Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1283588
7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 AUGUST 2020 OPINION THE fact that Robert Abela won the Labour leadership race against expectations – with the support of the party's grass roots – will not spare him if he cannot quickly reverse the impression of incompetence and ineptitude that many think is becoming the hallmark of his administration. Whether this is just a perception or not is irrelevant. Fair or not, it will become the driving narrative of Abela's premiership. The astonishing resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent open tug-of war between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Tourism belies a lack of unwavering lead- ership on the Prime Minister's part. The way the immigration prob- lem is being handled also belies a government that is confused and does not seem to know what to do – more so after the money the country had to fork out to use of pleasure boats to keep mi- grants from entering Malta. This was one big fiasco that can only be attributed to the Prime Min- ister's ineptitude. The Prime Minister's decision to keep Edward Scicluna as Min- ister of Finance despite the re- cent revelations on what was go- ing on in the Ministry of Finance when Joseph Muscat was Prime Minister, also gives the impres- sion that Robert Abela is not managing to shake off the spec- tre of the Muscat administration and somehow has a finger in that pie – a finger that is well and tru- ly burning. This is what the man in the street perceives and it is this per- ception that will determine the Prime Minister's popularity; and – whether we like it or not – the fortunes of the party in govern- ment depend solely on the Prime Minister's popularity. Given all of this, it takes a par- ticular skill on the PN's part to remain behind in the polls, but the perception of incompetence contains all the elements that can transform a government's political fortunes overnight. In the last election, many vot- ers closed an eye to corruption because they felt they had never had it so good. But the percep- tion of incompetence, plus an economy that has seen a steep downward trend, are the right ingredients for the sort of elec- toral upheaval that would put la- bour in the opposition benches. It could well be true that Rob- ert Abela is not at fault for the economic situation that is most- ly the result of the COVID-19 pandemic; but since the econ- omy is going to the dogs under his watch, the perceived cause and effect cannot be shaken off easily. If the PN can manage to por- tray itself a credible alternative government – despite the inner differences that have destroyed its public image – Labour could well be in trouble by the next election. In the situation that the PN currently finds itself, this is prac- tically impossible. That is why the effect of the short-sighted rebellion against Adrian Delia – stoked by many who should have known better – will probably lead to the PN losing its chance to win the next election. Minister vs. Ministry The revelations from the wit- nesses called to give evidence in the public inquiry on the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia keep surprising us all. First we had the minister of finance saying that things were being decided behind his back. Now we have two chairmen of Projects Malta – William Wait and Adrian Said – confirming that all meetings of the unit were held at the finance ministry, and they were always attended by the permanent secretary of the fi- nance ministry. Projects Malta was the gov- ernment agency responsible for major projects. That Projects Malta was not involved in the Electrogas deal is of no surprise. That contract was – as it should have been – the responsibility of the then-Enemalta Corporation and it actually predated the set- ting-up of Projects Malta. The way in which the Vitals hospital concession was given shows that Projects Malta never decided anything. The 'Request for Information' document on the privatisation of the man- agement of three hospitals was farmed out to a private legal consultancy and the final deci- sion was taken without any due diligence being carried out on the company that was 'chosen' to do the job. There was a rush, it seemed... and the finance ministry ap- proved all the direct orders and decisions taken. The issue has now become a serious one concerning the rela- tions between the finance minis- ter and the permanent secretary of his ministry. If all evidence is to be believed, one concludes that the Perma- nent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance took very important decisions involving millions of euro in public money without informing his minister. Is this what really happened? Was there such a complete breakdown in communications between the minister and his permanent secretary to the ex- tent that projects were being approved behind the minister's back? And when the finance ministry read in the papers about what his ministry had approved with- out his knowledge, did he not ask his permanent secretary for an explanation? Was therefore, Minister Sciclu- na fit for purpose? The mind boggles. The Trumpian Party The Republican convention has turned out to be an event centred on Donald Trump's ego- centric personality. Speakers at the convention included the likes of Donald Trump, Jr., his girlfriend, and Eric Trump, among others. They are people who lack any visible merit but were paraded as per- sons who are somehow worthy of attention, admiration, and re- spect. And Donald Trump him- self addressed the Convention every day... President Trump even ap- peared on screen to sign a sur- prise pardon for Jon Ponder, a convicted bank robber who turned his life around with help from the FBI agent who had ar- rested him. No President had ever before issued a pardon during a politi- cal convention. It is obvious that the Republi- can Party – one of the two major political parties in the US – has abandoned its powers of critical thought. It seems that many mil- lions of Americans have chosen to follow that party as it leaps off the cliff, into the abyss. Are Americans succumbing to the cult of personality that Donald Trump has spun around himself? Has the Republican Party abandoned its principles and metamorphosed into the Trumpian Party? By sticking to Trump at all costs, the Republicans have un- dermined the so-called checks and balances in the US Consti- tution. Michael Falzon Incompetence is Labour's nemesis micfal45@gmail.com Edward Scicluna and Konrad Mizzi