Malta is facing the umpteenth political turmoil.    We have a government that has been lambasted again for malpractice by the Auditor General, with a scathing report that confirmed the scarce consideration for any notion of good governance by the Muscat administration.

What’s worse is that no one shoulders responsibility for an agreement that should never have been made.

Furthermore, Assistant Commissioner Ian Abdilla’s testimony in the public inquiry proves how incompetence and complacency can lead to tragic outcomes. The reactions of the presiding judges to Abdilla’s testimony are enough to dismantle the mantra that institutions were working unhindered and as expected.

When they don’t, as Abdilla reveals, the consequences are dire, and turning a blind eye becomes as criminal as the act you ought to investigate. But what is capturing people’s attention is the situation within the opposition.

Make no mistake – the Partit Nazzjonalista as we know it is reaching a dead end. Representatives of both camps are sending signals that they have no intention to reconcile and communication between the MPs appears to have stifled.

While the interpretation of the constitution and the party statute dominated the last few days, the long-term implications of this impasse are being overlooked. The statements given by those loyal to the leader, and those who are not, point to an inevitable split in the year when the party should be celebrating its 140th anniversary.

It took the Labour Party six years to be able to form a government after the split of 1949. So the scenario that is unfolding is a strong Labour Party in government and three parties in opposition: the Partit Demokratiku (PD), PN and the new party.

There is nothing that suggests that this coalition will be able to work together. An acrimonious split could turn into a bloodbath before a settlement is found and it is not a foregone conclusion that MPs will be able to work in a functional coalition.

Naturally, the ramifications of such a split do not end there. A massive fallout with the PN electorate will ensue, with many who will desert the party for shattering their dreams, hopes and aspirations for an alternative to Labour. The constituents of dissenting MPs will protest that this is not what they voted for.

The writing is on the wall. The PN has become a dysfunctional party, with an affliction that has permeated within rank and file. The MPs’ behaviour has spilled over to social media and became a no-holds-barred cannibalistic frenzy.

Is this really what the country needs? Is this really what the party needs?

The much-touted PN statute (Article 94) calls for a confirmation (50 per cent + 1) of the leader with a secret vote in a purposely-convened GeneralCouncil. I am sure the party would have been better off had this route been taken to confirm or otherwise the party leader.

George Vital Zammit, lecturer, Faculty of Economics, University of Malta

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