Adrian Delia based his whole Nationalist Party leadership election campaign on the motto “The New Way” and convinced the majority of party members to vote him in on this ticket. Hats off to him.
When he become leader of the party, we got a clearer explanation of what he meant by “the new way”. It means, according to Delia, being close to the people. And being close to the people, in Delia-speak, means visiting bars, cafes, band clubs, football clubs and political clubs in different towns and villages.
To be honest, this seems to me the oldest way of doing politics: most of the elected MPs have been visiting bars and clubs for donkey’s years, utilising the “agħmillhom [give them a] drink” factor as the trump card to garner votes.
The richer of the candidates would then even donate a clarinet or a tuba to the local band club or a dais (bradella) for the village statue. The richest would even sponsor all the football clubs in the electoral district.
Good chances of being elected, this way... but certainly no new way.
The novelty brought about by Delia is that he has extended this practice by involving his adversaries too: to counter Ann Fenech, he has revalued the pastizz and ħobża culture, eating the first at the local PN club, but moving over to the Ċentru Laburista to gobble up the second.
This chummy behaviour with Joseph Muscat was evident from day one. Delia visited the Prime Minister a few days after Delia’s election, on September 26, in an all-smiles meeting.
This chummy behaviour with Joseph Muscat was evident from day one. Delia visited the Prime Minister a few days after his election, in an all-smiles meeting
What was hidden from all, however, was the fact that in a backroom deal the two leaders had agreed on scrapping the election for the executive of the Local Councils Association, thus depriving local councillors of the possibility of democratically expressing their vote.
A new way of doing things, my foot.
Following that, Muscat/PL proposed extending hunting hours in the Majjistral National Park, and Delia/PN did not oppose the extension. Preposterous.
Then came the New Year’s deal between the two: Net TV viewers would be regaled with the video of Muscat describing, in statesmanlike manner, what the plans of the government for the new year would be, while by way of reciprocation, One TV viewers would have the opportunity to enjoy the sight of Delia in a bar, speaking about his plans to eight persons, acting (badly) as admirers, naturally with a close-up of the usual pastizz and ħobża.
Sorry, but I thought we had a President of the Republic who represents the country as a whole. Having her on all television stations is the right way, not Delia and Muscat ensuring more viewership for themselves on rival stations.
And now, to crown it all, we get the PN deputy leader, David Agius, side by side with Justice Minister Owen Bonnici, praising the Café Premier takeover and des-cribing it as a success after having spent three years screeching that the deal stank of corruption.
But why am I surprised at the deputy leader’s convenient U-turn?
After all, he is the one who voted for the infamous ODZ law in 2006, and now in 2017-18 he is out protesting with the residents of Attard, Mosta, etc, against the buildings which he himself voted for.
These may be little episodes which solicit the answer: ‘U ijja, b’daqshekk?’ (‘So what’s the big deal?’)
In my opinion, however, such “new way” behaviour is the initial step whereby the already non-existent Opposition will be co-opted by a government that is more intent on concluding shady deals with rich foreigners and Maltese than overseeing the general welfare of the common man and woman in Malta.
Arnold Cassola is former Alternattiva Demokratika chairman and former secretary general of the European Green Party.