Delia in candid appeal for party unity

In a candid appeal in the wake of last weekend’s vote of confidence in his leadership, recently-embattled Nationalist Party Leader Adrian Delia asks all factions of the splintered party to come together.

“Now,” he says, “starts the time for healing, the time for rebuilding, the time for re-establishing ourselves as a credible, strong and unified Opposition”.

In an opinion piece in today’s issue, Delia says it is now “time to make it right”.

“These coming weeks are crucial,” he says. “We emerged from a difficult period. The lack of unity over the past months hindered the PN’s ability to carry out its duties effectively. Internal party matters were at times stealing our attention away from national matters.”

Those days, Delia insists, are now over: “From now onwards, our attention has to be, and will solely be, on providing the answers that the public rightly expects from us. People now more than ever want a strong and united Opposition capable of providing an alternative to the incumbent government.”

Summer is traditionally the time when people take a break from work and school. In a country where politics is hotly debated and always on top of the national agenda, August provides time for a bit of lull in another wise politically-charged year. For PN, these coming weeks are crucial. We emerged from a difficult period. Now starts the time for healing, the time for rebuilding, the time for re-establishing ourselves as a credible, strong and unified Opposition.

There is a growing sense of disaffection with government. This is due to a number of reasons. The economic slowdown is being felt by some sectors of society particularly those on low income and small businesses. The recent hikes in the price of fuels and milk is going to make it more difficult for vulnerable members of society, particularly pensioners and single parents who are the sole income earners to make ends meet. People are angry at the wanton destruction of our environment, particularly government’s war on trees. Our country is suffering from overconstruction, lack of enforcement and shabbiness. Our financial services sector is facing the biggest threat since its establishment in the late 1980’s. This as a result of the corruption and institutional melt-down that happened over the past six years. People are angry at government for taking the country down a route without an adequate plan. The economic success that is vaunted by government at every opportunity came at a price, a price that is becoming more evident with every day that passes.

The lack of unity over the past months hindered the PN’s ability to carry out its duties effectively. Internal party matters were at times stealing our attention from national matters.

Those days are now over. From now onwards, our attention has to be, will be solely on providing the answers that the public rightly expects from us. People now more than ever want a strong and united Opposition, capable of providing an alternative to the incumbent government.

The PN launched an internal reform process, by Louis Galea. I asked Dr Galea to head the party reform process and report directly to me. Few people I know have the ability to match vision with practicality the way he does. Louis has issued calls for all those who wish to contribute in this process to come forward. This is a call for all those who want to help not just rebuild the PN but help rebuild this country. If you think our country deserves better, come forward. Be part of the change that this country needs.

While this process of internal change is underway, we also started working on the Party’s pre-budget document. In this document we will present, as we did for the past six years, an alternative view to that presented by government on our country’s economic and financial situation. We will be talking to various sectors of our society. We will reach out to unions, employers’ associations and civil society as we shape our views on the country’s needs and aspirations. Again, I invite all those who wish to contribute to this process to come forward. Your ideas matter.

We will be launching other initiatives. The Party is going to launch an extensive exercise on the use of social media in our society. Social media is transforming our lives. Like any process of change, it has both positives and negatives. How is our society coping with this process of radical change? Over the coming days we will be launch a programme of activities tied to this initiative. We are also working on the Independence celebration activities. More than just an opportunity to celebrate a past historic event, these festivities provide a unique opportunity for the Party to touch base with its grass roots through the various events that are organised.

Next year the PN will celebrate its one hundred and fortieth anniversary. It is an opportunity to thank all those who worked through the Party to make this country better. It is also an opportunity to strengthen the Party and ensure that it is in the best possible shape to help take this country forward.

We can do this if we open up the Party to all those who have the country’s interest at heart. We need to regain the people’s trust. We will do this by reaching out, by providing alternative solutions, by practising the politics of persuasion, of social justice and European values. We need to convince the people that we are the right party for Malta. Right not in terms of political spectrum but right in terms of justice and equality.

The PN has no right to govern, but it has a duty to be prepared at all times to serve.

This is our mission.