Yes, Prime Minister was a popular British political satire sitcom. It followed the sequel of a previous sitcom, Yes Minister. Set around the characters of Jim Hacker, first as minister, then as Prime Minister, Sir Humphrey Appleby as permanent secretary and Bernard Woolley as the principal private secretary, it highlighted the political intrigues, undercurrents and manipulation within the political arena.
Sadly, some politicians encircle themselves with ‘yes people’. They purposely choose confidants to hear what they want to hear, rather than what they need to hear. Some might mistake this for loyalty. In reality, it is more of an insecurity, and the first steps towards autocracy.
On the other hand, critical thinkers are kept at arm’s length, treated with suspicion and disdain, dreading they might question one’s road maps. In so doing, such ‘politicians’ are entrapped in their own echo chamber, failing to comprehend that there might be another reality far more enriching, different or even critical from what they envision. Maybe Marie Antoinette’s famous outburst, “give them cake” was a result of her ‘world’ being made of ‘cake’ rather than of stale bread.
Has our Prime Minister surrounded himself with ‘yes people’ who do not dare to question him, one may provocatively muse?
To the unblinkered, our Prime Minister, basking after his second electoral landslide victory, is not disposed to take no for an answer. An ever-growing number of ‘yes people’ are being strategically placed within our public entities, departments, constitutional bodies, and even within particular pressure groups. These enablers are mostly chosen not for their competence but rather for their willingness to promptly say ‘yes’. How can they bite the hands that generously sponsor them? How can, for example, Edward Zammit Lewis ever dare to say no when he is being paid €100 an hour?
Sadly, Zammit Lewis is not an exception. He is just one example off a very long list.
But beyond this regiment of muppets and party lackeys, there is also a growing number of law-abiding citizens who would love to yell a big “No, Prime Minister”.
No, Prime Minister it is not acceptable that your close confidants have been mentioned in Panama Papers and caught having Hearnville and Tillgate, both set up by Nexia BT concurrently with Egrant. If Egrant doesn’t belong to Muscat and co, then to whom does it belong? If it’s not Muscat’s, then who owns Egrant? This is the crux of the issue. Anything besides this is a tactful distraction.
Yes, Prime Minister we still value honesty, truth, social justice, rule of law, accountability, transparency, good governance, solidarity, public ethics and personal integrity
No, Prime Minister, it is not right that public land was handed out at a pittance for the construction of an unsustainable mega development, totally disregarding how this would impact the residents’ quality of life, utterly ignoring over 4,500 objectors and three local councils representing over 30,000 residents. This was sheer arrogance and pure greed.
No, Prime Minister we firmly refuse the cementation of our country, the systematic rape of our countryside and the alteration of our landscapes, while the Planning Authority acts as a rubber stamp to the gratifications of particular fat cats.
No, Prime Minister we do not accept that an investigative journalist was brutally butchered, and your spin doctors continue to dehumanise her memory and undermine her contribution towards uncovering systematic sleaze and corruption. It is neither acceptable for Justice Minister Owen Bonnici to try to stamp out public bereavement and frustration. How come flowers and candles make Bonnici see red?
No, Prime Minister it is not acceptable that the OPM squandered more than €89,000 on partying while our senior citizens are struggling to make ends meet. The recent €2.17 weekly increase is insulting, considering your bragging about the historical surplus. Or is the surplus reserved only for the anointed ones, the likes of Deborah Schembri?
No, Prime Minister it is not acceptable that Malta has registered the highest number of school dropouts and instead of inviting all stakeholders to come together; your Finance Minister squarely blames our teachers. Maybe students are being led to believe that in Malta it is who you know that can lead you to high places rather than how hard you study?
To avoid being too negative, I’m sure many would like to join me in expressing a big ‘Yes’ to our Prime Minister.
Yes, Prime Minister we still value honesty, truth, social justice, rule of law, accountability, transparency, good governance, solidarity, public ethics and personal integrity.
Yes, Prime Minister we still want to promote the common good over self-gratification, even if it is an uphill challenge.
Yes, Prime Minister we still cherish our core secular and Christian values which have inspired and defined us throughout the years, even during turbulent ones.
Yes, Prime Minister while we have no qualms about acknowledging your accomplishments, we firmly hold that no economic surplus can ever square a circle.
Yes, Prime Minister all the above applies also to our Prime Minister-in-waiting and to any other community leader who aspires to lead.
Finally, yes Prime Minister there are still honest law-abiding, hard-working citizens in this land of ours doing their very best to be so.
Do not underestimate us.
Albert Buttigieg is deputy mayor of St. Julian’s.
This is a Times of Malta print opinion piece