E-failure

The Malta Independent

E-failure

The `e-` syndrome is in fashion. E-failure has nothing to do with it. The E in E-failure stands for the three keywords which carry the essence of the criteria which measure our quality of life: Economy, Environment and Elections.

On all these measures we are failing miserably. Our quality of life is suffering and deteriorating.` And this has nothing to do with the usual bla-bla-bla which is freely trade and exchanged between our two political parties. It has all to do with the daily life of all Maltese residents whether average John Citizen or a multi-millionaire alien who has chosen to reside amongst us.

There can be no sustainable improvements in the quality of life if not framed within a healthy and growing economy.` And whatever our politically inspired economic managers may say the economy is neither healthy nor is it growing. Exports are falling, investment has dried up, government debt has kept increasing at much the same rate as those maligned labour`s 22 months, government expenditure is showing no restraints, budget deficit is up on last year and well out of current year`s projections, foreign reserves are falling, balance of payments deficit is worrying, and employment is only sustained by increases in the numbers of the public sectors.` Private sector liquidity is being drained by public` sector taxes and a string of bankruptcies or closures seems to have started which was unheard of in living memory and which could` have a dangerous contagion dimension.

The Environment is in a decadent state. Economic improvement can only deliver true quality of life enhancements if based on sustainable environmental policies.` Instead we have the worst of both worlds. Economic dullness and environmental crisis. Years of neglect and bad investment in waste management, road networks, drainage systems, energy generation, have suddenly culminated to render our roads a permanent danger to the best of drivers, our air seriously polluted in the densest populated areas, and our seas contaminated and not fit for swimming.` And contrary to what our Minister of Tourism claims this is not meant to alarm anybody. This is pure safeguard to those who` were swimming in Mellieha Bay when the sea was smelling of drainage as I drove by late last Sunday evening.

Even if the economy and the environment were in perfect shape quality of life depends on the state of health of the third E: Elections as the ultimate symbol of democracy through a fair and transparent electoral process.` But even here we are failing miserably.`

Three failings in one month are more than enough to prove that our democracy is virtual not real.` At the operational level the administration thinks it can fool us all firstly by calming our anger at the Lm25 parking style fine for the politically motivated premeditated attack on Tarcisio Mifsud in the sanctity of his private residence, by claiming that the state is appealing the sentence;` only to find out months later that a half-baked appeal has been put in against one of the three accused who was originally acquitted.

At the parliamentary level we have the majority in parliament usurping the right of the Constitutional Court in passing a simple resolution giving an interpretation to a clause of the Constitution which needs a 2/3 rd` majority to be amended. And now we have the Government that` feels it can gain sole and unsupervised control of the electoral process by staffing the electoral commission with faithful acolytes against the wishes of the opposition.

This is an e-failure with a capital E.