PD moving forward and in retrospect

The election of Partit Demokratiku to Parliament is an unprecedented milestone in postIndependence Malta.

The past year has seen the fruits of that change manifest across the political landscape in ways which may not immediately be obvious, but which inspire confidence in what the future and New Year may hold. I think many may have initially found it hard to wrap their heads around the idea of there being a third party in Parliament — a first for our independent country. Partit Demokratiku’s opponents tried to use this novelty to their advantage, pointing out that the Opposition leader is a Nationalist. Yes, we live in a Westminster-style parliamentary democracy, where the opposition party with the most seats gets to elect the leader of the opposition. Yet, despite its opponents’ best efforts, Partit Demokratiku’s presence could not be ignored. After requesting a ruling from the Speaker of the House, Partit Demokratiku’s independence and right to speaking time was confirmed, and despite the efforts of paid trolls, one can simply visit Parliament’s official website to find the Partit Demokratiku Parliamentary Group acknowledged there black on white. The sec- ond that ‘Tal-Oranġjo’ candidates were elected to Parliament, they became the first third party MPs to be elected since Independence.

Therefore, Partit Demokratiku has fought and achieved legitimacy over the course of 2018, and it is now amply clear that the bipartisan system has crumbled. The result is that, for the first time, the two parties can no longer cover up their failings through mutual consent whenever their interests align. Due to the overall lack of independent television, the two parties still dominate the overall narrative in the country, but this year has allowed Partit Demokratiku to effectively function as a parliamentary watchdog. Whenever the Nationalist Party drags its feet, Partit Demokratiku is there to blow the whistle and pro-actively propose solutions. The year kicked off this way, with Partit Demokratiku nominating Philip Micallef to the Permanent Commission Against Corruption, which had been left inactive as a result of the Nationalist Party’s failure to appoint a nominee.

That Partit Demokratiku was able to set the agenda in Parliament was clear once the Nation- alist Party was repeatedly forced to change course and correct its behaviour in the public interest. For example, the Nationalist Party had a firm agenda against the environment for most of the first half of the year. It voted blindly in favour of Mercury Tower in Paceville, the Magħtab fuel station, for the extension of hunting hours in Majjistral Park and in favour of the Villa Rosa development in St George’s Bay. Much of the traffic that residents fear will be generated by the db Group project is already bound to result from the Villa Rosa development, which will see Moynihan House demolished and the valley developed. Therefore, the Nationalist Party coming out against the db Group project was the result of internal pressure and that exerted by Partit Demokratiku. Similarly, the Nationalist Party was forced to make an aboutturn over the MP pensions reform bill after Partit Demokratiku sounded the alarm. Aside from pushing the agenda towards the public interest on such issues, Partit Demokratiku’s private member’s motions have further demonstrated the value of hav- ing a small party in Parliament. Meeting young opinion leaders over the past few months has made me hopeful that Malta’s political future may evolve, especially now that the mould has been broken. People in Malta often vote against a party, rather than in favour of one. That is the result of a system which punishes and favours insiders; where the cost of losing power is tremendous and a party must do all it can to maintain or regain power, for fear of being marginalised entirely. Yet, the loyalty younger people show towards this endless tribal war is weak. My hope is that there will, sooner or later, be a vanguard of change for the better. I look forward to Partit Demokratiku’s next year not only in Parliament, but also in politics generally. Fighting for good governance, the environment and the revival of a wider social contract over bipartisan interests has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It is my hope that more responsible citizens will join this vanguard of political renewal and that over time we will finally leave this terrible legacy of hatred behind us.