Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/441179
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 4 JANUARY 2015 13 Malta in 2015 and the AFM. If Busuttil wants to prove his doubt- ers wrong and sustain his clichéd claim that he wants to do politics differently, the PN should support electoral reform which would allow third parties to take a real shot at being elected in Parliament. The two-party system makes a mockery of modern European democracies which both Busuttil and Muscat claim to aspire to. The in- troduction of a reasonable threshold and proper cheques and balances which replace the occupa- tion of the public sphere by both major parties would be a breath of fresh air which no political leader has yet had the audacity to ex- hale. Migration Following Malliagate, Muscat childishly threat- ened the opposition of exposing its skeletons and in a bid to deviate public attention, the govern- ment issued a report on the death of Mamadou Kamara, an asylum seeker who was beaten to death by detention officers. The report revealed that former home affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici prevented disci- plinary proceedings against Detention Services officers involved in the death of an escaped asy- lum seeker, a year before the Kamara murder. Contrary to Busuttil's claims, the PN did not pay the price for the death of the migrants in the 2013 electoral trashing, but while Mifsud Bonnici is politically responsible for the death of another migrant in 2011 it is inconceivable to expect Bu- suttil to expel his MP from the party. Instead, Busuttil could propose the creation of an ad hoc Parliamentary committee involving civil society and security services to reform the detention policy, which currently sees migrants locked up in inhumane conditions for up to 18 months. He would thus be taking initiative instead of allowing the government to take sole owner- ship of detention reform and the integration of migrants. 'Anything goes' culture The PN leader has turned the "anything goes under Labour" claim into a battle cry, however the culture did not suddenly materialise in the wake of Labour's 2013 electoral victory. Past PN governments were similarly given a lot of liberty by the electorate when it came to ram- pant construction and the annihilation of the countryside. A change in culture will not happen overnight upon the PN's return to office and in- stead of lamenting the country's laissez faire at- titude which blossomed under consecutive gov- ernments, the opposition should concentrate on standing up for environmental justice, sever all ties with big businesses and understand that the contradictions of attempting to be everything to everyone will only lead to more political déjà vu. Renewal of personnel While Busuttil and his secretary-general, Chris Said, might have embarked on a plan to renew the party's internal structures which could yield positive results in the coming years, the PN badly needs a generational change within its ranks. On one hand Busuttil needs to rejuvenate his backroom staff, which is mostly made up of relics from the Gonzi administration, and on the other he needs to renew his parliamentary group. However while the former is completely within Busuttil's control, the latter change is highly de- pendent on the electorate. However, the PN can shape its future Parliamentary group which is currently made up of a mixture of clever heavy- weights, political dinosaurs, inept newbies and a few potential rising stars. This can be done by promoting new candi- dates, something which the party is already at- tempting to do with limited success, and sidelin- ing MPs who might be popular but are well past their best. Centre-left? In the latest PN general council, deputy leader Mario de Marco asked whether it was time for the opposition to become a centre-left party. Subsequently, in his New Year's speech Busuttil claimed that he wants the PN to become a party which gives shelter to everyone and be open to people from all walks of life. However, giving space to disgruntled persons with the view of winning their vote is one thing and having coherent policies which safeguard social justice and advocate the rights of the in- visible minorities such as migrants, workers in precarious jobs, people who cannot work due to physical and mental conditions and other social groups who are traditionally viewed as elector- ally expendable is another. If Busuttil is averse to turning the political duel into a presidential showdown with Muscat, he must tone down the antagonism and become a leader of a coalition of different ideas and move- ments without falling into the trap of trying to be everything to everyone. reckoning for Busuttil If Busuttil is averse to turning the political duel into a presidential showdown with Muscat, he must tone down the antagonism and become a leader of a coalition of different ideas and movements Mario de Marco