Election Playbook: Another one bites the dust

Another one bites the dust: There seems to be a mass exodus of MPs who are calling it a day and announcing that they will not contest this general election. Personally, I think you have to be crazy (among other things) to enter into politics in the first place. The canvasing, mingling, door-to-doors, calling in favours, and constant moaning about the little things is enough to encourage anyone not to show their face in public ever again. But I cannot help but wonder why certain MPs, especially younger ones, are hanging up their hats. Maybe certain PN candidates are simply tired of spilling their blood, sweat, and tears, for a party that seems to be a shell of its former self. And maybe other PL MPs like Roderick Galdes and Clayton Bartolo are sick of “vile attacks” against them just because they happen to be implicated in disgusting scandals. In any case, we wish all outgoing MPs well, and we hope that Malta’s big business players don’t forget about them when “consultant” roles open up.

That's what it's all about: The 1 May celebrations in the middle of an electoral campaign meant that parties had an excuse to hold mass meetings. I have to admit that it was a nice change of pace from the usual campaign trail coverages, and such events help remind us what Maltese politics is all about. For those of you who couldn’t make it to one of the two mass meetings, let me remind you what election season is all about for the meeting-attending masses. Classic songs such as “Children” and “We take the chance” blared out on speakers while hype men tell the crowds to shout their party leaders’ names. People comparing the redness or blueness of their clothes. Fat old men salivating at the sight of young women with inflatable lips and party banners used as crop-tops. Getting Cisk Excel spilled on you. And how can we forget the hard-working small businesses trying to make money off airhorns, t-shirts, and memorabilia. This truly is the culmination of democracy.

Technical difficulties: I like to imagine that the Nationalist Party’s media team is made up of Minions from the Despicable Me films. In the last three days, the party had three press conferences laden with technical difficulties. On Wednesday, its Mellieħa press conference saw a live feed cut in the middle of the event, but luckily, journalists could listen to the speeches on Net FM. The following day, the live feed experienced the same problem, as did Net FM, leaving our journalists covering the event scratching their heads. And on Friday, I thought I was losing my mind when I heard Alex Borg’s voice turn into the voice of a Transformer. Of course a party’s message is more important than flashy press conferences and marketing to win an election. But for God’s sake, the message has to be delivered to the media and the electorate.

Labour's overconfidence: Every year on 30 April, an event is held in the Upper Barrakka Gardens to celebrate Malta’s entry into the EU. The event welcomes big names from the local business community, civil servants, politicians, and features must-haves for such events like an open bar and a fireworks and drones show. I’ve been told that the atmosphere in this year’s event was quite different than previous ones, as it felt like an early victory celebration for Labour. Apart from humble entrepreneurs like Joseph Portelli and Sandro Chetcuti, the lavish event saw people from the Labour Party with wide smiles, who seemed sure that they are heading for an astronomical victory. The PL may have money, resources, the power of incumbency, and strong candidates on its side, but it would be wise to leave the confetti and Black Label for 31 May. One shouldn’t underestimate the effect of the stomach-turning behaviour of this party on issues such as planning, transparency, and the environment, which will surely be on the electorate’s mind. Maybe this overconfidence ought to be treated with a “dose of realism.” Or maybe I wasn’t invited to the open bar this year.