13 Jul When nothing changes, everything remains the same
I’m writing this before yesterday’s EP elections, and just before I had my arm placed in a sling following minor surgery to my shoulder.
Over the past few months you are likely to have noticed that for this year’s EP elections I decided to openly endorse Alternattiva Demokratika as my party of choice.
I’ve voted AD on many occasions, and I’ve very often made my voting decision public through my blogs or social media. This time however, I went one step further by accepting to endorse Alternattiva Demokratika more publically. This meant appearing in a handful of primetime TV spots that were aired before the news on PBS.
Here are 10 things I’ve learnt from this eye-opening experience:
Way too many people watch local TV. Way too little read.
Way too many people do not understand the difference between endorsing a party and running on a party’s ticket.
If I ever have to explain the difference between these two concepts again, I might pop an artery.
The majority of people who saw the advertising spots had something to say about the way I looked, my smile (or lack of), my make up, the way I spoke, what I wore, how I stood, and on occasion, even about my apparent ‘affair’ with Arnold Cassola!
I’m pretty sure that Marco Cremona, who also endorsed AD on TV in the same way that I did, did not receive any such comments.
Most of those who understood that the TV spots where an endorsement and not that I was a candidate, just shook their heads in disbelief and went on a rant on how I was wasting my vote (yawn).
Their arguments were mostly based on the fact that AD is not in a position to appoint me to boards or other high places. (puke)
Too many people assumed that I’d be interested in their boring and recycled spiel that stated that this election is strictly between Busuttil and Muscat.
Because I base my voting decisions on the issues and individuals in question, many, including my own mother, think that I’m disloyal. Many also think that I’m naïve, simply because I think that the whole exercise of EP elections is about choosing individuals, irrespective of their parties, to represent us in the European Parliament.
Whilst you can take some people out of a village, it’s practically impossible to take the village out of some people – the majority who took the time to engage in a debate with me, could only opine about local petty issues and nothing else.
By the time you read this, the results are likely to have been published, and if the polls were anything to go by, Alternattiva has not done as well as it deserved. I’m hoping I’m wrong and this is why:
The Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition love to waffle about how every election is a battle between their two parties, sometimes they even make it sound like a battle between them two as individuals. Sadly, this usually convinces the majority of the Maltese, who, to their very own detriment, never consider voting for anyone else if not red or blue.
Whilst the two big parties are usually at loggerheads, there is one thing that they have clearly agreed upon, and that’s not to ever bring Alternattiva Demokratika into the equation. Tactically, they never mention AD’s very valid issues, during debates they never give it its due importance, and when they propose or implement something that AD had been harping on for years, they never give it credit. They do this consciously and strategically, because both have realized that by referring to AD in any way, whether to agree or disagree with it, they would be throwing a shining light on what they know is a very viable contender.
This year, Alternattiva Demokratika had a real chance of being elected in The European Parliament elections. In reality this has been a possibility since 2004, but this time, with an additional seat up for grabs, and the national quota having been drastically reduced, the chances were even bigger.
If we’ve managed to elect an AD candidate it also means that we’re now represented in a third political group – the European greens. In practice this means that we have access to, and the potential of influencing, an additional 60 MEPs who, to date, have never had a Maltese member amongst them.
But, just as I said in the beginning, I’m writing this column not knowing what the results are. From where I stand at this point, the only thing that is crystal clear is that both Busuttil and Muscat are aware of Alternattiva’s real chance and are doing their very best to minimize their concern. Surely they would both prefer a 3-3 draw between them because this would be the easiest way to maintain the status quo.
Yesterday we were given a chance to change what has been happening for the past 50 years – that of bringing in a third voice to represent us – I just hope that we took it!
*this article was first published on The Malta Independent on Sunday.
