This may or may not now put the ‘temporary political pandemic peace processes at risk. Much depends on how senior party figures from both sides consider if the government and opposition pandemic working alliance has completed its work. Particularly, with more politically orientated non-pandemic issues appearing as subject matters in government announcements, it seems that already, differences of opinion and party positions appear to be growing further apart. We could also be seeing a swift return to the gladiatorial home of politics, ‘Parliament’ now, a distinct possibility?
The two issues, which confirm that things are not well, is a return of the Government and Opposition defending respective positions with the usual confrontational manner of issuing public statements!
The App that Questions Personal Freedom
The first issue, where political distance soon became apparent is the Government announcement on the contact tracing APP… which the Opposition say must ‘guarantee personal freedom’ and safeguard individual rights and protect civil liberties.
The Road Closures For Cleaner Air Conundrum?
The second, are Government plans to close off three city centre artery roads, already a controversial issue with many of the public. Now, a major decisive issue with the opposition who say ‘there should not be an implementation of proposed plans for Line Wall Road and Chatham Counterguard on 1 June 2020 until there is proper consultation and sufficient groundwork conducted’.
Government say GSD Agreed to the Road Closures Plan – Are Covid Gloves Off?
This is where it starts to get messy and confusing for the public who want to know facts not via public partisan statements. The Government responded by saying, ‘it was confounded with the lack of acknowledgement and ignorance shown by the GSD following their statement, particularly how the opposition failed to say in their statement they had been consulted by the government and agreed and supported the road closure initiatives’. Which the Opposition deny. Covid Gloves Appear to be Off?
It’s obvious there is now serious political division! Also, a clear indication, as it also confirms my report last week in Panorama. How these secret closed-door political meetings, where the future of Gibraltar is being discussed and where decisions are being taken, affecting everyone one of us, BUT where the public and the press are undemocratically excluded. Furthermore, where most importantly, ‘ACCOUNTABILITY’ is sadly at an acute premium!!!
How Everything Reverts to Traditional Politics Pandemic or Not?
In political dictum, it’s said, that the tug-and-pull between opposition and government must serve its purest democratic aim: to genuinely improve government policy, rather than simply undermining it.
The above, would be true under normal cause of events where the opposition party describe, criticise and condemn the government of the day on many issues. In normal times, this would hardly be news as most of us have come to expect it, while others loath it.
But as Gibraltar faced the Coronavirus pandemic, the usual rules of politics were set aside, as it was thought it would be totally incorrect for any opposition to undermine the public trust in the government during a crisis, in which maintaining such trust is vital for the national interest.
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11-05-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR