Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1525500
7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 AUGUST 2024 OPINION Putting a problem on pause SANTA Marija week and the unbearable heat wrecks any form of political debate. The last thing on people's minds is the future of the Labour Party or the mach- inations that happened at Mile End or Castille. At least not for now. The only real priority now is how to ex- haust the holiday period and make use of the best possible time and have fun in this stifling and claustrophobic ambi- ence. But what is of concern to me - over- crowded places, traffic, beaches packed like sardines, bays with boats moored next to each other and endless display of fireworks and early morning music from open air discos - is seen as manna from heaven by so many. Others more for- tunate or affluent break with all this ca- cophony and set up base in Sicily or find a quiet corner even further from home. So any expectation of an intelligent dis- cussion on what happened in the Labour Party is not really high on the agenda or even on the cards, for the time being. And the impression at Mile End or Cas- tille is that all the changes have been ac- cepted and welcomed by the public. Yet someone once described public opinion a reflection of numerous layers stacked on each other. Though there are no apparent cracks in the way the Labour delegates expressed their loyalty and support for all the changes in the statute and the jockeying for senior posts, several others have told me that they are saddened by the juggling and have likened the whole episode to the Benny Hill show. Labourites are not happy to hang their dirty linen in public hence the media ban in the extraordinary general conference. Many cannot understand why so many senior faces were approached for the same post and then thrown by the way- side. They also find the solution to keep the outspoken critics at bay by awarding them with titles or positions as revolting. When Santa Marija passes and people return home and start work they will slowly grasp what has been happening and it will only energise their prejudice towards the PL. They will add another layer to the many layers. They will argue that while they try to lead a normal life, a political party tasked with governing this country with fresh ideas is more preoccu- pied with keeping everyone in their fami- ly content and well-greased. Bernard Grech may appear like Charlie Chaplin to many Labourites, but the La- bour Party is swiftly losing its allure and people are shocked by the way things have unfolded. Hand on heart press statements by very hurt delegates stating that they will remain faithful to their beliefs and pro- nouncing unwavering support to the La- bour religion are really one big crock of horseshit. All this is a deception to an overwhelming feeling that hard decisions are very hard to come by. Take for example the decision to bring in Leonid McKay and Alex Agius Saliba within the heart of the Labour adminis- tration. Clearly no one is questioning their competences as managers or politi- cians. But their appointments reveal an- other side to the story. McKay may be a Labourite but he is not a party man and the PL needed at this point a party man who grew up with the party. Everyone knows what was needed here. With Alex Agius Saliba, the answer to this appointment is more complex. He appears to be a compromise candidate to appease the Muscat faction. To start with 'Thunder' (Aguis Saliba) as he is affectionately known in Labour cir- cles ticks all the boxes when it comes to political popularity. But his post will be ceremonial unless he is a superhero char- acter from Marvel and is able to juggle a full-time job as MEP in Brussels and a full-time job as deputy leader for party af- fairs in Hamrun. With Ian Borg basically uncontested as deputy leader for parliamentary affairs, the party was in dire need of a candidate for party affairs who would bring a differ- ent perspective. Borg is streetwise and despite his young age, loved by the elderly delegates. But he is a man from the old guard. Agius Saliba is a clone of Ian Borg, owing much of his primary electoral success to Borg. He is also close to Joseph Muscat and continues to wave his finger at Roberta Metsola and is unwilling to find a middle road with the popular EP president. Not a good sign for someone who should be espousing polit- ical maturity. Though a deputy leader for party affairs needs to be close to the party diehards, the PL is in desperate need for someone who can entice the middle ground towards the party. Most especially in the shadow of so many scandals and corruption probes. Someone who eulogises Joseph Muscat at every turn of the day is not the man for the job. The road to these decisions is lost in an illogical thinking process, leaving many senior political figures in the Labour Par- ty bewildered by the process that led to these appointments. Time will tell whether all these changes will bode well for the PL or serve to bring it further down. I am not too optimistic. Many people view the scheming and positioning of certain people as simply weird and motivated by self-interest. And I guess the cherry on the cake, goes to the post offered and given to Jason Micallef. A post which means that he should oversee the implementation of the electoral manifesto, when in fact there is already a Cabinet minister (Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi) who is precisely tasked with this. As I said, perception is composed of ex- periences that gel together in layers. The PL has not regained lost ground. These actions are not, in my mind, addressing this issue. Well, these were some of my thoughts, now everyone can go back to sweating it out in the wonderful sizzling heat of the Mediterranean summer. Unless you ex- perience another power cut and all idea of fun is lost in fighting the heat and aroma of sweaty armpits. And that I am afraid is yet another layer to the many layers that already exist and drive the secretive Mal- tese and Gozitan voter to act in ways no one would expect. Ian Borg (left) and Alex Agius Saliba Saviour Balzan Saviour Balzan is founder and co-owner of Media Today, publisher of MaltaToday, he is a TV host and pollster