Article 77 of the Constitution provides that the election of members of the House of Representatives is to take place within three months following the dissolution of Parliament. The election date is to be set by the President on advice of the Prime Minister.
... it is useless saying that it is not the opportune time for an election- Edward Zammit Lewis
This clearly indicates that the Constitution confers the Prime Minister a prerogative as to when the election is called.
At present, the Prime Minister is trying to give the impression that even though the government lost certain crucial votes in Parliament, it is “business as usual’’. He said so just a few days after the vote taken in Parliament on the motion put forward by the Labour Party regarding Richard Cachia Caruana, which vote was lost by the government.
The Nationalist Party’s strategy following these events was that of acting is if nothing happened and blaming the opposition for such results by stating that it is an opportunist and vindictive move when, in reality, the problems faced by this Administration are due to the implosion within the party that should be governing the country, that is GonziPN.
There is no doubt that the opposition party in a modern democracy should be regarded and is to act as “an alternative government”, which must take clear stands where and when it is necessary. A clear example of this is the stand taken by the Labour Party regarding the pensionable age.
The function of the opposition is also that of cooperating with the government when it is in the country’s best interest to do so. This cooperation was, for instance, observed when the PL supported the government when, in the European Union summit, it opposed any measures leading to “a tax harmonisation regime” within the EU.
Nonetheless, the function of the opposition is also that of presenting parliamentary motions where deemed necessary. A functioning democracy requires an active Parliament, which is continuously discussing important issues and where individuals holding a public function should be subject to the scrutiny of the highest institution in the country.
All the political events that took place during the last seven months proved that the Prime Minister has no clue on how the internal problems within his own party can be solved. The further degeneration of these problems is evident even though Lawrence Gonzi is trying to give the complete opposite impression.
With every day that passes without doing anything to tackle these problems, the Prime Minister is only showing his weakness, which is not only affecting his own party but, most importantly, is affecting negatively the whole country. This is evidenced by the fact that the Prime Minister’s own exponents have criticised him because he failed to grab the bull by its horns months ago or else do the most noble gesture and admit that he cannot govern in the current situation and, thus, call an election.
On July 1, in one of his Sunday meetings, the Prime Minister himself stated that the three Nationalist MPs who did not vote with the government will face consequences. Nonetheless, he still insists that it remains ‘’business as usual’’!
The people who are struggling to earn their daily living, those operating small or even big businesses or those who want to invest in our country are not interested in the intrigues within the PN or in the bickering among Nationalist MPs. Their interest is not whether these MPs will face the consequences. What is of interest to them is whether the government is strong enough to govern and to take important decisions and pass laws in their interest.
It is for this reason that, in my opinion, GonziPN’s statements that its mandate is for five years are all futile, especially when considering that government MPs have made it clear that its mandate has been terminated by its own members.
In a matter of a few weeks, two parliamentary resolutions have passed; one against a key minister and the other against a person holding a major role in this Administration and who attends Cabinet meetings. This, from a political viewpoint, is a signal of fragility that goes beyond any vote of confidence (or no-confidence) which the government may win.
The prerogative afforded to the Prime Minister in accordance to the Constitution does not mean that he can call an election when it is in his own best interest or when it is most convenient for the PN to do so. The discretion should be exercised with caution and the interest of the country so that, at any given time, the government shows that it can handle present and future challenges.
This discretion is also afforded in the light of a constitutional democracy that should ensure that the party in government has a parliamentary majority which supports it. Today, it is useless saying that it is not the opportune time for an election. The facts prove otherwise. It is now up to the Prime Minister to show his “sense of leadership” or “political maturity” by recognising the internal political problems he is facing and do what is in the best interest of the country to do, that is, call a general election.
This article was written before Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando’s resignation from the Nationalist Party.