Government's 'feet of clay'?

A local opinion poll found that 53 per cent consider corruption rife. This is a silent majority to which the recent national protest gave a voice and a face.

Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon had a distressing dream. He dreamt of an impressive statue made of gold and silver. However what disturbed him was that the imposing structure stood on feet made of clay. How could it stand for long on a foundation made of clay, he mused? Today the expression ‘feet of clay’ accentuates the vulnerability of someone who, in spite of having an impressive appearance, at closer glance has a weak point that if left unaddressed will cause his downfall. Does the government have feet of clay? Various indicators point to this notwithstanding the government is in deep denial.

Confirming the state of denial is the government spin that we’ve never had it so good. People are becoming suspicious that the government wants to engineer public opinion. Through subtle and not so subtle spin, the government is trying hard to convince people to adopt a selective appraisal of what is happening. This is manipulation and brainwashing of the masses. Sadly, PBS and other government mouthpieces are giving a helping hand.

It is accurate to state that the economy is thriving. The latest Fitch ratings confirmed this positive outlook. No doubt this is a feather in the government’s cap, although not all are sharing in this success. But in all fairness our economy has been doing relatively well over the past decade. While several European countries experienced grave economic turmoil and bailouts, the previous administration navigated our nation well. It is true that the party lost the last election big time, but it spared our country from a bailout as happened in neighbouring countries.

Wisely enough, the current government followed and built on previous success and initiative. In fact, the same Fitch report highlights that the sectors which are expected to experience best performance are the pharmaceutical, remote gaming, financial services and tourism sectors – all previous administration success stories. So, going back to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, this economic success is the gold and silver part of the impressive statue. But where are the government’s feet of clay? After just four years in office this government is engulfed and riddled with an everlasting number of grave corrupt allegations.

Economic success is never an excuse to close an eye to corruption. Sadly, the government’s performance is being overshadowed by everlasting stories of bad governance, sleaze, scandals and corruption. Some hardworking ministers must be fuming.

Nepotism, clientelism, lack of accountability, meritocracy and transparency all form part of this corrupt equation. Corruption is evil no matter who the author is. It breeds social injustice and inequality. It corrupts our tested values of honesty, integrity, social justice and solidarity. Corruption gobbles away funds earmarked for the many only to be secretly channelled to the few. It rewards the parasite citizen and castigates the hardworking and law-abiding citizen. This is socially repulsive.

Unfortunately, corruption is part and parcel of humankind. Previous administrations were not immune. But what was bad then is still bad now. No spin can change that. Never before has our nation experienced, in just four years, such a surge in institutionalised corruption, sleaze, deceit, abdication of public institutions, the legalisation of illegalities, shady dealings and dubious contracts.

The mentality that anything goes and all is justified is rampant. Week after week, cases of different levels of corruption are uncovered, from the Café Premier bailout to the Gaffarena saga, to Azerbaijan oil hedging, to the obscure Electrogas and Vitalis contracts, to the secret trust in Panama and Bahamas, to binge drinking in Dubai and to an alleged ‘happy ending’ in Acapulco.

These are just some classic examples amid the numerous handouts to party lackeys, unjustified promotions, commissions, astronomical salaries, handing out of prestige public land, dishing out of positions of trust and direct orders.

While the government tries hard to justify the unjustifiable, two separate surveys confirm our fears. The recent Transparency International Index downgraded Malta 10 places in just one year. On the other hand, a local opinion poll found that 53 per cent consider corruption rife. This is a silent majority to which the recent national protest gave a voice and a face.

The Prime Minister cannot just ignore these concerns anymore, try to undermine them or worse still to treat citizens as imbeciles. He is not only the leader of a political party but the leader of a nation. As Prime Minister, his interests should only be motivated by the interests of the nation. It is in our national interest that corruption is stopped immediately. The irreparable short and long-term damage to our core values goes beyond any political mileage and/or economic success.

Just as the Prophet Daniel warned Nebuchadnezzar about the imminent collapse, so is Simon Busuttil warning the nation. Although it’s an uphill struggle, Busuttil is determined to make good governance and honesty his top priority. Honest citizens need to support and encourage this daring endeavour.

Eventually, fostering corruption will contribute to the government’s downfall, notwithstanding any impressive results.

Clay feet do not endure. Just ask King Nebuchadnezzar.

(This article was published on Times of Malta – 2 March, 2017)