First amongst equals

I, for one, am not prepared to join in with the chorus and cast blame on Dr. Alfred Sant. First and foremost mea culpa: I was there with the rest so some of the blame must lie with me. There were so many possible reasons for the electoral defeat for the labour party that are now coming to the fore, that it seems almost puerile to just blame one man. It is necessary for us to remember how the man (not the politician) was vilified throughout all his years at the helm of the MLP for percieved mistakes. Definitly a case of over the top criticism which went on unabated right to the very end of the electoral campaign. I cannot recall the same sense of vilification with regard to Dr. Gonzi.

Although the PN tried to portray Dr. Gonzi as a superman, we all know that he is not. The marketing behind him was better than Dr. Sant’s and that’s about it. Gonzi the man was sold as being a better option than Sant. His greatest marketing coup was in indicating to the electorate that he needed the electorate’s help not only in getting re-elected but in changing the people around him. In truth this was a sign of weakness which I believe too few people appreciated. It is a weakness that has re-surfaced in his first few days in office with some clearly strange decisions and I am sure it will come back to haunt him. Not everybody within the PN camp is happy with his GonziPN takeover.

(As an aside, is it not a shame that so many people look to politics as mainly an issue of marketing over subtance)

Be that as it may I prefer to look to the future of the labour party. To look to the choices to be made in our leadership selection. My opinion is simple: I believe that all the contestants are equally competent in different ways. Their task as leader will be to convince the electorate that where they lack, they are capable of delegating. They must be capable of having the right stuff around him or her. All have the right credentials. All have the right potentialities. All will have our 100 % backing.

One thing is sure: He or she will have to have thick skin to ward off the arrows that will be shot his or her way. Some of the contestants have already had to ward off criticism which has been by and large unjust. It is fair and correct for all and sundry to have their say. The choice of leadership of the MLP is obviously a matter which affects us all. As such I find no objection to having people express their opinion on the whole leadership matter. Needless to say opinions are relative to the opinionista! Some will have to be taken with the proverbial pinch of salt, which salt rubs both ways.