Will it take two to tango?

It will soon be back-to-Parliament time. Like those nostalgic September mornings where we would start preparing ourselves to get back to school, our beloved members of parliament will be dusting their suits, ties, and shiny shoes for the next instalment of parliament. Wow… how exciting… they just can’t wait!

One thing is for sure that the ‘new’ Government is already twisting, chopping, and shoving its own agenda. May it be how to approach pairing, or the selection of the Speaker of the House, it seems that it is the Government and its supporting media’s divine right to set the rules of the game.

True that Gonzi has secured the majority, but then how big is it? Is it big enough to justify bullying the Opposition for the next term? Doesn’t the PN remember its point of departure before blowing the whistle and calling the election?

True, and for the sake of arguing, Gonzi dramatically and courageously secured another term in Government. For that Gonzi and his political machine deserve a big pat on the back. But at what gain? How many votes did the PN lose since the last election? How many seats in Parliament have been lost? To be honest, I am short of time to do the research. But do a quick Google search and you will most probably find the answer. No doubt that you will discover that the PNs popular majority has diminished miserably. Therefore does the Opposition deserve such treatment? Should this be the ideal approach?

Reading between the lines in last Sunday’s interview Gonzi gave to The Sunday Times, it seems that the new or refreshed Premiere is choosing to change the key of his victorious symphony. For some reason he is now preferring to wine and cry about the several problems he is facing. As if somebody is creating them overnight. As if somebody is trying to sabatoge his term in office. Can it be that Gonzi is having a change of heart and is planning to re-think his 353 electoral manifesto wish list?

Shit happens. No doubt about that! Being the rising cost of crude oil, food, and other precious resources, our little nation cannot control the market prices of these essential goods that we need to import. But when you think about it, wasn’t Gonzi the guy running the show before calling the election? As Prime Minister strengthening our finances, is it possible that he lost any sense of foresight into the future? Or do our politicians for some pathetic reason just think about the short term and only focus all their energy and resources on the election date and God knows what happens after that?

Therefore I find it hard to accept that the Opposition should be treated like some dog on a leash as if it can only be ordered by its master (Gonzi in this case) to play, sit, or play dead as he wishes. If we really want national unity, both parties in Parliament have to work as a united team. Both treated with equal respect. Majority or no majority, Gonzi can’t dance on his own. The PN can’t dance on its own. 49% of the electorate can’t dance on its own. It takes two to tango and that is why one has to respect the other half.