She entered the political arena before in the last elections, under the PPA flag, ran a relatively short and disappointing campaign, did not enter parliament, and now at the end of almost two years resigned the leadership of her party.
Remember GOA collapsed, called for early elections, so campaigns had to be organized in a rush, and since Malmberg mentioned the Awg 400.000 to Awg 500.000 price tag, that is probably what she spent on the race.
In a lengthy midday news interview, Malmberg outlined the reasons for her retirement. She is 62 she said, and when she weighted where she could be more helpful to her country, she came to the conclusion that she would achieve more as an activist and philanthropist.
Malmberg has always operated in the realm of ideas and ideology, and did not fit in with our entrenched you-scratch-my-back, I-scratch-your-back, culture.
I don’t blame her. I just regret she did not have more staying power. But she explained it. Had she been 30 years old, she would have paid her dues, and waited, but since she entered politics late, she decided not to waste her time, because apparently, the country was not ready for a systematic, structural change of direction, which she envisioned, and championed.
Her analysis is right. And she should have known that, and saved the expense of Awg 400.000 to Awg 500.000. She miscalculated people’s disposition and preparedness to do things differently. She thought she would be greeted as a messiah.
But, this country still votes according to old family ties and traditional loyalties, and not according to what’s good for us.
We regret to say that there is a great shortage of talent in politics, and while Malmberg diagnosed the needs correctly, and she made a valiant attempt, she forgot Rome wasn’t built in a day, and expected fast results.
Let’s talk about ‘should.’
The small parties should have banded together, Raiz, PPA, MAS and Accion21. Their leaders should have suppressed their egos and worked together across party lines to reach an understanding with just ONE goal: Take out the two main players. Usher in a new era.
But they squandered the opportunity.
Raiz hurried to join the coalition, MAS and Accion21 did not see eye to eye in view of the fact that a party cannot have two heads, and PPA possibly never considered an alliance.
Of course, I am a Monday morning quarterback.
It’s unfortunate that Malmberg who is charismatic and has a following, did not handle the smarminess of politics well. She will remain involved in civic society, she comes from wealth in the private sector, and talks a good talk.
During the interview, she explained her involvement with the Foundation of Good Governance, at length, stealing activist Armand Hessels’ thunder. According to me, that is a mini academic project, she made it sound enormous.
Her radio interviewer usually snarky and sarcastic, was all honey, as they talked, he loves spectacular failures, they make for good talk-radio.
