Min vera jħobb lil Malta...

Tul l-aħħar xhur, prattikament min meta faqqa l-iskandlu tal-Panama Papers il-Partit Laburista nieda kampanja sottili, u xi kultant kemm xejn inqas sottili, li fiha kull min b’xi mod ażżarda jsemmu leħnu dwar il-koruzzjoni spiċċa mgħajjar bħala traditur tal-pajjiż u li saħansitra qiegħed jaħdem kontra Malta.

Huwa bla dubju ta’ xejn li kull Malti għandi jkun kburi minn pajjiżu u għandu jgħożż b’għożża dak kollu li jagħmilna Maltin. Pajjiżna għandu storja twila u rikka; storja ta’ poplu li minkejja ċ-ċokon tiegħu dejjem għeleb l-isfidi; anke dawk li ġnus oħra ferm akbar fid-daqs, ma’ rnexxielhomx jgħelbu. Pajjiż li minkejja ċ-ċokon tiegħu sawwar identita’ nazzjonali li tinkludi saħansitra lingwa nativa. Hemm ħafna b’xiex għandna nkunu kburin li aħna Maltin.

L-imħabba lejn Malta u dak kollu li jagħmilna Maltin madankollu ma’ jfissirx li m’għandniex ngħiduha kif inhi. Anzi, kważi kważi, propju għaliex nħobbu lil Malta, għandna nkunu aħna l-ewwel nies li nkunu kritiċi tagħna nfusna. Kritiċi tagħna nfusna sabiex fejn nistaw nagħmlu aħjar nagħmlu aħjar; kritiċi tagħna nfusna sabiex fejn b’xi mod inkunu qed indgħajfu lil pajjiżna nbiddlu, nirranġaw u nsaħħu.

Ieqaf ftit u aħseb; meta int tkun ser tagħmel xi proġett kbir jew forsi tkun ser tipprova xi ħaġa ġdida; dawk ta’ madwarek li huma għeżież għalik xi tkun tixtieq minnhom? Li anke jekk tiżbalja jew ikun evidenti li ser tiżbalja jibqaw siekta u ma’ jgħidu xejn u jħalluk tidħol fl-inkwiet jew li dawn iwissuk u forsi anke jkunu kritiċi sabiex int issir konxju ta’ fejn inqast jew ser tonqos u tikkoreġi u b’hekk itejjeb lilek nnifsek?

Daqstant ieħor min fil-konfront tal-koruzzjoni qiegħed ikun kritiku; qiegħed juri fejn l-awtoritajiet qegħdin jonqsu u qiegħed jagħmel dak kollu li huwa normali u ordinarju f’demokrazija moderna sabiex iwaqqaf lil min qiegħed jiżbalja u bl-iżball tiegħu idgħajjef lil Malta.

Min qiegħed ikun kritika mhux talli mhux traditur jew missu jistħi talli saħansitra huwa l-aqwa eżempju ta’ patrijott li tassew iħobb lil pajjiż. Min minn naħa l-oħra qiegħed iħalli l-għamad politiku jgħamih u jgħid Signor Si sempliċiment biex ma’ jurtax lill-partit politiku li tiegħu huwa membru, qiegħed bl-azzjoni tiegħu jitradixxi lil pajjiż għaliex qiegħed ipoġġi l-interess partiġġjan fuq l-interess nazzjonali.

Dak li qegħdin jagħmlu movimenti ċivili bħal Occupy Justice, Awturi u Kenniesa u partiti politiċi bħal Partit Nazzjonalista, il-Partit Demokratiku u l-Alternattiva Demokratika meta dawn qegħdin ikunu kritiċi tal-korruzzjoni li qegħda tifni l-gvern mhux talli mhux ispirat minn sens ta’ tradiment talli huwa ispirat minn sens ta’ mħabba lejn il-pajjiż.

Pajjiżna mhuwiex ta’ xi partit politiku wieħed jew agħar min hekk ta’ xi mexxej politiku partikolari. Pajjiżna huwa tagħna lkoll u jekk bl-azzjoni ta’ individwu, tnejn jew tlieta, qiegħed jiġi mdgħajjef il-pajjiż huwa d-dmir u d-dover ta’ kull wieħed u waħda minnha li jissielet b’kemm għandu enerġija sabiex jikkumbatti favur il-pajjiż.

Huwa għalhekk f’dan l-ispirtu li l-ħidma tal-Partit Nazzjonalista u anke ta’ l-MEP’s tal-Partit Nazzjonalista hija ħidma li għandha tħalli lil kull hu min membru tal-Partit Nazzjonalista kburi bil-fatt li anke fil-konfront ta’ tgħajjir u tixwix il-Partit Nazzjonalista baqa’ jpoġġi l-interess nazzjonali u l-imħabba lejn Malta u l-Maltin l-ewwel u qabel kollox.  

A spent force!

To say that I am highly sceptical of Marlene Farrugia and her Partit Demokratiku would be an understatement. The way events unfolded following the General Election in June 2017 have more than amply demonstrated that joining forces with a Partit Demokratiku that was, and remains, largely dominated by Marlene Farrugia was a mistake. I have made no secret of my political disagreement with Farrugia and a number of decisions she has made since June 2017, so much so that I stated so point blank in an article published on The Times on August 22nd 2017.

I must thus highly welcome the decision taken tonight by the PN to formally dissolve the alliance with the Partit Demokratiku. In fairness it would be wrong to point fingers as to whether it was initially a good idea or not to join forces with the Partit Demokratiku. It would be easy to point fingers when one enjoys the benefit of hindsight; its an altogether different reality when one is deciding on a step never before tried and tested. Alas time has provided hindsight and the PN did the right move of taking correctionary measures.

Marlene Farrugia’s PD proved to be an unreliable ally; an unsteady ally, an ally that was never quite fully accepted by the electorate, an ally that was weakening PN rather than strengthening it. To cut ties was not an easy decision I’m sure. It took courage and a sense of leadership to come to such a decision. PN leader Adrian Delia must thus be applauded for having grabbed the bull by the horns and taking this difficult, but all be it, very much needed, decision.

PN needs to re-organise and focus on being a positive opposition. An opposition that that offers constructive criticism; an opposition that strives to make a difference even from the opposition benches; an opposition that is determined to be effective. It cannot possibly afford to waste any time with the childish games of Partit Demokratiku.

In reacting to the news of the dissolution of the Forza Nazzjonali PD issued a Press Release. Their Press Release goes a long way in proving just how irrelevant PD is fast becoming. PD stated that, “PD continues to welcome the disillusioned political refugees who have been failed by the parties forming the status quo and who, like the Partit Demokratiku and its MPs, do not recognise Adrian Delia as the Leader of the Opposition. The ideals of Forza Nazzjonali shall live on in PD, as they have since Delia's election”. No party can hope to have a very long future when its sole purpose seems to be that of rejecting the democratically elected leader of another political party.

Good move PN! Let’s focus and work for Malta. There is much work to be done and we can’t waste any more time on the antics of Farrugia and her party.
-->