Eddie and Guido

31 Oct Eddie and Guido

Now that the John Dalli episode is a closed issue from the political point of view, in the short term focus is shifting on the Tonio Borg grilling and PN deputy leadership contest. Still I think our  Parliament should discuss the issue.

As I have said some months ago one of the main problems facing the current PN leadership, amongst others about which I have been very clear, is the fact that both Dr Gonzi and Dr Borg represent the Conservative wing of the Nationalist Party in  a way that a section of the PN as represented in the Councillors and eventually in the grassroots and electorate,  does not feel it is represneted in the leadership.

This situation was very different from that of the formidable Eddie-Guido tandem. Eddie in general represented the PN conservative wing, the main wing of the PN, whilst Dr Demarco in general represented the more liberal wing in such a manner that all the Councillors identified themselves with the leadership.

The Deputy Leader is not the Leader’s clerk! He must be strong enough to create a balance and a different point of view. He must be bold to bring change, real change not just cosmetics. He must not be seen to be more of the same. Neither is the Deputy the Leader’s clone, he must offer an alternative viewpoint. Leader and Deputy must appeal to different sections of the PN councillors, the grassroots and ultimately the electorate at large.

The keyword in this Deputy leadership contest should be : RECONCILIATION. He must be someone with whom the thousands of Nationalist who have left the party, can identify themselves. 

I have no doubt that there are various individuals within the PN who have these attributes including those who have been mentioned in the media like Beppe Fenech Adami, Simon Busuttil, Mario Demarco, Chris Said, Jason Azzopardi, Robert Arrigo, David Agius and others.

Austin Gatt please keep out of it.