The votes have now been cast and today we await the result after this emotional, intense and painful electoral campaign.
In this divided political scenario, today, every single voter will have to acknowledge that many thousands of people made different choices and hold conflicting opinions. This can be hard to accept. It can be infuriating, disappointing and bewildering. Tolerance and dialogue are especially important today, on all sides. The country must heal its wounds, stand up and get back into the saddle.
Once we know who is in government, the ride will not be over. Far from it. Whatever shape the new administration takes, the electoral campaign was an opportunity for many civil society organisations to come forward and state openly what they think the future of this country should look like.
Over last month we heard the opinions of these groups of informed and active people. They tried to be non-partisan. They put forward independent statements to influence and shape our future in the best way possible.
These messages are still just as true today after the vote as they were yesterday before the vote. Whoever walks up the stairs of Castille once the counting is over must keep these messages in mind. Several of the leading statements were remarkably similar. The Malta Chamber of Commerce issued a strongly-worded statement calling on the government to restore confidence. They insisted on uncompromising standards of integrity and called for strengthening the independence and effectiveness of essential institutions. They openly voiced their concern at the growing levels of uncertainty arising from the failure of some of Malta’s key national institutions.
The Malta Employers Association noted that while the country has enjoyed positive economic performance, it was also facing “serious questions” concerning ethics and good governance. It stated that Malta’s international reputation can only be secured if the country can “ensure and demonstrate that our institutions have strong values and ethics”.
The Today Public Policy Institute (declaration: I am a member of this think tank) warned of damage caused by a decline in governance standards and called for political consensus on critical policy sectors. It said that our ‘winner takes all’ electoral system prevents politicians from taking courageous policy decisions due to political patronage and clientelism where each vote counts.
Yes, people want to do well and to make money, but most of us also want to live a decent, honest life
The think tank said that our system pushes political parties to constantly try to achieve advantages over one another instead of seeking economic, social and environmental sustainability. As a result, a policy deficit grows over time. Pensions and rent laws are two examples where cross-party collaboration is needed.
A group of University academics called for good governance, transparency and accountability. They declared that these are the most important criteria by which government performance is assessed, and that strong public trust in institutions is fundamental for the proper functioning of democracy and for the well-being of people.
The GRTU, the Malta Chamber for SMEs, also called for good governance and transparency. It called for the safeguarding of the integrity of institutions and for the government to protect itself against accusations of political interference and poor governance.
The GRTU requested that the President, the magistrates and judges, the Police Commissioner, the Central Bank Governor, the MFSA chairman, the Planning Authority chairman, the Lands Commissioner and the Public Service Commission chairman be appointed through a two-thirds parliamentary majority. The GRTU emphasised that this is essential to safeguard the integrity of politically sensitive institutions and to limit the negative exposure of the government.
Even the Federation of Estate Agents, who have presumably done pretty well from the current property market, urged the Prime Minister to “act immediately to restore good governance practices in government and its institutions”.
The reason why so many different groups echoed the same concerns is very clear. Corruption was undoubtedly the single most important theme of this electoral campaign. Whatever hype about the economy was being put about, it is a fact that corruption ultimately hampers economic growth in the long term. Corruption hinders social improvement and kills off the efficiency and trustworthiness of public services and institutions.
The perception of corruption has the same effect. Politicians cannot be tainted with corruption, or even with maladministration, and carry on with business as usual. The country, the Maltese people, deserve much better than this. The messages of civil society to our political leaders must not be cast aside now that the electoral campaign has ended.
It is vital to restore trust and confidence. Good governance is not a side issue, but must be the first, big, central challenge of the new administration. We have spent a month completely paralysed by this electoral campaign. Many people will celebrate today, others will grieve.
Yes, people want to do well and to make money, but most of us also want to live a decent, honest life. Above all, people want to feel confident and proud of their country and of what they stand for as a nation. Those who are handed the reins of power by voters later today must respond strongly and visibly to this widespread call for good governance, for the sake of us all.
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