No parrot, no party

It was only a stylish television studio, but it might just as well have been a boxing ring. The opening jingle was the usual Bondiplus opener but it may just as well have been Eye of The Tiger from Rocky III.

Franco Debono’s showboating and recklessness do not go down equally well across the board- Claire Bonello

Last Tuesday the viewing public settled down to watch the latest instalment of political theatre.

Instead of honed muscular men prancing around the ring and waving boxing gloves in the air, we had Lou Bondi and Franco Debono in what proved to be the most entertaining face-off in recent viewing history.

In what could be described as the blue GonziPN corner we had Bondi. Armed with an array of clips and incriminating sound bites – the result of many hoursof investigative journalism – Bondi was ready to show up Debono for the aggressively ambitious, power-hungry maverick sending the country spinning intoanarchy.

In the other corner we had the inimitable Debono, his mobile phone and his glaring lack of humility and respect for the PN establishment. It should have been a walkover for Bondi. Here was this young upstart, threatening to withdraw his support for the Prime Minister reportedly because he had not been included in the latest Cabinet reshuffle. He had been sounding off all over the place, not always in the most coherent manner.

Debono’s reaction to the government’s inaction and other slights (whether real or perceived) was considered to be disproportionate by many. Moreover there’s a certain distrust of people bucking the trend within Maltese society. There’s a general feeling that differences are better settled behind closed doors and in the most quiet manner possible.

Voicing differences externally is frowned upon and is considered to be as distasteful as washing one’s dirty linen in public.

Debono had committed all these transgressions. They had been commented upon in great detail by the PN-friendly media and satellite spinners who did not spare the vicious and spiteful attacks on Debono’s personal life. On several online forums Debono was being called a traitor and depicted as a madman.

By all accounts the backbencher was on the ropes and all Bondi had to do was deliver the knock-out punch. Instead it all went Pete Tong for Bondi. As the programme progressed the voluble Debono started to look less like the raving lunatic he was being made out to be by his many detractors. As Bondi huffed and puffed about Debono’s mobile and whether he was answering it or not (an issue which went on to perturb Bondi so much, that it featured in the following edition of the programme), there was a shift in public opinion.

It may not have been a large shift in favour of Debono. Nor does it seem to be strong enough to condone his bringing about an election before term. Despite the outward show of fearlessness, I doubt that any political party is relishing the prospect of a premature outing to the polls.

Following the hostilities of the divorce referendum, the general public too, is election-weary and would view an early election as an unwelcome disruption to business and the economy.

So the thaw in Debono’s regard did not come about because anybody really welcomes a general election within a couple of months. Nor is it necessarily due to admiration of his manner or his tactics. His showboating and recklessness do not go down equally well across the board.

But despite all these valid reasons for Debono to be signed off into political oblivion, there was a grudging acknowledgment by viewers that some of what he was saying made sense.

Yes, the government is still dragging its feet about the introduction of legislation about the financing of political parties. The honoraria saga was totally mishandled. The decision to have the Delimara power station operate on polluting fuel is far from ideal.

There is the application of double-standards whereby peoples who are not within the inner circles are demonised and raked over the coals for minor sins, whereas the favoured few are excused for colossal blunders.

In which other democratic country would a botched and expensive public transport reform as the Maltese one be shrugged off so carelessly? Where else in the Western world would the minister who had presided over the reform have got off so lightly?

How can the PN look on indifferently while its exponents engage in vicious character assassination of certain people and then ignore the moral failings of its own?

And if the public rightly expects to be made aware of the Labour Party’s policies for the future,why is there resistance to similar transparency about the PN’s track record? And what about the state of the media? How did we end up with the national television station being practically taken over by Where’s Everybody with outside voices barely given a look-in?

These are questions which resonate with viewers whether they admire Debono or think he’s a jumped-up attention-seeker.

These are the questions which viewers want answered. They are the issues which they would like journalists to investigate.

If they don’t, it’s no wonder that media establishments will be considered merely as propaganda pushers. There was one moment during the programme when Debono floored Bondi. I don’t know whether it was before or after Bondi’s defence of the Arriva revolution – Debono turned upon him and said, “If this were a totalitarian state – and I’m not saying it is – you would be a very important person. Because in a totalitarian state, the media are utilised to portray a falsely positive view of things.”

It was pure TV gold. Debono has pulled quite a few stunts. His naked ambition may not be endearing. His forcing an election before term would be an extremely rash thing to do. He may be dead wrong on a lot of things. But he’s right about the media, the lies and the spin. And maybe Bondi should worry less about Debono’s mobile phone and more about his message.

cl.bon@nextgen.net.mt