The Labour Party must be pleased with the local council elections results. Once again it won a third consecutive round, with the voting margin between the two major parties widening still further. It must have worked hard to achieve such a result. Political energies for at least one month were focused on influencing the electorate, fanning local issues and magnifying national problems.
Where local problems irked residents, the MLP sided with residents, depicting the government's policies in a bad light. These were buttressed with ongoing national questions to prove that the people are not benefiting from the promises the Nationalist Party made before being elected to government.
Clearly, the MLP's major interest is to be returned to government. It endeavours to impress upon people that the trend noticed in this latest round of local elections shows that the government is not answering the people's needs but governing for the benefit of the few and that it is not addressing the many issues the country is facing.
It may also hold the government responsible for the people's disillusionment with politics as a substantial number did not even care to collect voting documents, and a very high percentage shied away from polling booths. The reasons the MLP will provide will certainly be those to show the PN in a bad light and to make people believe there is an immediate need for a change in government.
What should be clear to the government and the PN is that the people are no longer interested in making sacrifices to make up for past mistakes; they seem unwilling to lower their standard of living to enhance it in the future. The majority of those who voted and abstained have conveyed their firm conviction that they are not happy with the prevailing situation and doubt whether the government can succeed in reaching the promised land.
Yet, given the hard measures introduced by the government, the PN can rest assured that the result obtained will be the lowest percentage support it will ever attain. In two years' time forced, deprivations that presently appear unpleasant are likely to achieve the desired economic results. Success in deficit reduction will provide millions of liri in saved service payments that should reflect in lower taxation regimes. The national economy is moving towards more positive terrain. The Mater Dei Hospital should be functioning and make people appreciate the leap in health standards even though the costs were astronomical. Of paramount significance is the fact that the government has failed to explain to the people its plans, how they could be achieved in the timeframe set and the potential benefits that may accrue to workers, pensioners, and people in general.
The determination and courage shown by the Prime Minister in making extremely hard decisions have not been conveyed to the people in the most tangible way as to make them understand and appreciate the hard work put in by the government. The local council election results clearly showed that the people are more concerned with national issues than local problems. This should not imply that in particular situations local problems were ignored.
It is, however, a real pity that voters confused local issues with national problems. The objective of local councils is to answer the needs of the locality, to liaise with the national administrative entities to minimise logistic hassles and to devolve power. But the political situation in Malta, with the major parties monopolising all media and communication functions, will not allow the people to examine the needs of their neighbourhood and choose the best local people to act on them.
In this latest round of local elections, the people were clear in their message to the government; now it's the government's turn to be clear with the people about its policies.