So the world did not end yesterday, the nationalist party did not implode and – much to the chagrin of (probably) many a disgruntled voter without much of a grasp of the rules of the game – the government is still in place for all to see. The rebel MP’s have had their comeuppance and JPO, Mugliett and Debono will not be allowed to contest the next elections. They have not been expelled from the party (which is convenient enough so long as this parliament is still “sitting”) but they have been served the cup of hemlock sure enough. So if the procedure ended up not expelling anyone they needed an excuse that would sound disciplinary enough but that would also send a clear message to the “rebels” – and the selection of PN’s first batch of electoral candidates was the perfect excuse to start the stitching. Or was it?
Here. For what it matters in this crazy season of politics is J’accuse’s take on these recent events:
Part 1. Labour
I just HAVE to start from the least obvious. The rebels would not have managed to wreak havoc with their promises of uncertainty had they not found a compliant opposition that bent over double to encourage their rebel activity. There is nothing wrong with an opposition taking advantage of the weaknesses of government, far from it, but the problem we see is that the connivance of the opposition was based on deceit and a blatant disregard of constitutional rule and convention.
It would be naive of us to assume that the business of politics does not include the dirty work of personal vendettas bred out of rivalry, ambition and misplaced expectations. Having said that though, it is no small matter that the opposition fails to see that the cries of “ungovernability” that it so proudly yelled over the past months were founded on a situation provoked and instigated by itself together with the flighty rebels.
The business of government might not be tip-top but it is far from the mess the opposition would have us believe exists (and far from the mess that the band of politicians presenting themselves as an alternative to government seem to reserve for us in the future). It has recently dawned on some that Labour’s inability to present clear, tangible programmes and take clear positions might serve to its advantage (no shit Sherlock). Thank God for the diversion that have been the merry band of rebels then… but now that that charade is over Labour might have to start producing and it might be a little too late.
It remains to be seen whether the public really sees the series of events as the misuse of the institutions of the state for the purpose of personal vendettas or whether they lost the plot at some point after having been fed the “iggranfati mal-poter” and “messy business” mantra one time too many.
