Changing the face of local politics

By Edward Demicoli

The decision by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi to nominate George Abela as the next President is one that will leave an indelible mark on the political landscape of this country. It is a bold, unprecedented decision that shows that Lawrence Gonzi belongs to that rare breed of politicians that are capable of putting the national interest before the interest of their own party.
Let’s face it, the boldness of the decision is also reflected in the fact that the majority of the people were genuinely surprised by the news. For most, it was a pleasant surprise. I can also understand that for some people, including people that belong to the Nationalist Party, it is not easy to stomach the fact that a Nationalist Prime Minister has taken the initiative to nominate as President, a significant political figure, someone from the opposite camp. Not any someone, but someone who was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, a long serving lawyer to the General Workers Union, a consultant to the then Prime Minister Alfred Sant and a person who a few months ago contested the leadership of the Labour Party. In a truly objective leadership contest, George Abela could arguably have been Lawrence Gonzi’s main political opponent today.

There is another equally important side to the Prime Minister’s nomination of George Abela as the next President and that is the fact that Dr Gonzi involved the Leader of the Opposition in the process. Dr Gonzi did not need to do this, he could have nominated anyone without seeking the consensus of Joseph Muscat.

I genuinely believe that George Abela has the right credentials to be an excellent President. He is charismatic, intelligent, astute, experienced and liked. He is a person that can further build on the courageous decision taken by Dr Gonzi to put the national interest first and contribute to a better political climate in the country.

The boldness and vision of Prime Minister Gonzi has been tried and tested. But one cannot reach the same conclusion on Joseph Muscat. It is not a bold move for a Labour leader to accept a proposal by a Nationalist Prime Minister to nominate a former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party for the Presidency. Joseph Muscat’s boldness and vision will be tested if, in the weeks, months and years to come, he will be able to treat national issues in an objective way and stop the tactic, typical of Labour Party leaders, to try and score political goals on national issues and in sensitive cases where Labour shouldn’t be playing games, let alone scoring goals. Joseph Muscat has still to pass this test.

Edward Demicoli is a Nationalist Party candidate for the European Parliament Elections.