Who does not rue a missed opportunity in life? I wonder if that might be the case for Prime Minister Robert Abela following last week’s university debate when he let a golden opportunity go by.
It was the first highly anticipated public showdown between the prime minister and the leader of the opposition as the parties head towards the general elections. The chosen venue, Sir Temi Zammit hall, was in itself significant as the site par excellence for academic discussion and teaching.
Seats were reserved exclusively for students, thus ensuring that the younger generations studying at post-secondary level would be adequately represented.
The audience made its presence very audibly sensed as students clapped, cheered, and booed the five speakers, each at his podium, each promoting his party’s political agenda and vision. Like all leaders – not just those in politics – they are expected to lead by example. But that is where I feel that Abela failed.
As the almost three-hour-long sparring session drew to an end, Grech extended the figurative olive branch. “Let’s temporarily call off election campaigning next Saturday and get together for a peaceful protest against the Russian war on Ukraine,” he ventured. A wise move, I’d say. One that would likely go down well not only with the young audience but also with the public at large, given the palpable widespread sentiment where the message sent out in recent weeks has been strongly anti-war.
The prime minister missed out on a golden opportunity to lead by example- Silvio Brincat
Faced with such a suggestion and given the ambiance in which it was made, I would have expected the prime minister to grab the opportunity to score brownie points by taking up his opponent’s offer, matching Grech’s positive action with an equally positive reaction.
As Abela started off with his reply, I expected him to address Grech’s proposal, even if only to say that he would consider it. But, unfortunately, there was nothing of the sort. The man who is expected to handle the country’s most vital decisions clearly faltered in making one simple decisive step towards national unity.
I must admit I was disappointed, to say the least, but not surprised. Not only did Abela not accept Grech’s suggestion but he seemed to totally ignore it. A non-answer in itself begs many questions.
Was it simply an oversight given time constraints? Was it that the suggestion took him so off guard that he could not figure out how to best go about it during the live event? Was it that he needed to consult others before attempting any reply? Or was it that Labour are so used to shooting down all of the opposition’s proposals that that unexpected move landed their leader in a spot?
What was glaringly clear, not just to the young audience but to all those following the debate on social media, was that the prime minister, ‘first among equals’ at cabinet level and leader of the party boasting a wide majority at the polls, missed out on a golden opportunity to lead by example.
Had he taken up Grech’s offer, and possibly sealed it with a final handshake, both leaders would have sent out a message to all and sundry that there’s still hope for a new way of doing politics in this country. The younger voters, first-timers and those who are currently disillusioned by party politics would have been afforded some hope that politics is not all about corruption, sleaze and incessant bickering.
Had Abela accepted that proposal, something would have been achieved for the common good. The political arena should provide fertile ground where politicians are not constantly at loggerheads but where they may also be role models, standing shoulder to shoulder, especially in times of crisis like these when the blatant breach of human rights suffered by our fellow citizens in Ukraine calls for actions loud and clear.
That is the kind of politics I believe in and promote. Our prime minister is still in time to take up the opposition leader on his suggestion. He might rue this missed opportunity if he doesn’t.
Silvio Brincat – Lawyer and PN candidate