In the very near future those involved in the partisan political arena will sweat their guts out to entice and influence voters and garner the highest number of votes for their party.
We now have four parties running for office, the two traditional major ones, the Greens and a new political party. Without going into the merits of which party should take the trophy of leading this small country forward, some observations may be appropriate.
The party in power has been in the driving seat for the past 20 years with a short break of 22 months. If elected again, some may be of the opinion that some of the present ministers and parliamentary secretaries would be serving the country for too long. Some of these Cabinet members may also start to believe that they and their administration are indispensable to these small islands, become too self-important...
On the other hand, rumours have it that if Alfred Sant is elected to power he will be faced with serious difficulties in forming a Cabinet from among those representing his party in Parliament. While some of the opposition members are not only eloquent but also well-read and distinguish themselves from others on the same benches, others not only fail to enhance the debate in Parliament on important issues but make a mockery of the institution.
The Green Party has been restless on various issues for a number of years without securing enough votes to elect an MP. The new party will still need to prove it can endure the pressure mounted during the few months leading up to the election. The Malta Labour Party while in opposition has worked actively to produce the necessary policy documents to put in motion if elected. As customary, the party in power has found the necessary instruments, mainly financial, to address certain issues in the budget close to the election.
In this scenario the electorate has a difficult decision to make about which party to choose unless it opts for a coalition of parties. Over the last 60 years both main parties have managed to bring about change and both had their share of shortcomings in the eyes of the electorate.
From a trade union point of view voters should look deeper at the pros and cons when casting their vote. The custom of supporting one and dismissing the other three, on the basis of family tradition, should if possible be eradicated.
During the electoral campaign the two traditional parties will certainly highlight their achievements while in office. On the other hand, without any shadow of doubt, the electorate will have to witness the usual mudslinging.
Voters should look deeply at the proposals set out by the four parties and question how, where and when their promises are going to be implemented and who is going to fork out the money for them. In preparation for the next general election the UHM, during its last general conference, adopted five policy documents encompassing:
1. The achievement of sustainable economic growth - the need for stronger social dialogue;
2. The Maltese economy post-EU membership - the way forward;
3. Social justice - A new agenda;
4. Together is better - the case for worker co-ops and cooperative ways of doing business;
5. Sustainable development and economic growth in Malta.
Experts in their respective areas prepared all five position papers for the conference on the theme "UHM tkompli tahdem dejjem".
From a trade union point of view, the prerequisites for any political party filling out an application to run for office remain good governance, accountability, respect for basic human rights and the necessary machinery to ensure that social dialogue is effective and results-oriented.
In the forthcoming election the electorate will be faced with a very tough decision on the basis of the above analysis.
Some might think that the party in power needs to be given some time to reflect on its actions and inactions in various fields. They may also believe that the party in opposition has been too long in a waiting mode, though its "no" stands on various sensitive issues are still fresh in the minds of voters. AD needs to find the means to further convince the electorate of its plan of action. While the former Nationalist MP Josie Muscat's party is too new for any judgement to be passed...
With four political parties running for office the electorate is spoilt for choice. But it should make sure that the choice of who will govern is not left to chance. These small islands deserve not only the fittest party or parties to lead them but the best politicians who have vision, wisdom and the ability to take us all to a different, higher level.
Mr Vella is secretary-general of the UHM.