Editorial

In a literal sense it cannot be said that Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi did what he said he would do before and immediately after his re-election: Inject new blood in the Cabinet, for the simple reason that all nine ministers have been there before, two of them as parliamentary secretaries. However, he did come up with new ideas, in terms of the size of the Cabinet, the distribution of the portfolios and the appointment of completely new faces as parliamentary secretaries. So, it can safely be said that Dr Gonzi did keep his word.

As The Times noted yesterday, this Cabinet is leaner with eight ministries - excluding the portfolios falling under the Prime Minister's wing. Its set-up is evidently aimed at ensuring a more effective administration by using the experience of the "old" members and the input and, no doubt, enthusiasm and fresh ideas of the "novices".

"My choice (of Cabinet members)... is due to my decision to respond to the wishes of the people to see new faces," Dr Gonzi said soon after the Cabinet was sworn in by President Eddie Fenech Adami on Wednesday night.

The Cabinet was one of the main factors that risked losing Dr Gonzi a chance of doing a second term, an opportunity he certainly deserved. There were persistent calls throughout his first four years as Prime Minister for him to chuck out dead and smelly wood from his Cabinet. He refused, bar on the one occasion following the resignation of John Dalli as Foreign Minister. Of course, Mr Dalli is now back in Cabinet.

Dr Gonzi may have had two strong reasons for feeling he could not make any changes then. One was the fact that he was not an elected Prime Minister so, even if subconsciously, he might have felt somewhat politically weak. And, two, which was perhaps the main reason why he preferred not to rock the boat, was his determination to bring the country's finances back on track. Which meant he had to focus all his attention there and that he required all the input of his experienced Cabinet members. Whether all ministers did in fact help is debatable although immaterial at this stage.

He has now immediately signalled he does not mind making the decisions he deems necessary. And that must also be seen not just in the elected candidates now sitting on the Cabinet but also others who, though elected, were not reappointed. The Prime Minister preferred to be politically correct when he insisted that his choice of members does not reflect on former ministers' capabilities. But the voters have every right to draw their own conclusions: They knew there were former ministers who brought the government into disrepute. They also realise there were some Cabinet members who were too laid back.

Dr Gonzi has, however, left the door open, refusing to rule out the possibility that in time there will be further changes. It can hardly be different given that circumstances change, situations that might look bad now could crystallise in the future and given that the country's requirements may also be different in the months and years ahead.

Speaking on TV earlier this week Dr Gonzi made it clear that all Cabinet members have been warned that, should anything untoward emerge about them, the consequences would be obvious. Wisely he also pointed out that there is such a thing as criminal responsibility but also political responsibility. The first will be dealt with by the competent authorities but it is the Prime Minister that must ensure political responsibility is shouldered by all. Indeed, that is something every politician, from Dr Gonzi downwards, must constantly bear in mind in order to avoid the pitfalls that were all too evident over the past months.

It is imperative that the Cabinet works without any hiccups. The experienced members should guarantee a continuation of the successes secured by the first Gonzi Administration as the new elements energise and propel the government in its quest to attain Vision 2015.