Times of disorder in the PN
If there is an expression that reflects the current state of the PN, this is ‘times of disorder’. In the past, I was extremely critical of the Nationalist Party’s administration, but never, by a long shot, did I imagine that they would have reduced the pa
Dr Simon Mercieca is senior lecturer, Department of History
Like it or not, after what has been going on within the party, one has to thank one’s lucky stars that Joseph Muscat is in government, even though one may not necessarily agree with all his policies.
The PN’s administration, through the behaviour of a section of its members and MPs, has highlighted its ineptitude to govern itself, let alone to govern the country. The only thing in which the previous administration has been successful is plunging the Nationalist Party into total disarray.
It is also very clear that a number of elected Nationalist MPs are completely divorced from their constituents, which only goes to emphasise the magnitude of the situation. The fact that a number of MPs were not present in Parliament for Adrian Delia’s oath-taking is a clear indication of the current malaise in this party.
It is now the turn of those MPs, who support Delia, to defend themselves from what appears to be a constant flow, of either false or manipulated news, spreading fast like an oil spill in an attempt to destroy them. The end justifies the means and this is what the current concept of freedom of speech has brought us to; no reins and no boundaries, just total amorality as long as we hit our target. And in this particular case not only are these scandalmongers desperate to hold on to the power they have lost but they are also willing to forego all basic rules of democracy in a desperate attempt to hang on.
The irony is that all this malice is not originating from Labour quarters but from that group within the Nationalist Party that is now stooping so low as to further discredit not just the recent past but also that past that once gave the Nationalist Party something to be proud of. This persistent behavior only goes to show that as bad losers they have unleashed a strong collective reaction from those party members in favour of the new leader. Instead of engaging in an honest and just process of reconciliation, this group is intent on continuing its battle with the sole purpose of discrediting the electoral process that democratically elected Adrian Delia.
If there have been abnormalities, these have in no way impinged on the electoral process or influenced how members voted. Therefore, why all the hullabaloo? I can think of far more serious issues that ought to have raised serious concern. Yet, not a whimper.
Instead of working for a peaceful coexistence, this group simply cannot accept its loss of power which it misused and ended-up giving the party two successive massive defeats. What it is now doing is to destroy its image with its constituents.
Members of this group are insisting that they are opposing Delia in defence of party principles. This is one of those false statements that harms not only the image of the Nationalist Party but is tantamount to political hypocrisy. If one is to believe them, one has to ask them why then did they not oppose the party stand on same sex marriage? Clearly, such a vote goes against PN principles. Furthermore, why did this group not back Edwin Vassallo, if they are genuinely concerned about party principles? Were it not for a group of traditional clerics, Edwin Vassallo would have been destroyed by the party’s bureaucratic machine.
Misguided, this group remained silent when stories with sexual overtones were circulated to discredit one of the PN’s past leaders. They did not condemn this inadmissible behaviour.
The puerile attacks on Delia should be understood in the context of the fact that there are some who are afraid of losing power. For sure, it is not on issues of principles. This is the real reason why this faction does not want to find a solution and continues agitating. Incidentally, Chris Said is steering clear of these agitators.
Had these tactics been adopted under different historic conditions, the PN would have split up. But none of the current MPs have the stature to bring this about. At present, the only political fact is that some members may be evaluating the possibility of getting elected on Marlene Farrugia’s party-ticket. The European Elections will be a test for Marlene Farrugia and will show whether her party can stand on its own two feet as a political reality. I will not be surprised that, at some stage, a reconciliation with Marlene Farrugia can be made, even if, the recent diatribe by Farrugia on the PN’s position on issues of surrogacy will not help.
In this context, Delia’s persona is emerging even stronger. He appears to be the only one seeking reconciliation, while the rest only want to stir up more confusion. The fact that Edwin Vassallo has now thrown in his bid will only help Delia to further strengthen his foothold within the party. As an MP, who was on the other side, Vassallo’s only intention derives from the simple fact that he wants to bring complete reconciliation within the Nationalist Party. By putting down his name, Edwin Vassallo is making the bold statement that he is ready to work with the new leader, not for his own benefit but for the benefit of the party.
Should any individual within the parliamentary group not be interested in a reconciliation, then the statutory process of disciplinary action should come into play, thus ensuring that order is reinstated and the present state of upheaval brought to an end. There is no doubt that opposition to Delia stemmed from a ploy aimed at declaring his election ‘unconstitutional’. This has now back fired, and this group has now entered the phase of selfdestruction. Thereby, not only has Delia protected his reputation and his position as leader but more importantly, he is now working to ensure that truth prevails. It has already been proven that he has been subjected to false news. He has also successfully defended himself from barefaced accusations that have been proven to be unfounded.
Now, Delia has the arduous task of rebuilding the Nationalist Party’s lost standing. Orthodoxy is a very effective tool. History teaches us that during times of disorder, orthodoxy is the only way forward. By embracing it, the party leader would be ensuring that the PN has a future. But orthodoxy has to be embraced with care and intelligence. Any rushed and inane decisions could damage the good work being done to turn the party into a winning team once again.