Adrian Delia’s personal affairs have dominated the electoral campaign for the Nationalist Party leadership, which has otherwise been relatively colourless so far. He could hardly get beyond the subject in the campaign debate on Thursday.
Senior political roles are not easily walked into. Like any other profession, a successful politician knows the ropes, rules and expectations. Weighing up ‘outsiders’ or ‘insiders’ is not just about fresh faces, hopes and dreams. It is also about experience and judgement, being able to handle the political game well, anticipate what could go wrong, and limit damage.
This is not just any run-of-the-mill political leadership contest. The winner will be Leader of the Opposition, a constitutional office of great responsibility and relevance to the entire nation as a democracy.
Beyond making the usual speeches and promises, two of the candidates published their declaration of assets early in the campaign. Chris Said did so anyway as a Member of Parliament, and PN treasurer Alex Perici Calascione followed quickly without question. They both understood and judged correctly that these are the expectations of the political scene today. Particularly when transparency was a PN battlecry in the last election, and with calls for due diligence scrutiny on all candidates.
The other two, Delia and Frank Portelli, preferred to keep their assets and liabilities under wraps. On Portelli, I am surprised that he was even nominated as a candidate. But Delia, one of the frontrunners from the outset of the race, is a different story. His hesitation at being transparent was a bad move and it is following him like a black cloud over his head.
The new leader should not be divisive or controversial as the Opposition could do with a period of calm and unity
People do not like secrets and do not want to worry about being faced with surprises down the line. As a candidate unknown and untested in politics, many would now readily believe that he has affairs which he would rather keep out of sight. He should hardly be amazed at this, as he helped to create the situation.
Political discussion in Malta often circles around demoralised arguments stating that politicians and political parties are all the same. This is a damaging, lazy and suffocating position. It wipes out any effort to think, and drags everything, and everyone, down with it. No, they are not all the same. Just as teachers, lawyers, doctors, architects and businessmen are not all the same. They are not all equally dishonest or honest, competent or useless, good or bad.
Making the best choice for PN leader from the available contenders is not easy, and has big consequences. For some the choice may be obvious, for others it means choosing by elimination. From the outside, I would say that the new leader should not be divisive or controversial as the Opposition could do with a period of calm and unity. He should ideally have enough political savvy and background to avoid gaffes and cheap bruises for the PN, faced with a well-oiled and effective PL media machine. And he must not have any skeletons rattling in the cupboard.
A bridge to Valletta
Besides the proposed tunnel for boats to cross from Marsamxett to the Grand Harbour, the latest proposal from the private sector is a pedestrian bridge from Tigné Point in Sliema, to near the gun post in Valletta.
People have come out in favour and against the idea. Presumably, the plan would be for the taxpayer to fund it, and the costs and benefits must be weighed carefully. It is an expensive project, estimated at €8 million, and would have a significant visual impact on the harbour.
A main question is, who will use it? Is it intended for tourists? Is it for people who live in Valletta to walk to Sliema, and vice versa, instead of using the ferry service? Or should people drive to Qui-si-Sana or Valletta, park their car near this bridge (impossible) and then walk over? Sliema needs less cars, not more.
I agree completely that people should walk more, rather than drive even to cover small distances. When abroad without a car, we all take walking for granted. Here at home, most people will not move without having wheels rolling underneath them.
The first necessary investment to encourage walking is to improve the disastrous state of the pavements. Walking in the towns of Malta means stepping out into the street every few metres, as the pavements are narrow and often blocked. It is a nightmare to push around a pram, and hopeless for anyone needing a scooter or wheelchair.
If a pavement is slightly wider than the usual strips of cracked concrete, you can be sure it will be swallowed up by the chairs and tables of some bar or restaurant, leaving hardly any space for pedestrians to squeeze by. The environment ombudsman, David Pace, has rightly complained strongly about this, and the Disability Commission and Sliema local council are up in arms.
But the lines of responsibility for outdoor dining permits are left vague, divided between government authorities, so nobody knows where to direct complaints. How are we going to get the big things right, if we cannot handle smaller, basic things like pavements?
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