Before March 9, the Labour exponents did not miss an opportunity to trumpet their motto that once in Government, they would strive to ensure meritocracy and accountability.
The new ‘movement’ pledged it would eradicate decades of partisan division and introduce a new age of meritocracy where what matters is what you know, not who you know.
Many voters bought into it, because they had had enough of seeing the same blue-eyed boys engage in a long game of musical chairs, with many well-qualified outsiders not even considered.
Three weeks on, the new Labour government’s most significant mark seems to be its rush to put its people in key positions.
There is nothing wrong in having trusted people in top posts. What is wrong is the way good individuals with a track record are being unceremoniously elbowed out to make way for others with political baggage.
With the odd exception of individuals like Giovanni Bonello, who has been entrusted to head a justice reform commission, the other appointments appear like a ‘who’s who’ in Labour’s Malta Tagħna Lkoll campaign.
It has become the butt of jokes that whoever openly endorsed Labour in the election campaign appears to be given some post or other. And the queue seems to be never-ending.
Only last week, this newspaper’s editorial argued that the large electoral majority coupled with the state of shock and disarray within the Nationalist Party has given Labour licence to run riot in the public sector.
During the past week, more officials were shown the door, shocking everyone but the politically myopic.
It emerged that the Government had replaced all but three permanent secretaries, the most senior civil servants in each ministry. While one or two permanent secretaries were clearly appointed by the Nationalist administration merely for their political allegiance, the rest had the civil service at heart, and would have only ensured continuity.
It has been confirmed that former Labour deputy leader Anġlu Farrugia will be given the task of Speaker in the House of Representatives.
Leaving aside his differences with the Prime Minister, this appointment has only accentuated the gap the Labour leader has promised to bridge. With a nine-seat majority, there was no valid reason to exclude elected members of the House from the role of Speaker.
This nomination was almost as scandalous as the Government’s decision to award the divisive Franco Debono with constitutional reform duties, which by their very nature require consensus.
True to belligerent form, when The Times criticised this move, pointing out a few of the people this divisive figure has attacked through his blog, the former Nationalist MP responded by launching attacks on the very same people mentioned in the editorial.
This alone should be sufficient reason for Labour to admit its mistake and withdraw him from a role of this nature. Not only are there other individuals who are infinitely better qualified, but equally importantly they do not cause the bitterest of tastes in the Opposition’s mouth.
It was almost a given that practically all Labour Party journalists would be taken on as communication coordinators. But what is irking many is that the replacements are trickling down to smaller committees, even weeding out professionals with no political connections.
Mark Anthony Falzon, a widely-respected anthropologist and columnist is the latest victim. He was booted out of the Ornis Committee, the body that advises government on matters related to birds and conservation, irrespective of the fact he is the only social scientist in Malta who studies hunting and trapping as cultural practices. No reason was given for his dismissal.
As Prof. Falzon put it in his opinion piece today, Joseph Muscat risks turning into a figure of all words with no substance. And people are rightly concluding that Malta Tagħna Lkoll is turning out to be a sham.