Build bridges not walls

This is a watershed moment. It calls for a serious, courageous, honest and assertive soul-searching exercise.

During the US Presidential election campaign, Donald Trump pledged that he would construct a wall along the Mexican border. In an indirect reaction, Pope Francis underlined that in life we need to build bridges, not walls. Walls represent insecurity, an inward-looking approach and a besieged mentality, the Pope said.

After the second consecutive drubbing at the polls, some people within the Nationalist Party may be tempted to raise the party’s ‘drawbridge’ and retreat into their own echo chamber. Others may opt to turn themselves into hedgehogs, becoming defensive, even when faced with constructive criticism. On the other hand, some may try to play the ostrich, burying their heads in the hope that this debacle will fade away. Others, to satisfy their own power trips, may seek to condition the party’s fortunes.

I do not subscribe to such shortsightedness. Currently, the party is at a loss. Like all other losses, the party has to pass through a bereavement process. Crying over spilt milk, protecting the status quo and going after the sacrificial lamb is not a healthy option. This is a watershed moment. It calls for a serious, courageous, honest and assertive soul-searching exercise. No stone ought to be left unturned.

It is time to query serious questions without accepting half-baked replies. It is a time of renewal. Good-intentioned people should come forward in the process. Change for the sake of change is no change. This is a challenging time that can and must be perceived as a golden opportunity for growth. Failures are meant to be only a stimulus for renewal, not an excuse to let go.

To whom should the PN reach out and bridge? There are many but I limit myself basically to two.

The party needs to bridge first and foremost with its own core values. Sadly, the PN stand on corruption, good governance and honesty did not resonate with the majority. Clientelism, cronyism and patronage carried most of the day. Does this imply that we should stop advocating and promoting such values? Politics for the sake of power is soulless politics. We cannot shy away from our values.

The values we choose outline our identity. The values we cherish define what we stand for. The values we hold dear give us a vision and direction. Consequently, at this point in time the party needs to rediscover its core values, which are basically of Christian and humanistic inspiration. We urgently need to reply to the questions – what does the PN stand for today? What makes us different? Why should voters opt to choose us? If we are not different from other political parties why bother changing government, many will sneer.

Just as the Labour Party has departed from its roots, is the PN to follow suit for the sake of power? As much as Jack of all trades is said to be master of none, the party cannot be one for all. Although we are living in a rapidly changing society, we need to be a clear point of reference. If Jeremy Corbyn was bold enough to defy all odds, why can’t we? For example, one cannot be pro-development and also a pro-environmentalist under the disguise of being in favour of sustainable development.

Although sustainable development is the only way forward, experience sadly shows that many times this is just a cliché for more overdevelopment. Sliema, St Julian’s and Swieqi are a tangible example. The party cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. We need to decide on which side of the fence we are going to sit. Voters will regain their trust in us only when and if we dare to make bold choices that make us stand out. If this is not the case, then we fade into irrelevancy. So, this is the time to stand out. Another bridge which the PN needs to cross is with the Labour Party itself.

Although the role of the Opposition is to keep the government in check, the party needs to choose its battles and allies well. Taking a militant, defensive and aggressive approach, underlines a besieged mentality. The PN needs to stop bashing the government on all issues and being overcritical. Instead it should learn to call a spade a spade. Although we need to be assertive it must do this in an intelligent, constructive manner and countered with concrete proposals.

We cannot resort to negative campaigning. People do not identify with negative thinking. They already have their own problems to tackle. We need to offer solutions. We ought to regain trust on our own merits rather than on the demerits of our counterparts.

On its part, the Labour Party seriously needs to walk the talk. It has made a travesty of its previous pledges of meritocracy, transparency, accountability and zero tolerance to corruption. Labour needs to learn from its past mistakes and not repeat them.

Winning the election is not an excuse to shy away from this responsibility. The latest slogan Aħna lkoll Malta needs to be more than gloss. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Sadly, the recent aggressive outburst by Tony Zarb, a Labour stalwart and the number of transfers issued after the elections show that lessons were not learned after all. In short, both parties need to acknowledge that Punch and Judy politics is in the end a disservice to the common good.

We need to stop being a divided nation. Although political divergences are part of democracy, we need to come together and seek consensus rather than confrontation. We need to understand that walls will only enclose us further in our petty small worlds while bridges open up indefinite possibilities.

On a personal note, I would like to thank all those who entrusted me with their vote. Although I was not elected this time round, I choose to continue being a bridge builder wherever that takes me.

Together we can overcome.

(This article was published on Times of Malta – 23 June, 2017)