After the marathon last Saturday, where the Prime Minister was the only runner in the race, he got on stage and assumed the pose of a paternal figure, a figure that does not suit him at all.

What father is overburdened with a huge deficit, so huge that he was constrained to cut the most essential social funds that were voted to help the most needy? What father would fritter away hundreds of millions of euros on City Gate, millions for an architect who will spoil the entrance to our city , millions for a new Parliament building that no one likes and no one needs? Not only that but this kind paternal figure has not told the people of Malta where the money is coming from to finance this hideous building of steel that jars most strongly in a city that was built for gentlemen.

What paternal figure would keep a straight face when new cases of corruption come to light every day? Transport Malta, with its flag bearer Austin Gatt carries the record for the number of corruption cases. And what about the Malta Resources Authority? This too has been in the limelight since 2008. And this is surely only the tip of the iceberg.

The local councils too have had their fair share of corrupt practices exposed. Cases of clientelism are rampant in local councils. Why did we expect otherwise? This is a small nation and everyone is related to everyone. So what do we expect? Charity begins at home.

One could go on and on. The Nationalist Party in government has overstayed its time and the people of Malta are waiting anxiously for the Prime Minister to ring the bell for an early election to be held. And only then will the cloud of uncertainty disperse over Malta.

Franco Debono is playing cat and mouse in Parliament and unless he comes to the decision to send the Prime Minister to the President he will have achieved nothing except the people’s disdain.