The quest to agree on one National Day

In three years’ time, Malta will be commemorating the 50th anniversary of Independence Day, the 40th anniversary of Republic Day and the 35th anniversary of Freedom Day. Yet, unfortunately, an agreement on one National Day still remains elusive.

Malta continues to celebrate a record of five national days. Indeed, together with Freedom Day, Independence Day and Republic Day – to put them in chronological order – this country also celebrates as national days two other occasions.

One is June 7, 1919, popularly known as Sette Giugno, when riots against the British rule took place and four Maltese nationals died after British soldiers were ordered to shoot. The other is September 8, or Victory Day, when the Maltese remember the 1565 lifting of the Siege of Malta by the Turks and Italy’s 1943 surrender in World War II, meaning the end of aerial bombardment on our islands.

It is acknowledged that Malta is not alone in having more than one national day, even if it appears to be the only country that has five such celebrations. The majority of the countries worldwide have, as it should really be, one National Day.

It is a fact that, in many cases, former colonies choose as their National Day the date when they obtained their independence. However, in the case of Malta, there continues to be political controversy on this point.

Political critics maintain that Malta’s 1964 legal status of an independent country, while being a very important step in the islands’ difficult constitutional road, did not truly free the country from foreign rule because various essential sectors of the economy remained under British control.

There are also people who argue that Independence Day and Freedom Day should, at least, be given the same weight.

Every time Malta celebrates one of its national days, the debate continues on whether politicians will ever be able to succeed in reaching an agreement on the matter, an inclusive deal that can inspire and encourage unity.

The ultimate aim should be to come to an agreement on one national day, with the other four losing none of their deserved importance and, indeed, being commemorated with all the dignity they are worthy of.

The question seems to be whether all politicians harbour sufficient collective willpower and/or flexibility so that, moving together away from partisan considerations, they can succeed in settling the issue themselves once and for all. This matter is, of course, very relevant because, failing such an agreed solution by the political representatives, the other possibility that would remain would be to ask the people to decide themselves through a referendum.

The decision to have multiple national days was one of the compromises politicians came up with as a solution when they failed to put the national interest before party political considerations.

Something similar happened when they had agreed on the introduction of the majority rule clause in the Constitution. That agreement admittedly saved this country from serious problems but it still left loopholes in the electoral system that must be addressed and plugged before, God forbid, the country ends up at the edge of a precipice once again.

Agreement on one National Day may not be considered as a priority in the political and economic realities experienced. However, many would certainly agree that a line should be drawn somewhere and it would very fit and proper to see this done before 2014.

Thus, it would not be amiss for President George Abela to set the ball rolling.