Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1263074
7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 24 JUNE 2020 NEWS ANALYSIS albatross around Abela's neck ficial reprimand from the par- ty except some ridicule from some honest party officials over his claim to have lost his mobile. Both Muscat and Mizzi re- main MPs. Muscat, styling himself with "an office" in rep- resentation of the erstwhile PM, was drafted as a consult- ant to Abela for the post-COV- ID-19 economic recovery. Abe- la was quick to stop Mizzi from enjoying the same benefit at the MTA, his former ministeri- al portfolio. But nobody so far has been punished for a con- tract devised before the leader- ship contest. But now that the Enemal- ta-Montenegro scandal is linked to Yorgen Fenech's 17 Black, the same company iden- tified as a target client of the Panama companies, the onus falls on Robert Abela to act by immediately suspending Mizzi from Labour MP, and to start an internal process leading to a re-evaluation of the legacy left by Muscat in office. This could well take the form of an internal party inquiry with clear recommendations, similar to those held after elec- tion defeats. Abela's dilemma Nevertheless, what would Ab- ela gain from cutting his umbil- ical cord to Muscat? One major advantage could be winning the trust of middle- of-the-road voters who appre- ciate Labour's generally posi- tive performance in a number of sectors but are completely alienated by corruption and the dark shadow cast on Cas- tille by the assassination of Caruana Galizia. This could even increase Abela's majority to complete the transformation of Labour into Malta's largest mainstream party of govern- ment. Another advantage would be to consolidate Abela's leader- ship by neutralizing elements whose first loyalty remains to- wards Muscat, Schembri and Mizzi, creating a firewall from Schembri's own defence strat- egy, which was bound to take the form of an attempt to win sympathy among Labour vot- ers. The politically astute Schem- bri must know his chances of navigating through the inves- tigations depends on the ab- sence of meaningful political change, which would otherwise increase pressure on investiga- tors to close the circle around him and other prominent members of the Muscat admin- istration. This was amply clear in Schembri's court testimony in which he not only professed his innocence by completely dismissing the circumstantial evidence linking him to the plot, but used it to deligitimize critics, journalists and even the Opposition leader with innu- endos on side issues, unrelated to the assassination plot but which are politically effective to rally Labour supporters and muddle public opinion. The firewall Abela needs Without the firewall between Labour and the Muscat era, party supporters will easily fall in the trap of supporting Schembri – who in the minds of MOR voters is now fatally associated with corrupt deal- ings and the assassination plot. For Labour, an unofficial cam- paign supporting Schembri's innocence would be extreme- ly counterproductive. While the government is obliged to respect the presumption of innocence, including Schem- bri's, Abela is obliged to send a strong message of political atonement. By distancing himself from the Muscat era, Abela would prove he does not owe any- thing to his predecessor, a per- ception which may return to haunt him every time a serious accusation of impropriety sur- faces. So why is Abela so reluctant to act? One major reason is that he may fear Muscat as a possible source of internal instability. His government could also lose legitimacy the moment Labour voters in 2017 feel betrayed, which would oblige him to de- fend Muscat's legacy especially during more difficult economic times. Abela may also be taking com- fort from polls which suggest that rule-of-law issues have little impact on the electorate; why risk alienating Muscat loy- alists when he commands such a large majority? Yet it is this strong majority which actually gives Abela the strength to act decisively, even though he remains vulnerable to events over which he may lack control. The danger is that if Abela remains hostage to Muscat's legacy, the greater will be the temptation to protect it. It could make him a lesser pol- itician than Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, who at least had the courage to show Lorry Sant the way out in 1992, paving the way for the cleansing undertak- en by Alfred Sant after his elec- tion as party leader. It was only such decisive ac- tion, which erected a firewall between the party and the vi- olent and corrupt elements that ate up Labour's soul in the 1980s, that made the party electable in 1996. In this sense, Labour's en- during popularity, despite all the scandals of the past year, may prove to be the ultimate stumbling block, something for which the opposition is ultimately to blame for failing to present a coherent coun- ter-narrative. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt The danger is that if Abela remains hostage to Muscat's legacy, the greater will be the temptation to protect it; it could make him a lesser politician than Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, who at least had the courage to show Lorry Sant the way out in 1992, paving the way for the cleansing undertaken by Alfred Sant after his election as party leader