It is tragic to see the Labour, Party which only a short time ago appeared to be invincible amid the “best of times”, being sucked into a vortex of such turmoil and disrepute. With two consecutive electoral victories of unprecedented magnitude, still performing strongly in opinion polls and the only alternative government in shambles, the PL had everything going its way.
Well, nearly everything. There was an ‘enemy within’: a virus that infected it and gained such strength that it may now be impossible to treat. That virus was greed. Many saw the symptoms early on – the secret deals, the signs of corruption – and sounded warnings. It is too late now though. The only treatment possible is amputation.
The ‘enemy within’ may well have been responsible for Labour’s return to power. But the indebtedness felt by many of its ‘soldiers of steel’ must be turning into a strong sense of betrayal as it slowly sinks in that the motivation was not love for party or country but an unquenchable thirst for personal power and wealth.
This makes a mockery of the social democratic principles listed in the party’s statute. Democratic aims were among those that incoming Labour leader Joseph Muscat had solemnly pledged to promote and protect in the run-up to his first huge electoral victory in 2013. It proved to be music to the ears of Labourites but also to many on the other side of the political divide who had become uncomfortable with the way the Nationalist administration had been running the country.
Those principles started to be jettisoned from the ‘fourth floor’ of the Labour headquarters and from the important offices within Castille around the time of the 2013 election. Yet, Dr Muscat’s personal popularity, his economic, social and civil liberty successes, as well as liberal use of the power of incumbency ensured an even bigger margin at the polls four years later.
Just like the metaphorical frog which fails to jump out of slowly boiling water until it is too late, Dr Muscat never heeded the warning signs of trouble within his administration. He must now shoulder full responsibility for the reputational damage done to Malta, for the political crisis that has engulfed the country, the clear and present danger of civil strife it is facing and the economic damage that it may suffer.
He must also take full blame for the way the governing party has betrayed its noble ideals. The PL will suffer heavy and lasting collateral damage as a result.
Labourites and so-called switchers whose support was at least partly inspired by the promises they were made will rightly demand that Dr Muscat now comes clean with them.
He must also keep his distance from the new party leadership if the new guard is to have a fighting chance at rehabilitating the party.
That rehabilitation can only occur if a new Labour government fulfils its promises of good governance, justice, transparency and accountability, which were made before the whole system was contaminated by greed and corruption, even a journalist’s murder.
Only then will genuine Labourites, who no doubt form the vast majority of the support base, be able to continue lending their support with a clear conscience.
And for starters they should follow the example of leading leftist exponents in denouncing the direction their party has taken.