Country in a much better state

Anthony Licari (March 16) took Lawrence Gonzi to task for losing the last four elections (three local council and European Parliament elections).

Any impartial political analyst of the local political scene will appreciate that the main reason behind these defeats is that Dr Gonzi has taken extremely unpopular decisions in the national interest, including reducing the deficit and forcibly increasing water and electricity tariffs to make good for the increase in the price of crude oil.

What many analysts do not state is that it was the PN which gave the electorate the chance to express its disappointment in the ruling party by introducing local councils.

Dr Licari takes the PN to task for wanting to implement the Qui-Si-Sana project, which will do nothing but benefit the Sliema community and all visitors to the town.

The leader of the Opposition whom Dr Licari so glorifies fits easier the vague and intellectual derisions attributed to Dr Gonzi. Who can ever forget the 22 months of Alfred Sant in government? The record deficit, the record water and electricity prices when the cost of a barrel of oil was only $12 compared to today's $60, the political instability and all the shocks to the economy with the change in taxation from VAT to CET.

We finally have a Prime Minister who is putting the state of the country first and not that of his party. If this had to be the reason for defeat in two years' time, Dr Gonzi can at least look back and state that he left the country in a much better state than he found it. Can Dr Sant or most politicians say the same?