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6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 2 DECEMBER 2020 NEWS Is swinging Gozo Malta's next JAMES DEBONO IF there is a district which where one can measure the PN's declining for- tunes, it is Gozo, the only district which retained its territorial integrity in all post-war elections and the only district which switched from a clear PN major- ity to a slim PL majority. The PN had seen its support drop from by a staggering 11 points between 2003 and 2017, with Labour incre- mentally increasing its support until it clinched an absolute majority in the 2017 general election. And this makes Gozo strategically im- portant with any hope of a PN recov- ery in the next election depending on a stronger performance in Gozo in what was once a safe PN districts which has become Malta's only toss up district. A recent MaltaToday poll showed that under Bernard Grech the PN has started making some inroads in Gozo. The survey gave the Opposition lead- er a trust rating of 45.5% as opposed to Abela's 38.2% in Gozo, which was the only region where Grech enjoyed a greater trust than Abela. The PN also gained the upper hand in Gozo with a score of 50.6%. But one still has to see whether this trend is confirmed in fu- ture surveys. What is sure is that PM Robert Abela is not taking any chances. In the latest reshuffle he re-appointed the popular Justyne Cutajar to Education Minister, increasing the Gozitan representation in the Cabinet to three. This ensures a greater voice for Gozo at Cabinet lev- el and accentuates the party's power of incumbency in Gozo. On his part, last Sunday Bernard Grech paid tribute to former ministers Anton Tabone and Giovanna Debono, both associated with the party's glori- ous years in power. In doing so Grech has gone a long way in rehabilitating Debono, still considered a powerhouse of votes in Gozo, despite being forced out by former PN leader Simon Busut- til after her husband was arraigned in court accused of misappropriation of public funds. Grech has also proposed the appoint- ment of an elected regional council for Gozo and a referendum on the Gozo tunnel after all studies are completed. Ironically Labour leaders first made both proposals. Alfred Sant had pro- posed a regional council for Gozo in 1997 in a historic turnaround from the abolition of the Gozo Civic Council in 1973. Moreover, Sant's proposed coun- cil was to be composed of elected may- ors and MPs, and was overshadowed by the abolition of the post of Gozo min- ister, a decision that weakened the par- ty's standing in Gozo. Instead Grech is proposing an elect- ed assembly which does not replace the ministry. It remains to be seen what powers will be given to this assembly and how this new layer of regional gov- ernment will fit in the institutional jig- saw which already includes 14 Gozitan local councils and a ministry. One cru- cial question is whether this assembly will have the power to raise funds. It was former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat who had first proposed a ref- erendum on the Gozo tunnel in 2014, but subsequently both sides of the House approved a parliamentary mo- tion supporting the tunnel. The risk for Grech here is that he risks running with both the hares and the hounds, proposing a referendum as a way to reconcile conflicting positions in his party. While the promise of a referendum may keep the two sides on board, it also risks sending a conflicting message. It raises the question of why Gozo should have a veto over a national infrastructure project, which would al- so heavily impact the Pwales landscape in Malta. Yet Grech's tepid support for the tunnel may be an indication that the party is getting a different picture from the ground than that presented by surveys showing mass support for the tunnel, a proposal initiated by the Gonzi administration. Gozo, which confirmed a strong an- ti-divorce majority in the 2011 referen- dum and a strong pro-hunting majority in the 2015 referendum, also presents a dilemma for the PN in its bid to retain its coalition of rural conservative vot- ers and more liberal urbanites. Labour defied the odds by gaining strength in Gozo despite its social liberalism, but significantly hunting was also added to Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri's portfo- lio. Development permits are also a fac- tor weighing on political choices. Upon the election of a Labour government a total of 497 submissions have been made in Gozo alone, seeking permis- sion to extend the development zones on parcels of land kept outside the boundaries. Swinging Gozo Historically the PL has only clinched an absolute majority of votes in Gozo twice. The first victory hails back to 1955 when the 39-year-old Dom Mintoff, snatched an absolute majority of Gozitan votes, electing three of five Gozitan MPs. The result, however, was a fluke. The PL would never win another absolute majority in Gozo till 2017. The party was nearly wiped out from the conservative island at the height of the Church-State dispute, gaining just 6.3% of the Gozitan vote in the 1962 election and 22% in the 1966 election. But after the Maltese Church lifted its moral sanctions on Labour activists in Robert Abela has appointed three Gozitan ministers. Bernard Grech is proposing a regional council for the sister island, and even praised the once-sidelined doyenne Giovanna Debono. Why is Gozo so important for both parties?