his colleagues in the Labour Party. All the country appreciated immensely the way he and Joe Saliba of the PN worked together. At a difficult moment (which looked like an eternity) he was the only visible face of the top leadership of the Labour Party. He carried the burden with dignity till the very last moment.
The cooperation shown at these very difficult hours is a good sign for a cooperation between a revamped government and opposition.
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Comments
Nice words. Yet please note that we live in the spirit of a democracy not that of a dictatorship.
In a parliamentary system, the legislative and executive branches are not entirely distinct from one another, since the prime minister and members of the cabinet are drawn from the parliament. In such systems, the political opposition primarily serves as a chief means of limiting, or checking the authority of the executive. The spirit of collaboration, while sounding so nice, is in fact dangerous to the spirit of Democracy as it erodes checks and balances that prevent ultimate collusion and the onset of a virtual dictatorship.
To conclude my little sermon, do you find his praise for Mr Michael Falzon’s commendable behaviour last Sunday inflammatory too? The only objectionable comment is when he suggested to the PM to switch his football team allegiance…But maybe that’s because I am an Azzurra sfegatata and a Juventina…and before any of you out there fall upon me like a ton of bricks for my unpatriotic leanings, I support my National Team too and felt damn proud that Valletta FC triumphed over Juventus in the Betfair Club.
I find nothing wrong with having half the population sporting different ideas. I call that democracy and the word 'polarization' is sometimes overused or rather misused in this context.. I find it easier to decide which way to vote having such a clear cut case of good policies versus not so good ones. If we strive for the better, then we should vote for the better party. I used the word better and not best is because the AN and AD have over time proved their diminished relevancy.
He always asked people to judge him on his deeds. Therefore it is very natural that now people will analyse his choices and decisions to see how his promise of being gonzimalta will be put into practice. His decision not to include Jeffrey Pulliciono Orlando in the Cabinet shows that he has guts. The Fosos meeting must have given him a big buzz.
Not so the result of the football match between Inter and Liverpool. But there is always room for improvement. PM has on more than one occasion acknowledges his mistakes and corrected them, That shows maturity. Perhaps now as a sign of maturity and growth he will own up to his misguidedness in supporting an Italian team and will move over to support some english team of note. How about Manchester United, Prim?
1) Malta's economic performance will probably keep on going with the same pace and the same direction as it has been going in the last few years. There will be no hiccups or uncertainty created from within, giving us a better chance to fight off external pressures or troubles such as international inflation coming from oil and food prices.
2) Alfred Sant has had to resign, hopefully the MLP will take this opportunity to regenerate itself. But one should not put all the blame on Alfred Sant, was it not the administration and shadow ministers who put together the electoral manifesto full of mistakes, misprints and already implemented initiatives?
3) given the small majority and the promise by Dr Gonzi that this government will be a government of unity that will work for all Maltese, I hope will create the opportunity for more Maltese to work as one for the common good of our country, rather than simply oppose everything which the government says.
4) Those who have voted for the PN have actually sent a very strong message to the PM, they want new faces, younger ministers, new blood. Lets respect this wish and help these new faces settle down to work ASAP.Lets hope that the MLP media takes a more constructive approach and stop trying to find fault and create scandals every single day.
Lets that the true result fo this election serves to unite us more as one nation, proud to be Maltese
Thanks for your blog and keep it up Fr Joe.
I firmly agree with Father Joe that many of us expect the Prime Minister to be everyone's prime minister as he himself has promised. There are so many able and even brilliant people on the Labour side whose talents should be fully utilised by this tiny country of ours. I have also been saying, as Father Joe seems to be saying, that with Nationalists in power for another five years, it would be a profoundly generous gesture for Eddie Fenech Adami's successor as President to be a person with Labour or at least non-Nationalist, affiliations. Many of us can think of a number of persons, male and female, who would fit this bill.
Today is a great day. Let us make the coming years great not only economically but also by creating a stronger sense of a country belonging equally to all.
A third matter on which I must voice agreement with Father Joe. I too was much impressed by the MLP Deputy Leader Dr Michael Falzon's intelligence and dignity. Dr Falzon, good luck in the leadership contest that the MLP is now facing.
It will be a very idealistic thing to happen.
We had a Prime Minister who did exactly that, but this morning he had to resign from Party Leadership.
Malta lost a Political Gentleman, which will be hard to replace