The Nationalist Party took a beating at the March 2013 polls and was understandably battered and bruised. But elections come and go.

In this sort of climate, a soul-searching exercise was more than just appropriate. It was also long overdue. The PN needed to carry out a detoxification exercise to be able to start building afresh.

Against this backdrop and amid three years of domestic strife, the PN found itself floundering in unfamiliar territory.

Meanwhile, the PN also had to elect a new leadership team, while having to simultaneously come to terms with the shock of having lost the election, not trivially but by 37,000 votes.

It’s time to let go of what was and what could have been and to focus on what will be

However, starting anew requires something more, an acknowledgment that mistakes were made. That is exactly what the PN has done. It has had the temerity to acknowledge how and where the party went wrong.

The PN is aware that the electorate was not amused. On the contrary, voters were angry and alienated themselves from the party. The PN has put this period of reprieve to good use. It laid itself bare and is slowly rebuilding itself, attempting to right the wrongs and reconnect the dots.

As I write this, party leader Simon Busuttil is being handed the report that will outline some of the reasons for the electoral defeat. The report contains its own recommendations, aimed at making up for lost ground and lost time.

The drawing up of the report has not been done in a vacuum and has taken into account a number of different segments of society.

It was the combined effort of a commission composed of serious and responsible people, chaired by Ann Fenech, who, like many others, has now chosen to participate within the party. She is a breath of fresh air and will inject new life within the PN.

These recommendations are up for discussion. A general council will be convened this week to analyse the conclusions. While, undoubtedly, a useful exercise, it remains nevertheless an exercise in the past – a post-mortem. It’s time to let go of what was and what could have been and to focus on what will be.

With a new leader, two new deputy leaders, a new secretary general and several other new faces later, we are now ready to get back in the game.

Anyone observing the March 9 election will undoubtedly have noticed a changing trend. The electorate is no longer as emotionally attached to party politics as it used to be.

The voter’s DNA has changed. The voter is no longer prepared to blindly attach itself to a party.

What this election has taught us, above all, is that parties are disposable. The electorate will throw you away if you don’t deliver. It will even throw you away if you do deliver, if it no longer feels it belongs in the political picture.

While it is true that optimism is always a winning card among the electorate – and this election definitely confirmed this irrefutable truth - inclusivity is key and all important. And this is an aspect the party should focus on: we must strive to get everybody on board.

We need to be the party that knows what the electorate wants and who can respond effectively. The electorate needs answers. It wants to know what effect the EU excessive deficit procedure will ultimately have on Malta. It wants to know what bearing on the economy Labour’s electoral promises will have. It wants a government that doesn’t crucify the people with excessive tax payments.

The first 90 days of Labour have hardly sent out the right signals. The Labour Party in government is having a field day, churning out political appointments left, right and centre that run roughshod over its pre-election promise of Malta Tagħna Lkoll (Malta For All).

In a relatively short period of time, Busuttil has already effectively transmitted much of his European energy and prowess onto the local political scene and has succeeded in creating a feel good factor within the party.

In a short period of time he has attracted and involved a lot of newcomers and brought some of the lost sheep back to the PN.

All signs point to his being an inclusive style of leadership.

We must keep this momentum going.