Sleeping with the enemy

Oh, glorious no! Another dig at the dear, charming and democratically elected leader of the PN.

Ihave been told that writing about Adrian Delia, who is also the leader of the opposition, is wrong. And totally negative. After all, say the critics of my scribblings, the bigger enemy of the people and biggest danger is Joseph Muscat, in the guise of Robert Abela, man of bully status at the Auberge.

The contrarian in me begs to differ. Maybe because I am petty. Or pretty daft.

It is a given that the Labour Party is on the wrong side of history. They had the opportunity to turn a new corner: they could have dumped their legacy of blood, obfuscation of justice, and erosion of the important institutions. But, as is their wont, they screwed up totally.

Both major political parties in Malta do not shine as the best shields of democratic life, but on balance Labour are way ahead in letting democracy slide down the chute.

The PN of old has, on the whole, been a better guardian of our democracy. The PN is hardly angelic but it is not tied at the hip to the devil like Labour seems to be.

History books do not paint a pretty picture of Labour in Malta. It is found amiss not just by local watchdogs but also by international fora and institutions. Given a choice Labour always chooses the least democratic road.

Even in today’s world, where you would imagine people like Robert Abela should know better, our man at the helm thinks it is fair and normal to address the nation on his party TV.

If that does not prove he is insensitive, insecure and closer to North Korean practices than any normal democracy, please tell me what does.

The only victory the new Labour guard seeems to excel in is at election time, keeping the people totally focussed by touting itself as the party which is divinely anointed to keep Malta afloat and economically successful.

With this abhorrent government led by power-hungry people who do not want to change their course, the last thing we need is a terribly inadequate opposition.

Democracy calls for a strong, wellorganised, opposition. Structured and well-appointed and whose leader should, at this time of democratic crisis, be leading the battle of battles, his voice resounding throughout the country. He should be calling every move, setting the national agenda, hounding government and firing constant barbs, pointing out each and every misstep. He should be instituting legal challenges, highlighting the pitiful state of broadcasting and a myriad other problems.

The stature of the leader of the opposition should be such that, even now while the country is swamped by the pandemic, he should still be able to organise silent marches, protests, get the people going and oppose at all levels. He should be leading crowds to demand justice, better policing of money laundering and instant incarceration of the criminals who ruled Castille a few months ago and who are still lurking there in broad daylight.

Yet the man who leads the biggest party after Labour is in no way capable of doing this. He fails totally in garnering confidence not just nationally but even within his own party and the people who usually tend to vote PN. Adrian Delia is considered totally inept, incompetent and morally unfit for the post.

The biggest horror that has happened in Malta is Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination.

Yet even in this Adrian Delia was found lacking. He failed Daphne as horribly as the Labour Party henchmen who denigrated and dehumanised her.

When Delia referred to Daphne as bicca blogger (a mere blogger) he completely lost any moral compass to be able to unite Malta in its search for truth and justice. He attacked her and even instituted court proceedings against her. Until justice for Daphne is done, till the truth and full truth is established and the guilty are caught and imprisoned, Malta cannot regain its position with the fully free and democratic.

Adrian Delia is a liability not just to the PN but to Malta. It is lunacy to envisage a scenario where he is prime minister. So what function is he fulfilling?

The PN headquarters, the stamperija, where honourable men and women once walked the corridors, now lies half unused, dismal and a true relic of a once proud history. And it has become a laughable place with the PN leader sleeping and living there.

It is of such stuff that leaders, even those of some mettle unlike our mettle-less Delia, are ridiculed and lose their gravitas.

On the same day that the news broke that Adrian Delia is lodging at the PN base – because otherwise he’d be homeless – he was photographed with some of his close buddies having a coffee with Robert Abela and his cronies. Such a cute photo of unity, such a show of camaraderie.

From the horror of sleeping at the PN base to sleeping with the enemy, this is truly what should close the chapter of the PN being led by Adrian Delia. When experiments fail, drastic action is needed.

Now, before an election is announced, is the time to ditch the experimental leader and find a proper leader of the party in opposition. Only that could give Malta a slight chance of winning back some true democracy.