Mark Anthony Sammut – what an example! This man, who has been nothing but good for the Nationalist Party, has shown everyone, including politicians far more seasoned than himself, what an exercise in humility is all about.

The PN has to heed last week’s wake-up call – everyone who is anyone in the PN needs to show the same spirit and submit him/herself to the scrutiny of the party. The wide base of tesserati (registered members) needs to be used as a reference point and anyone elected in the PN’s name – including executive and general council members, local MPs and the recently-elected MEPs – should be put to a referendum for approval or otherwise.

Being non-legally binding, after the referendum, it will be up to the goodwill of those shown disapproval by over 50 per cent of voters to stand aside. Only after such an exercise will the chosen faction within our crumbling party be allowed to work and lead, whichever faction this may turn out to be.

Anyone who sticks to his position despite being shown disapproval by the wide-based vote would automatically lose credibility should s/he decide to retain his/her post.

Three years is a short time and the uphill climb is steep. Anything short of a broad-based scrutiny exercise resulting from a democratic referendum by the wider party base will not go far enough in allowing the party to restructure from top to bottom and show the people at large that the PN can really be a decent opposition in the present and a possible government in the future.