The lessons to be learnt

Yesterday’s electoral victory for Joseph Muscat is indicative of the mood in the country.  

It also proves that beyond any doubt the campaign by the Partit Nazzjonalista utterly backfired.  

The allegations made, however serious did not hold ground and to an extent ricocheted back to the PN in a dangerous way. 

As one good analyst stated, it may not have been the song but the singer.  

The singer being Simon Busuttil and he was simply not trusted by the electorate. 

The PN campaign was not only lack lustre, but Busuttil could not match the EQ of Joseph Muscat or his impressive delivery.

The high moral ground that he presented did not ring a bell with the electorate in a climate of economic prosperity.   Prosperity that many people could feel and translate.

The disregard for corruption is so typical of Maltese election campaigns which seek alternative governments with strong leadership not negative campaigns.  

There were also some serious questions about the Egrant allegations that were seriously flawed and backed with dubious facts interwined with perception and fiction.

Nonetheless Simon Busuttil took it upon himself to base his whole campaign on these allegations. 

In the meantime other allegations (perhaps more founded) raised serious concerns about the extent of Keith Schembri’s business interests.  But they did not seem to attract the electorate’s attention other than that of the media and blogposts.

Indeed the media (The Sunday Times and The Independent) has some egg on its face and perhaps seriously in need of a reality check.  The media in general was conditioned not to ask questions, and not to be inquisitive.  Taking for granted the allegations being made without asking serious questions and queries.  

The Prime Minister Joseph Muscat can easily do the unthinkable, that is show absolute disregard to the media that have nudged him and incessantly questioned his integrity without basing itself on facts.

He has to show humility and avoid showing outright contempt towards journalists.

On the other hand the Nationalist party has a much more demanding job ahead of it.  

It has first and foremost to seek a new leader to replace Simon Busuttil, and the same applies to deputy leaders Mario DeMarco and Beppe Fenech Adami.  There is need of new driving force.

They have failed and the new leadership should be dynamic and somehow able to take on Muscat’s whirlwind drive.  Someone to inspire faith and hope for those who hope for an alternative government when the time comes.

This country needs a strong opposition to counter an administration that has had an unprecedented second landslide.  To Muscat that has promised to leave politics after the next five years.  

To a party in government that has a worrying approach to the construction industry and open arm policy to any kind of business.  And more importantly irrespective of Busuttil’s failure to transmit the message and inspire faith, in grave deficit when it comes to governance issues.

In this scenario the role and credibility of MaltaToday is better placed than its competitors to serve as a forceful media motor in a political landscape where we have a lame opposition.

It is now up to us to fulfill this void and to ensure that we keep the debate alive and the spirit of investigative journalism alive.