General election looming?

Various media sources have been reporting that Maltese Prime Minster Lawrence Gonzi told his prospective candidates to get ready for the next election. Many dates have been mentioned in the media with the 10th and 24th November being the favorites. However until the Prime Minister officially reveals the date of the General Election all these reports remain simply gossip talk.

Let’s take a look at how this legislature went so far. It was characterized by various crises! The government had to face many problems most of which revolving on the fact that the last election was won by a very small majority thus resulting into only 1 more parliamentary seat then the opposition. Franco Debono, Jeffery Pullicino Orlando, Jesmod Mugliett provided many scares and problems to the government! It was also characterized by various other crises mainly from offshore. Like the economical crises that the EU is still facing to this very day, like the Arab spring (more precisely the Libyan Revolution), like Malta going into a recession (it is now reported that Malta isn't in a recession anymore) and so on....

The Government was forced to lose a parliamentary member (Carm Mifsud Bonnici) and is likely to face another similar dilemma soon... In other words this legislature was a very tough one for the Nationalist party. They lost the support of both Franco Debono and Jeffery Pullicino Orlando (therefore lost their majority) but they still continued to hang on to the 'throne' (thus ignoring the key elements of democracy)

Now they are faced with the threat of having either another parliamentary member from their side axed, or the Budget disapproved by the parliament (either or will result in governmental collapse)

Personally I believe that Lawrence Gonzi would like to do everything in his power to stay as Prime Minister for as long as he can, however he does not want to go down in the history books as a leader whose government collapsed from power! So perhaps calling the election sooner rather than later will be his only remaining option. Both the Labour Party and Alternattiva Demokratika have been urging the government to call an election for quite some time now; however their calls have always been ignored! But perhaps not for any longer!

What is clear is the fact that the constituents saw what is really happening inside the PN. The same PN who used to be a powerhouse for quite some time is crumbling and falling to pieces from the inside! However their media is making everything possible to deny these facts and still depict the PN as a stable government full of competent people with ideas and energy whilst attacking the opposition of being without ideas and desperate to be in power.

Whenever the election is called and whatever technique they will use to get your vote, remember that the choice is ultimately yours. Nobody really knows who you are voting for. In the voting room it's just you, your mind and your conscience (or that is how it should be)

Andrea Gatt