The challenge facing Simon Busuttil as the new Leader of the Opposition is daunting. Contrary to the situation tackled by his predecessors since George Borg Olivier took over the leadership mantle following the untimely death of Enrico Mizzi, Busuttil inherits a fractured party that has just been subjected to its most humiliating defeat in the past 60 years.
Every day I still meet PN supporters who astound me by ‘confessing’ that they did not vote, annulled their ballot paper or even voted Labour last March
The reasons behind the sad state in which the PN finds itself can only serve to help find the stances and policies that Busuttil must adopt to meet his challenge successfully.
During the past few years, there where several instances when I felt I had to criticise the PN leadership’s way of doing things. Some would say I was too harsh while others would agree.
It is not the time for anyone to brag “I told you so”, as recriminations and witch-hunts will not help Busuttil one bit in his quest to restore the PN to its rightful place in the country’s democratic set-up.
While learning from past mistakes, Busuttil must assert himself as a forward-looking leader intent on rebuilding a party on that solid popular base that is still there, if one wants to look for it.
The party is like a mosaic composition that makes one unifying sense in spite of the differences evident in the little bits and pieces that make it up.
Sticking to the mosaic analogy, each little piece is called a tessera, a word that in Maltese also refers to a membership card. This, of course, is not a linguistic coincidence.
The party belongs to many, and not to a select few. More than referring to individuals, the ‘many’ must also refer to the different ideas of different individuals. The PN’s core beliefs, as spelt out in its Fehmiet Bazici, rather than anyone’s personal ideas and viewpoint, must remain the party’s inspiration.
The greatness of the PN was that it could adopt a pragmatic approach to circumstances in Malta, and beyond that, continue to change and fluctuate in unpredictable ways without abandoning its basic beliefs.
I was recently discussing the current political situation with an acquaintance who is an avid Labour Party member and who was surprised when I insisted that Labour is in power thanks to Nationalist voters.
I argued that Labour could not attain a 55 per cent majority on its own: Nationalist voters had, in fact, elected Labour, and Labour will stay in power at their pleasure until they decide otherwise.
My stance included some embellishment designed to tease my friend, but the look on his face when my point sank in, told it all.
I was not exaggerating unduly, however. Every day I still meet PN supporters – and even PN local committee members – who astound me by ‘confessing’ that they did not vote, annulled their ballot paper or even voted Labour last March because they felt that the PN had to be shocked.
They realised that thinking that things are going well when they are not is simply evidence of self-delusion, a trap in which politicians of every ilk all over the world fall easily. They argue that the PN needed to go back to the Opposition in order to get its priorities right again.
Arguing that this was the wrong way of doing it would be of no use, and I am sure that Busuttil will not waste time attempting to do this.
Most of these PN voters have not been lost for ever, and regaining their confidence is the first challenge faced by an inspired new leader who is ready to assert himself and be his own man while recognising the mistakes of the past.
Even more important, he should be wary of the advice of people who gave the wrong advice in the past.
He should not forget the fact that in spite of having had a number of fine leaders, the party is always bigger than its leader.
This applies to both to the PN and the Labour Party, of course. I know that Busuttil recognises this, and I am confident he will not fall into the temptation of believing otherwise.
Besides making the PN the inclusive party that it must have been when it won the trust of the majority of voters for so many times, his other challenge is the stance to adopt vis-à-vis the present Administration.
Behaving like a bad loser is the worst approach that can be adopted. People recognise this easily and tend to dismiss criticism that belies this stance.
The present Administration, like any administration made up of humans, will make mistakes. Indeed, it has already made some, mostly through immaturity and inexperience.
However, zooming in on every silly mistake and blowing it out of proportion will also show a sign of immaturity on the PN’s part. Picking the really serious mistakes and explaining the resulting harm to the country does the trick.
The PN will have the opportunity to do so without the need to appear over eager to jump for joy at this Administration’s every false step, especially if it is unimportant and inconsequential.
It must tackle the current Administration’s blunders with maturity and gravitas.
micfal@maltanet.net