Hope is a feeling of expectation, a desire for something to happen. Together with my colleagues – precisely 200 of them – I became one of the five faces pushing forward a petition that asked for a vote of confidence in the Nationalist Party’s leader, Adrian Delia, to take place.
In the eyes of many, I was the face of ‘hope’. In the eyes of others, I was a ‘traitor’.
Not being a confrontational and politically minded person, these last few weeks have not been easy for me.
It would have been much easier to enjoy summer and mind my own business. But instead, I decided to stand up and be counted. I decided to follow my heart, which is full of hope.
But what actually got me off my deckchair and postpone my summer break by a few weeks?
Begrudgingly having to accept the electoral MEP and local council election results of last May was one of the reasons. But what further rocked my boat was the ‘status quo’ within the Nationalist Party during the past 20 months.
I was present at two recent executive committee meetings of the Nationalist Party related to the co-option of Kevin Cutajar to Parliament, and there I witnessed a truly dysfunctional organisation, one where basic values such as respect and trust no longer exist, let alone function.
At the second of the two meetings, I had the privilege of participating in a very well prepared and delivered presentation where all executive committee members had the responsibility of digesting and processing the electoral results of the past 20 years (general elections, MEP and local council elections).
I analysed the numbers presented and it became very apparent to me that the ‘status quo’ within the Nationalist Party was going to lead to an unprecedented electoral defeat in the forthcoming general election that could easily hand over a two-thirds majority in Parliament to the Labour Party. In other words, the end of Malta’s democracy.
On June 24, I wrote a Talking Point in this newspaper where I explained all of this in detail. The following day, along with a small group of signatories, I presented the petition to the Nationalist Party asking for a vote of confidence in the party’s leader. I did this because I wanted to unblock the ‘status quo’, otherwise Malta will never stand a fighting chance to protect its democracy.
The now dysfunctional party organisation took nine days to call the executive committee to discuss our legitimate and valid petition. The delay created the opportunity for other petitions to mushroom and be presented on the eve of the meeting.
I ask everyone not to mistake political maturity for weakness
On July 4, during the executive committee meeting, Delia decided to take full control of the process and convene the general council himself. But, I ask, isn’t this what he should have done in the first place? Why did the party have to ‘bleed’ to get to this point?
Another meeting of the executive committee was convened earlier this week, with yet another 12-day delay, only to find out that the party found itself in a serious stalemate.
We found ourselves with not one, but three valid yet contradictory motions to convene the general council – two submitted by councillors and one by Delia. During the meeting, it quickly became apparent to me that stubbornness, egos and emotions were only going to lead to the disintegration of the Nationalist Party.
I have no doubt that the 200 well-meaning councillors that signed our petition did not sign up to witness the disintegration of the Nationalist Party. This would have meant losing our only tool to #SaveDemocracy.
With this in mind, I personally took the step to make sure that common sense prevailed. We had to find a way to emerge from the corner that all the delays and the ill-conceived strategies boxed us into.
Yes, we acknowledged that the delays, the constant tug of war, the lack of respect and the meltdown of trust had thrown us all into a very tight corner.
We had a choice. We could have come out of such a corner like a bull in a china shop and probably sign the death warrant of the party, or come out of the corner slowly, yet surely. And with a sense of maturity.
Thankfully, we did, and we agreed that there is no room for three general councils. No room for three different votes and for more bickering and delays.
We agreed that the general council would proceed on the 27th of this month where a vote of confidence in the party leader will be taken, based on a question that was agreed among all.
Indeed, we did. And I ask everyone not to mistake political maturity for weakness.
In this sense, this week’s meeting ended on a positive note and one could once again witness a measure of relief.
The ‘status quo’ was slowly melting away and the restoration of trust and respect was taking place.
Along with my co-signatories, I wanted to be an ambassador for a set of values, namely unity, trust and respect, all of which are crucial for democracy to function positively.
We must now look forward to July 27. We must fully understand that this general council will not be taking a vote on Delia’s future. This general council will be taking a vote on the future of the Nationalist Party, an instrument that belongs to the Maltese people and one which represents our only hope to save the country’s democracy.
Every council member should recognise the following facts. Candidates for leadership present themselves to councillors. With their vote, councillors present prospective leaders to members. Members present one leader to the electorate. It is only the electorate who decides who becomes Prime Minister of Malta. No one else.
We are still in time to do something about the situation. We all have a responsibility to rise above emotions and misplaced loyalties. We all have a duty to understand that if we fail, we fail our country. The price for failing is simply too high a price to pay.
We owe it to ourselves. We owe it to our party. We ultimately owe it to our country to stand up and be counted. We are still in time to do it.
Ivan Bartolo is a former Nationalist Party candidate.