Independent MP Marlene Farrugia has poured cold water on the two major political parties’ attempts to sway her decision to set up a third party and is forging ahead for the sake of democracy.
Reacting to the Labour and Nationalist parties’ concerns that a third party could jeopardise the country’s “economic and political stability”, Dr Farrugia said that while stability was a desirable feature, it should not come at just any price.
“Dictatorial governments are normally more stable than democratic ones, but I hope no one in Malta would advocate weakening our democracy further in the name of stability,” she said yesterday.
Dr Farrugia said that three years ago, voters gave a strong mandate to a new political movement to overhaul the political landscape by giving it a nine-seat majority, and this ended in a “colossal failure of bad governance”.
We all know that having only two parties does not ensure political stability
“We all know that having only two parties in Parliament does not ensure political stability. Both the PN’s and the PL’s last terms in office showed this very clearly.
“The solution is a strong, fresh voice in the form of a third party that guarantees the people’s democratic participation on every single day of the legislature,” she insisted.
Last Sunday, The Sunday Times of Malta reported that a new centre-left party would unveil its structure by next month, something that did not seem to sit too well with the two major parties. While the PN, in a veiled reference to Dr Farrugia, encouraged her to join its ranks, the PL said that “irrespective of the electoral system used, ensuring government stability, which is a prerequisite for economic prosperity… remains imperative”.
Dr Farrugia repliedthat if the effect of the creation of a third party was to strengthen the resolve of other genuine politicians in the two main parties to improve their levels of good governance, this would already be a significant contribution from the new party to the country’s common good.
“Everyone knows how hard and how long I tried to do that in the PL. However, the rapidly deteriorating levels of governance, coupled with blatant disregard of its electoral mandate, left me with no choice.
“My conscience dictated that I could only seek the positive change I promised my voters, and that our country needs, from outside the party.”
To underline her decision to leave Labour, she also tweeted: “When home needs fixing I stay and fix it. But when home burns I get people out and rebuild.”
Voters, she added, were feeling disenfranchised and calling out for a third voice in Parliament that would actively support a major overhaul in the way politics was done.
“The key to a stable government in a modern healthy democracy is good governance. That is what the Maltese deserve. That is what I will strive for.”