Over three years have elapsed since that fateful day when a Nationalist Party ethics committee did not follow up on its decision to preclude Adrian Delia from contesting for the party leadership. The committee must have had more than sound reasons to invite this candidate to desist from contesting, and yet a grave sin of omission was committed. He was allowed to contest with dire consequences for the party and Malta.

As expected, the candidate turned out to be a huge liability, displaying extremely limited political experience with absolutely no skills or expertise to lead a party. What further stood out was a horrible personal vulnerability to Labour attacks, this due to questionable past occurrences never satisfactorily explained and clarified.

Three years of fudging, starting off with a despicable attempt to expel Simon Busuttil from the PN on the basis of a notoriously manipulated Joseph Muscat redacted ‘Egrant’ report. Three years of an inadequate opposition that has allowed a Labour government to sanitise corruption and a political assassination and, in the process, increase its electoral support.

Now we are finally witnessing a belated but determined PN wake-up. A sane and committed 18-strong PN parliamentary group, lead by a trustworthy Therese Commodini Cachia, has intervened and achieved a situation whereby Delia may be challenged and hopefully shown the door. It is now up to the PN ‘tesserati’ to choose whether or not to board the last redemption train.

It appears that besides Commodini Cachia, at least five more leadership candidates were lined up: Mark Anthony Sammut, Roberta Metsola, Bernard Grech, Joe Giglio and Alex Perici Calascione. It was so encouraging to confirm such a wealth of valid people ready to take up the Labour challenge. This is not just a breath but a tornado of fresh air.

Devastating damage has been done to Malta. We have acquired a banana republic reputation- Arthur Muscat

Now tornadoes are notoriously unpredictable in their behaviour so caution appears to have been exercised to avoid a crowding that might have played into the hands of the toxic Delia.

The challenges that a new PN leader will face are daunting. We are living the tragedy of a corrupt and democratically deficient Labour government, backed by a party that still enjoys massive electoral support. Malta desperately requires that this party be seriously challenged so it may reform itself.

Labour moderates of integrity have retreated into their shell allowing an unscrupulous self-serving lot to take over. The party’s ‘fourth floor’ doors opened up to the worst elements of local rotten ‘business’. Home-bred and international ‘fraudsters’ were and are partnered with impunity. Critical appointments are given to notoriously unfit people.

Devastating damage has been done to Malta. We have acquired a banana republic reputation. Through illicit direct orders, taxpayers’ funds are frittered away on generous unnecessary consultancies, positions of trust and fictitious jobs. Most worrying, the trust that citizens ought to have in the country’s institutions has been fatally undermined. More opposition vigour is required to confront the fallacy of this indecent manner of governance.

And yet this Labour Party enjoys the highest level of electoral approval and support ever registered. This Labour steamroller gives more importance to, and prides itself more on its unquestioning unity than on the practice of honest good governance. It is a damning formula of blind loyalty at all costs and features patient waiting for one’s turn to receive a ‘benefit’.  These benefits vary in type and value, from impunity, to pizza vouchers, to high-end lucrative consultancies, etc. This type of governance erodes the foundations necessary for a decent democratic EU society to survive.

A post-Delia PN leader will face a complex challenge as the party needs first to sort itself out. So many Labour malpractices have featured, and still do, within the PN. Only a leader with good, high ethical standards can hope to elevate the PN to a moral ground high enough to convince on the fallacy of the corrupt labour way of operating.

In conclusion, one must point out that it is not to do with just cleanliness, but also with valid economic and social ideas and vision for the future of Malta. The PN has competent and valid people within its ranks. The redemption opportunity created by Therese Commodini Cachia and her parliamentary group must not go to waste.