The divide of GonziPN
Undoubtedly, it appeared to be excellent political marketing. GonziPN. Never before in Maltese politics were a leader and his party presented as one. The slogan Yes, Together Everything Is Possible was an effective complement. Derived from Barak Obama’s Yes, We Can campaign, the slogan emphasised togetherness. The marketing strategy, combined with a one-to-one approach, worked well and the Nationalist Party was returned to government.
Only one important detail had been conveniently forgotten: good marketing starts with a good product. Lawrence Gonzi’s five-year premiership had confirmed that the top echelons of the PN were finding it hard to accept him as their leader.
A number of the old party boys saw Dr Gonzi as a Johnny-come-lately, who was hand-picked and anointed leader by Eddie Fenech Adami himself. Dr Gonzi and the PN had not been one. The contest for party leadership has left deep scars, which have not healed to this very day.
In July 2004, John Dalli was forced to resign from Minister of Foreign Affairs on allegations of improper purchase of air tickets by the ministry.
The Prime Minister was quick to accept the resignation and Mr Dalli spent the next three years as a backbencher. Close to the 2008 election, Mr Dalli was conveniently “rehabilitated” and appointed financial adviser to the Prime Minister. Mr Dalli was convincingly elected from two districts and was reappointed minister. The rapprochement did not work and Mr Dalli was eventually kicked upstairs as European Commissioner in Brussels. Mr Dalli insists he is still waiting for someone to assume responsibility for his political “assassination”.
Ever since its victory in 2008, the cracks in GonziPN have been widening at an accelerating pace. Louis Galea, the other contender for the party’s leadership, failed to make it to the House of Representatives.
He was first appointed Speaker and then nominated to the European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg. In the meantime, some other senior ministers decided to keep doing things in their own way. At times, many wonder who is the “real” Prime Minister.
Various previous ministers (Ninu Zammit, Louis Deguara, Ċensu Galea, Jesmond Mugliett and Francis Zammit Dimech) were not offered a ministerial post in the new Cabinet. Edwin Vassallo and Frans Agius lost their posts as parliamentary secretaries.
These were the people who had helped GonziPN to be elected. Had they all underperformed? And, in any case, was there no better way of informing them that they were being dumped than through an SMS? And then there surfaced a third fraction consisting of a number of MPs who had performed well in the election and who had hopes of forming part of the new Cabinet. Wannabes such as Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, Robert Arrigo, Jean- Pierre Farrugia and Franco Debono. Eventually, GonziPN sought to buy their silence by creating the posts of parliamentary assistants or offering them some chairmanship or other.
The cracks in GonziPN get worse with every gaffe and subsequent public outcry and resentment. The honorarium increase which Cabinet granted to itself behind the back of its own MPs, the opposition and the public. After denying the extent of the increase, GonziPN’s first reaction was to try and justify it. Then Cabinet members were made to return part of the increase while seeking to deflate the amount of the rise actually given. Subsequently, the blame for the mess fell on an “administrative mistake”. The damage had been done; even though GonziPN managed to defeat the opposition’s motion on the matter.
During the recent PN general council meeting, the Prime Minister felt that he should apologise, adding he was assuming personal responsibility for the whole matter. What he means by this few of us know. What many of us do know, however, is that Christian morality and ethics demand misappropriated funds should be returned to their rightful owner. The people will keep waiting.
Another minor issue which has got the public talking is whether Arriva will go through Bisazza Street, in Sliema or not. Many of us do not really care but the matter is a clear confirmation of the lack of communication within GonziPN. Even on something so petty, there is no coordination.
This is extremely worrying for modern public policymaking increasingly involving cross-cutting issues that require leadership and teamwork.
The divorce issue cracked GonziPN wide open. The return of President Emeritus Fenech Adami into the political arena to challenge his successor confirms how bad things are within the party. Is it purely a matter of conviction and “authenticity” (as someone put it) or is it part of a bigger ploy? Is this not meant to be the party of dialogue, which made everything possible? Together, of course.
It is very rich of Dr Gonzi to promise that history may still repeat itself if GonziPN rediscovered its unity. A unity that, under his leadership, never existed. The PN may still win the next election. The ways of marketing may be infinite but politics should be much more than just winning elections.
If GonziPN wins the next election, will the in-fighting start all over again? Is this in the best interest of our country? Yes, Together Everything Is Possible has proved to be just another empty electoral slogan.
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Jonathan Camilleri
Mar 14th 2012, 14:15
Taking a voting decision is quite a tough decision to take, in all honesty.
On a sidenote, I would actually appreciate marketing companies refraining from asking me specifically "who do I intend to vote?", whether these are engaged by political parties or not. I would prefer emails because I can always ignore them more easily if I want to avoid them, telephone calls are pervasive.
Joe Mangion
Jan 12th 2012, 23:01
Ara vera tajjeb Dan l artiklu. Hasra ma jergax jigi publikat.
Philip Hili
Jul 7th 2011, 15:41
@ Joseph Vella Bonnici
It seems that you are aware of the powerfull method used in order to reign!!!
DIVIDE AND RULE.
That's what Joseph managed to do as soon as he got power!!!!
Jonathan Camilleri
Mar 14th 2012, 14:08
How do you mean?
Alfred Fenech
Jul 6th 2011, 14:38
UNITY .Together everything is possible. HUMBUG. One expects that FAIRYTALES do come true !!!!!!!!!!
Mr Lawrence Fenech
Jul 6th 2011, 12:33
Divided we fall. Thank God.
Ms Monica Muscat
Jul 6th 2011, 23:02
.....and united we Stand. In the long article the writer failed to mention that Dr. Gonzi was elected PN leader not only as "hand picked man" by Dr. Fenech Adami. He was also elected by the Delegates. And, Pray, whom would you have liked to be the new PN leader. I still think, and will probably alway do so, that Dr. Gonzi was the only reasonable option. As for division in the Party! Conceeding that the writer might be right, I am again of the opinion that our Prime Minister is capabile of summoning up enough wisdom to renew the Party....and win next Elections. Much depends also about presenting and introducing fresh faces and good hard-working as candidates, who would however, not expect to make it to Ministerial grades over the heads of others who have already proven their worth. A good balance has to be struck: the young for fresh and energetic ideas and action; the older for experience and a balanced attitude.
MaryJo Camenzuli
Jul 5th 2011, 18:26
I expect better of economist and Labour candidate Joseph Vella Bonnici.
Only clear policies and hard choices can win us
(because I usually vote Labour) an election, Mr Vella Bonnici.
The Nationalists have taken a much more principled stand
on divorce than Labour did.
Labour suddenly became pro-divorce without ever consulting
its members, the General Conference or the National Executive.
I thought Mintoff's megalomaniac days had long gone by
(remember when he brought down a Labour government?)
but Joseph Muscat's personal policies suddenly became Labour party policy.
Perhaps Mr Vella Bonnici can enlighten us on the hard choices
Labour will need to make when in government
and which way it will lean,
rather than commenting about an issue that
has divided Labourites as much as it did Nationalists.
.
Ms Sabrina Borda
Jul 6th 2011, 07:31
There was absolutely nothing positively 'principled' about the NP standing against divorce. It was a shameful, negative, irrational stand..... that yet resulted in a principaled win for those who voted Yes with good reason.
This clearly shows how the Nationalist stand on divorce lost them all their credibility and the longer they will play conscience games the worse it will get for them and their useless principals. Clearly Society knows better what principals the NP need to stand by.
MaryJo Camenzuli
Jul 6th 2011, 11:26
Ms Sabrina Borda:
108,000 people, including 22,000 Labourites
(estimated by none other than the Executive of the party),
took what you intolerantly describe as
"a shameful, negative, irrational stand".
According to you,
22,000 Labourites voting No as was our right
was "shameful, negative, irrational".
On divorce, I saw a much more principled decision
by the Nationalists than by Labour.
The Nationalists took a stand
just as much as I expected them
to take a stand on important decisions for the country.
And I happen to agree with their stand.
.
Mr Joseph Grima
Jul 6th 2011, 16:44
what a muddled way of analyzing a political situation. In Sant,s time the MLP resembled more a Thatcherite combination than a Party whose raisin d'être was the well being of the middle class that Mintoff had raised from the lower and lower middle class to a higher standing. That middle class was on it's way to destruction under Sant. By voting against his own Mintoff made sure that the people he had striven for all his life were saved to resurrect and regenerate as they will without doubt under a Joseph Muscat government. Joe Vella Bonnici is absolutely right in his comments. He did not go far enough. Gonzi and his cronies have brought this Westwood prospering nation to it's knees. At the next election the people will throw this government and some of the PN governments that preceeded it into the junkyard of history. It will be time for this country to breathe again, for talent to be nurtured without looking into one,s political affiliation, for opportunity to be available to all not only to the favored few and for the nation,s wealth to be spread among the entire population. The country has wound itself back into the born Olivier pre Mintoff era. A new, much more modern, democratic and European Labour leader is biding his time in your interest and in your children,s future. Malta will disown all those PN administrations who believed in the foreigner and not in it's own sons and daughters and will regenerate faith and hope in it's own. That 's what awaits us MJC not The diffidence generated by Jeremiahs like you. Prosit JVB
MaryJo Camenzuli
Jul 6th 2011, 21:01
Mr Joseph Grima,
As a usual Labour voter
who is free to hold my opinion against divorce
I have found this article by JVB
leaves much to be desired.
Labour does not need empty slogans
(many of which you have used yourself)
but to allow the free discussion within the party
and in Malta about the SOLUTIONS and PROPOSALS
on the issues that matter to people.
Unfortunately,
free enlightened discussion and pluralism
are still anathema to Labour
and that's why our party keeps losing elections.
On divorce,
I admire the Nationalists
and their leader
who has allowed a really free discussion and vote.
To me, a usual Labour voter
who is against divorce
like a quarter of Labour voters,
GonziPN means the open discussion
and free votes so lacking in the Labour party.
.
Jean-Pierre Farrugia
Jul 6th 2011, 22:53
‘Political Parties in Democracy’ Jurgen Ruttgers, ex German minister Education & Technology (CDU):
“One of the causes of the current crisis of confidence between parties and citizens is that the parties have unduly expanded their competence into the areas in which citizens are free to decide for themselves …
Self-restriction does not mean withdrawal from political responsibility but rather a step by step redefinition of the areas in which the citizen and the state are responsible….for politicians and parties it will mean less politics, for citizens more democracy and more participation”.
MaryJo Camenzuli
Jul 7th 2011, 14:15
Dr Jean-Pierre Farrugia,
This is precisely what Parliament has done and is doing now, ie
"unduly expanded their competence into the areas
in which citizens are free to decide for themselves".
When one marries,
one freely chooses a marriage that is lifelong
and promises as much in front of witnesses, celebrant, guests
and congregation (if married in church).
Parliament has asked the people to introduce divorce
and the people have obliged while Parliament is now introducing divorce.
Parliament is thus changing the substance of people's free choices,
altering the very nature of marriage and making it temporary.
It's precisely what happened in 1979
when Parliament changed the freely entered into contracts
between owners and lessees of houses
and changed the very nature of temporary leases to rent.
Thanks for your excellent quote.
.
Anthony Schembri adami
Jul 5th 2011, 17:55
Mala really neads a break!
Andre Cilia
Jul 6th 2011, 10:11
...from people who can't spell their country's own name...
Mr Dominic Chircop
Jul 5th 2011, 17:39
It appears that Joseph Vella Bonnici is not convinced that his party is going to win the next election.
It is true that a section of nationalist supporters is not particularly enamoured of Lawrence Gonzi, but this does not mean that disgruntled supporters will vote PL.
When one considers liberal nationalists, he can rest assured that they will definitely not vote PL. After comments made by their leader on gay marriages in a recent Xarabank, it somehow surfaced that he is not really progressive. And were his utterings his own, or party policy ? If they were his own, does this mean the PL will market itself as MuscatPL ?
The mantra that the party gave a free vote to its members on divorce may appear as sitting on the fence. Or staying in the middle of the road.
And we all know what the fate of such people will be.
So, exponents from the PL side should be more concerned with making their party electable; rather than gazing at other people's cracks !
Philip Hili
Jul 6th 2011, 10:41
@ Dominic Chircop
"but this does not mean that disgruntled supporters will vote PL."
Irrid nigi msawwat minn missieri milli min xi hadd barrani. Fl-ahhar mill-ahhar, meta missier isawwat lil ibnu ma jkunx qieghed jaghmel hekk ghal xejn b'xejn!!!!
Jonathan Camilleri
Mar 14th 2012, 14:11
"It is true that a section of nationalist supporters is not particularly enamoured of Lawrence Gonzi, but this does not mean that disgruntled supporters will vote PL."
I tend to agree. In the absence of alternatives, there is a possibility of no-voters increasing, and, when is the next general election to be held btw (sorry I am not too much into politics)?
Michael Tanti
Jul 5th 2011, 17:23
yes together anything is possible we can rob the country blind and they will just re elect us then just to show how smart we are we can give each other a 500 euro raise a week. But don't worry we can shut them up buy giving them 1.60 plus raise the petrol price buy 4 cents.
Mr Lawrence Fenech
Jul 5th 2011, 17:09
The sensable question is " by how many seats is GonziPN going to lose the next election?" having won the last one by 1,500 votes and as many gaffes during he last 3 years.
Paul Abela
Jul 6th 2011, 19:28
Mr.Fenech,how many times have we heard you Labour saying these things? Last Election you said that you will win the Election by 14,000 votes and yet you didn't make it to Kastilja.It seems that you never learn to keep your mouth shut and not count the chickens before hatching.
Andre Cilia
Jul 5th 2011, 13:56
This article is really 'The Cry of The Person Who Lost Everything'... or rather 'The Cry of The Person Who Lost An Election, and Another and Another'.
Better gather yourselves and make a couple of good point so that PL can be a credible change to the coutry, not a change because there is no other...
Mr Carmelo Micallef
Jul 5th 2011, 13:01
Hope springs eternal for our Nationalist Party so long as we have others to make it a "Hobsons Choice'.
mark borg
Jul 6th 2011, 20:58
Or perhaps so long as you are having it so good .
Please choose the reason of your report below: