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Electoral reform has got to be one of the least exciting subjects to write about in a Sunday column. Yet it remains a central issue to how one gets elected to represent Joe Citizen for a period of five years.
Two Saturdays ago, I phoned the deputy leader of the Labour party to ask him what was happening with electoral talks and reform. Michael Falzon told me “This is Christmas, leave the subject for some other time.”
A week before, the Prime Minister had skirted my question and this only contributed to incrementing my curiosity levels.
Next day, Alfred Sant forgot all about Christmas and decided to spill the beans and present his version of history and how things should turn out in electoral reform. It was all a mis en scène: the Labour party according to the Officer of the Prime Minister through Michael Falzon had already communicated to Joe Saliba days before that they were in agreement with the Nationalist party proposals on electoral reforms. Dr Michael Falzon denies this (see story page 1) and insists that there was already a basis for agreement. “I categorically deny that I phoned Joe Saliba on Friday the 15th.” The agreement had happened weeks before and was kept a secret from everyone including it seems, the deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg.
Alfred Sant was obvioiusly only pulling our legs when he tried to give the impression that the proposal was his and had yet to be accepted by the Nationalist party. He even said that if they (the PN) do not agree, it is their problem!
But this is only a detail. And in politics one should never be surprised if politicians take us a for a ride. The real concern here is best understood by reading what Victor Scerri, a prospective Nationalist candidate, had to say in a daily newspaper. He wrote and I quote: “So, I can confidently state that this agreement is historic in its courage and scope. It does not only have the aim of guaranteeing proportionality, but also includes safeguards against allowing our Parliament to become a house of farce. Democracy is about representation, yes, but anarchy is not democracy.”
Victor Scerri has two problems: the first one is that his writings are not fascinating, and the second is that his argumentation is patronising and upsetting. To even suggest that a truly proportional system could turn the House of Representatives into a house of farce is taking it far too far. It is simply bloody arrogant. With the likes of Clyde Puli and David Agius on one side, and Silvio Parnis and Stefan Buontempo on the other, I am lost for words on how best to describe the Maltese parliament.
Dr Scerri has obviously forgotten what democracy is all about. To him and the two big parties, democracy is about retaining power at all costs, even if it means that thousands of people who do not wish to vote for either the MLP or PN and vote for someone else have their representation disenfranchised.
Scerri knows that if the electoral system was geared to being more representative, the threat to the big parties would be a reality and would lead to their fragmentation. As things, stand there is no national quota and the district quota remains 16.6%.
Scerri has of course forgotten all about the visions of liberty and democracy that had been presented to us in 1987 by a virginal tribe of new democrats. Today, he can only be best described as someone who is only interested in the short term. To him what is important is not that this country develops a democracy that is truly representative and which allows for pluralism in politics, but one that returns the same political formations, the MLP and PN, into power. As if they solely had something to contribute to this country, two parties that continue to fan nepotism and patronage as if it were a religion.
So how can one possibly distinguish in 2007, between a Nationalist Dr Scerri and a Labourite Dr Scerri. Tell me Dr Scerri, apart from being a Nationalist candidate who gets appointed to places, what differentiates you from a Labour candidate? What is that great ideological divide that differentiates you from the MLP?
Needless to say, I am not advocating that any other party is different. With the greens basically silent over hunting, divorce, and the electoral gimmick of including a ‘no’ to abortion in the Constitution, and with Josie’s party offering a stronger dose of conservative politics, Maltese politicking is one big bubble bath of one-sided politics.
If Dr Scerri wished to understand democracy he should read something about Aristotle and more importantly about Aristotle’s argumentation about “numerical equality” (as opposed to “equality based on merit”).
Gonzi’s new way of doing politics and Alfred Sant’s old ways have seemingly merged and guess what, people like Victor Scerri applaud this consensus. If Aristotle is far too complicated for the likes of Dr Scerri, then Vittorio should take a look at what the Gonzi Commission had to say on electoral reform – yes, the Gonzi Commission, captained by the one and only Lawrence Gonzi when he was Speaker of the House. That commission had drawn up a proposed electoral system for this country that would have ensured true representation, governance and the way forward.
We all suffer from short memories and that’s why columnists such as myself still hang around. To remind the Dr Scerris of this world that the Gonzi commission has been forgotten by everyone, including Gonzi. And that the proposals they approve are only concocted to suit their selfish political interests and not that of the country and the people as a whole.
Did someone say that we would be experiencing a new way of doing politics?
I cannot understand why roads and those who construct them have to be such a big issue in this country. Vulgarity was the best way to describe the publicised selection of those who were chosen to construct or reconstruct or resurface or surface dozens of new Maltese roads. Why did Minister Jesmond Mugliett need to hold a press conference and ask the chairman of the Manoel Theatre – who also happens to be the director general of the Federation of Industry – to hang around and wave around tickets to prove that the selection process is a fair and transparent one? That the FOI involves itself in this charade is beyond me.
Having Gianfranco Selvaggi around was completely understandable. He is after all the chairman of the transport authority (ADT), but why drag the FOI director cum chairman of the Manoel Theatre to the circus? Couldn’t the Minister have perhaps just asked the contracts department to do all the pleasantries?
Oh sorry, I just forgot! Someone has to take the credit for all the new roads. Election fever is after all in the air and to miss out on such an opportunity would be unwise.
One TV has been collecting money for its own good self. It has done this during the Christmas holidays, but even more shockingly on Christmas day. And it has been televised like some kind of reality show.
To collect money for a political cause in Christmas is sick and in bad taste. And what is it about having to roll out your tongue at One TV studios to call station chief Michael Vella Haber by his professional appellation “id-dentist”, as if he is about to perform fillings for everyone with a Labour party membership card live on air?
It is so provincial to listen to people being called il-perit, id-dottore, id-dentist, l-avukat, like some form of bourgeois simplification, so out of synch with the supposedly new culture for the new Labour party. Why not call Joe Tanti “id-DJ”, Alfred Zammit “il-kummentatur” and Miriam Dalli “ir-reporter”.
Next time, can you just say Is-Sur Vella Haber?
Service, as we learn from our exposure to Maltese retails outlets, is a miserable experience. In fact nine out of ten times it is practically non-existent. This week, with some free time on my hands I accompanied the blonde to visit some shops. You walk in and there in the shop, someone is fiddling with her mobile sending an SMS. You could be stark naked and no one would take notice.
We walked out and crossed over into another shop. There, another attendant was talking on the phone. Were we invisible? I thought I should jump up in the air like the Masai for some attention. Perhaps sing a Christmas carol.
We left to visit yet another shop and again, completely ignored. The attendants, or perhaps even the patron, continued rearranging the cloth hangers. I wonder, did anyone want to really sell anything? Is the economy doing that well?
Seeking out good manners in the vast majority of Maltese shops can only be a matter of pure luck. You would get a better offer in a forgotten community of troglodytes – at least they would say bongu, smile at you, and show you around their caves and needless to say offer you some dried figs.
If the GRTU had any sense it would get together with the MHRA and invest some energy and time calling on members to accustom themselves to some basic courtesy in their selling skills. A smile, a short gesture of recognition, a thank you, a see you soon, and even perhaps a handshake. It is not only people who sell silly jewellery that ignore clients, but even people who should be selling cars worth thousands of liri. Sometimes the only way to get some attention in a car showroom is either to dress up like some building contractor or by running an oily finger up and down the upholstery of the car.
Why is it such a big deal if one puts some extra effort in the rapport with clients? It would even make shopping a pleasant experience.
Anyone will recall the derogatory commentaries against Dom’s rapprochement with Communist China.
It was a field day for the PN. Everyone will remember, the government’s endearing explanation that Malta needed an embassy that would give it standing in Brussels, hence the decision to go for a 9 million plus palace. A choice which was blessed by the keen eye of real estate magnate Bertie Mizzi. Well so far so good. But for a prestigious EU state to accept its prime building to be furnished by Communist furniture is humiliating. beats me.
I thought Richard Cachia Caruanan who seems to have the brain behind this decision had better taste and would prefer a Maltese ‘Gradenza’ to a bamboo settee. It appears that this was the decision of one person (RCC) and sanctioned by the Ministry of Finance.
One last thing before I disappear for the New Year. Anyone in the San Gwann area will not find any MaltaToday at the outlet by the name of Well Done. The misguided owner said that he would boycott sister newspaper Illum, because of our new stories on hunting, but still wanted MaltaToday. Well you cannot choose and pick in a boycott. He will not receive any of our newspapers until he lifts his boycott. A newspaper bookstore is there to offer a service to its clients, not wage a commercial boycott. And anyway – there are 350 other outlets which sell MaltaToday, Illum and Business Today.
A Happy New Year to all readers. Thank you for all your interest and for having contributed to seeing MaltaToday sales rocket by 25% this year alone. See you next year!
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