Choices have consequences. On Saturday we all have a choice to make. A choice between electing Simon Busuttil who pledged to clean up politics once and for all or electing Joseph Muscat under whose watch corruption has become institutionalised.
You can elect a government that will leave no stone unturned in its efforts to repair the damage done to Malta’s reputation or elect a government that dragged Malta’s name through the mud. You can elect a government that will ensure that the country’s institutions function in the interest of all or a government that rendered these institutions toothless and more keen to protect the interest of those in power than the national interest.
The choice is yours.
Forza Nazzjonali worked hard to make this choice easy for you. We put together a team of candidates that is truly representative of our society. A team of candidates that crosses over the whole spectrum of society. We forged together an electoral programme with over 500 clear commitments. If elected, we will deliver on these pledges and in so doing clean up politics and ensure that the economy works for all.
Much as Muscat wants you to think otherwise this election is not about him.
Elections are never about one person. Elections are about a nation. Elections are about the people, about their aspirations, their hurt, their needs, their capabilities and their opportunities. Our economic sun did not rise with Muscat. Nor will it set when he is voted out. The only thing that will stop on June 3 is the rot that was masterminded from within the Office of the Prime Minister.
Our first step will be to repair the damage done to Malta’s reputation. Left unchecked, this damage can pull down our financial services sector. We will not let this happen
The real test for Forza Nazzjonali is not on June 3. Our challenge starts on June 4 when we will embark on delivering this ambitious programme.
We want to deliver a new style of politics, something which was promised by Muscat in 2013 but never delivered. Our country has come a long way since independence but we now need to take the next step forward and ensure that Malta is truly European not just in name but also in spirit.
We want to deliver a country with zero tolerance to corruption. We want to deliver a country where people are rewarded for their efforts and not for their connections. We want to deliver a country where State institutions are respected because they respect the rights of all. We want to deliver a country where the rule of law is respected, where everyone is equal before the law and where actions have consequences irrespective of who you are.
The last four years were, in this respect, a big step backwards. Many of us were disappointed with how things worked out. Let us use that disappointment not to dishearten us but to propel us forward. Let us use the anger not to hurt but to energise us to do better. Let us learn from this experience as we carry out the changes that need to be done.
Our first step will be to repair the damage done to Malta’s reputation. Left unchecked, this damage can pull down our financial services sector. We will not let this happen. We will travel – not to sell Maltese passports or to open secret financial structures – but to clean Malta’s name and make it regain the respect it deserves.
We will establish once again Malta’s position as a centre of excellence in the financial services world. We will attract investment, the right kind of investment. We will create new job opportunities in existing economic sectors and will create new economic sectors.
This is not a job that we can or want to do on our own. We launched ourselves as Forza Nazzjonali, a unifying force that transcends political divide. We are an inclusive group that harnesses and uses the energy of whoever wishes to contribute to the good of the nation. And we want to continue to operate in this manner. We want you to feel part of this rebuilding process, we want you to be part of this force for change. Not just on June 3 but more importantly after that day. We started this together and will see it through together.
The first step will be taken this coming Saturday. I have full faith in the people of Malta. They know what is at stake. They know what is hanging in the balance. They do not want a repeat of the last four years of scandals. Which is why I have no doubt that on June 3 the majority will choose Malta.
I was taught that being Maltese is living a dream. A dream we achieved together as a nation, as a people. It is time to return to that dream, to that place where we can all walk tall, proud of our nation, proud of our State and proud for having made the right choice.
Mario de Marco is deputy leader of the Nationalist Party.