Political shockwaves

In the local council elections of March 2005, the Malta Labour Party caused political shockwaves when it won an absolute majority and overturned a Nationalist majority in Sta Venera and Mqabba, previously Nationalist-led councils.

For the council elections on March 11, the MLP is staging a fantastic campaign. It has engaged with the issues that matter to people in each locality.

This election arrives at a crucial time for the government amid the controversy over Parliamentary Secretary Tony Abela and the leak of the Nationalist Party's secret report on the European Parliament election which saw the Labour Party winning three seats out of five.

Since elected, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has already suffered two damaging defeats in the local council elections and the EP election and now could face a third.

This time round, many Nationalist supporters are blaming their party for failing to learn from its shock defeats in the previous polls. Only last year, the PN was accused of threatening democracy in Malta by reducing the number of candidates just minutes before the closing time for accepting nominations. For this reason, two localities, Marsa and Zejtun, both famous for being Labour strongholds, did not vote. This decision has been strongly criticised and many Nationalists did not agree with such a "strategic measure", as quoted by Dr Gonzi and secretary-general Joe Saliba. The PN always blames someone else and never accepts responsibility for itself. It blamed John Dalli for losing the EP election in 2004. Will Dr Abela be the scapegoat this year?

These local council elections involve local issues with national significance and the PN has not been listening to people. I dismiss the argument that the result will hold no real national significance but will be on the basis of local issues. The PN is acting as if this was a national campaign and a test of the national mood. What it will show them is that there is massive distrust in the party and it will be rejected on this basis.

People are getting a positive message from the MLP and they are fed up with the Nationalist Party's arrogance. They feel the PN has neglected their constituency and Labour campaigned positively on the key issues that matter.

I think there are very good candidates on the Labour side and there is a great supply of quality within the party. The newly elected Labour councillors will be a great addition to the brightest and best men and women of a new generation in the party, a group whom the leadership should help to flourish and express ideas.

I know many people who voted for the PN in the last general election who on election day will choose the MLP's candidates and will send a message to the government that they are fed up of being taken for granted.

The Nationalists have taken the people up and down the country for granted for far too long; too much spin and not enough delivery. It is high time that Dr Gonzi and Mr Saliba both got that message.