Abolish political parties and let us decide which of the construction magnates to elect as Supreme Leader of the Archipelago

No. 189 - No Mayor, No Cry

What are we skinning? The resignation of Xaghra Mayor Christian Zammit, in the same week that Gzira Mayor Conrad Borg Manche' was able to celebrate a hard-won victory against the threat of a petrol station ruining his locality's only green lung.

Why are we skinning it? Because it's the latest and clearest signal of how the construction lobby is contributing to rent asunder even the very same Labour Party that has supported it so vehemently thus far.

Isn't that a tad melodramatic? Perhaps, but not when you consider how playing a smooth PR game has been the Labour Party's revamped MO since 2008, and how the very same party is only all-too-keen to point and jeer whenever even the smallest fissure appears on the Nationalist Party's 'maduma'.

Yeah but come on, local councils are small fry and prone to infighting. Can't we just let them be and allow the country to keep on keeping on? Normally, your borderline-sociopathic nonchalance on this matter would, unfortunately, be considered the norm. But in the case of this recent pair of 'dissident mayors', I believe there is far more at stake than what meets the eye.

And what's that? In both Gzira and Xaghra's case, the straw that appears to have broken the camel's back is largely made up of teeming and brewing environmental issues.

That's hardly a straw. You're right. It's actually a large crateload of bricks marked 'STRAW' in an attempt to circumvent customs and construction regulations.

The poor camel... Yeah I mean, it's a resilient beast, but you can't blame it for occasionally spitting in defiance, all things considered.

But wouldn't it make more sense of the Xaghra mayor to stay on and fight the good fight? It would be the honourable thing to do, for sure. But we're not the camels being loaded with bricks, so it's not really on us to nitpick and stand in judgement on this issue now, is it?

And I've just heard that the Prime MInister has stepped in to try and nip Christian Zammit's departure in the bud. He must be at least remotely conscious of the fact that the environmental issue remains a blemish on the post-Muscat era for which he is a candidate.

Not that he's deprived of blemishes otherwise. True, but overdevelopment and spurious land use is, perhaps, one of the few issues that can bridge the tribalist gap.

Hence why dissidents are more likely to dissent on that basis. Precisely. Having better and cleaner access to our natural resources and common patrimony tends to be something all of us can pretty much get behind.

Save for the construction lobby and their legal reps. Yes, and sadly they call the shots most of the time.

Will brave mayors save us, then? Only if we help them along.

Do say: "While it may be understandable to simply expect environmentally-conscious mayors to stay on and fight the good fight, neither is it fair to demand unremitting resilience from fellow human beings who are repeatedly pummelled by a system rigged against their principles. But in resigning out of frustration, such individuals at the very least point to the problem in an unequivocal manner. And breaking that silence is a crucial part of the struggle, as well."

Don't say: "Abolish political parties and let us decide which of the construction magnates to elect as Supreme Leader of the Archipelago. It's the only honest electoral system we can hope for, going forward "