editorial

Looking the other way

Political parties revel in divide and conquer tactics, but when it comes to common denominators we all seem to be in the same boat. All this talk of Nationalist, Labourite and Greens is hogwash.

Everyone raises a family, gives birth, gets sick and dies, everyone loves and hates, has emotions and feelings, works, loves to get an extra buck and cherishes time off and friends.

Most abhor violence.

Yet politicians continue to talk as if they were the heart and soul of this country.

Let us de-franchise Malta from politics.

At one point this was starting to happen, the demise of the mass meeting was one indication of a drop in interest in political activities.

But as this happened, we witnessed the Opposition re-emerge with a combination of TV and radio stations and mass meetings.

Polarisation was once again the name of the game.

Truth be said, most Maltese and Gozitans could do without the hysterics and cat calling from both sides.

They would rather have a business-like and managerial government that affords more time to running this country; one good reason that Alfred Sant got to the heart of most Maltese and Gozitans in October, 1996.
Most of us have been told, more than once, that we take ourselves far too seriously.

Maltese society has more down to earth things to worry about.

People are concerned about the level of education for their children, the homes they live in, their health, their environs, the future, the money they earn, in a phrase, the quality of their life.

Francophile in a box
A Francophile, a former Communist, but later a self-avowed devotee of Thatcher has a particular TV newspaper show on Sunday mornings.

In typical former East Berlin Humboldt University Marxist-Leninist style, he attempts to place people in boxes. He attempted to do this with MaltaToday.

This person is none other than the former President of the Labour party, Dr Mario Vella, who now will be contesting the next general election as an MLP candidate and will hope to win.

We wish him well, but are not quite sure if he will beat his fellow rivals.

But that is beside the point.

Dr Vella is one of the many flag bearers the Labour party has; the Nationalist party has its ugly kind too.

Both share one common philosophy: if you are not with us, then you are against us.

The problem with Dr Vella is that when we listen to his ranting, it conjures up the beliefs of a nationalist, insular, anti-European party. We hope that this is all an act.

To Dr Vella, anyone who chastises Dr Sant’s policies is a PN stooge.

Referendum vs election
The EU referendum is the most democratic consultation process with which to decide on the future of Malta and Gozo. It is the most appropriate and democratic process available to the citizen in a polarised country like Malta.

This was stated by the ‘IVA Malta fl-Ewropa’ in reaction to the comments by Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami who has queried whether a general election or a referendum should be the better option for deciding on such a matter.

This is bad news for the citizen. And it is proof that the Prime Minister is seriously listening to the threats from the Labour party.

‘IVA’ has said it believes that the referendum remains the best option for the citizen to decide for or against Europe, for it allows the citizen to consider the future beyond the insular, polarised and partisan commitments of party politics in Malta.

It is true that the Labour party opposes a referendum and Dr Sant has said that he is against such a process, but this is undemocratic, autocratic and right wing in spirit – it should be ignored.