May my wishes come true this year

It is usual on New Year's Day to make resolutions. It is equally true that some resolutions may fall by the wayside, sooner or later. It is in the very nature of humanity to plan as many wishes as possible. But time is a great tyrant. Let us blame time, if not determination or stamina, for the failure.

Given this premise, it will be idle to propose many resolutions. So perhaps it is best to resolve some wishes. There it goes again, resolutions to wishes. Yet wishes have optimistic characteristics. One may wish all good things. There is no harm in that. It is indeed healthy and good to make a long list of wishes. Whether they are practical or not is yet another stumbling block. But one always wishes for the best. One may let go and dream.

What are the usual wishes one extends to relatives and friends? Good health, peace, serenity and prosperity. But then there are other kinds of wishes. On much broader lines. One may describe such wishes addressed to the nation, to the people of these islands.

The year that has just started is surely a year of destiny for Malta. The two main events are the referendum on European Union membership and the general election. These concern the status, politics, economy, society. In fact all that makes or mar the state.

The first wish is that every voter recognises the duty to vote. It is not right nor democratic for any voter to stay at home on the day of the referendum. It is not an offence to abstain from voting. Still, it is a democratic obligation to exercise the right to vote. It is idle to think that one's vote is not all that important. It is, because if many are of similar mind, the total voting may not reflect the opinion of a true majority. The number of non-voters may make all the difference that really should count.

Heritage and lineage ought to have a considerable weight in considering one's vote in the referendum. It is a recognised and undeniable fact that we are Europeans. We are also a Mediterranean people. But we are neither Africans nor Asians. The fact of our being Europeans must be manifest in the result of the referendum.

Unfortunately opinions are still divided as to whether there will be a united front to register a clear majority opinion. L-Istrina did indeed show a feast of solidarity towards the needy, the disabled, the refugees and the Brazilian AIDS victims. It has been proved more than once that we present a united front when it is a question of giving for charity.

We showed strong solidarity during World War Two. Our resistance, sacrifices and gallantry earned for us the acclaim of the free world. Recently we have shown admirable solidarity in the magnificent welcome afforded to Pope John Paul II during his two visits to our islands.

Surely one hopes that a wish may be realised to show unity in the referendum vote. Or at least a majority in that we have to prove that we are indeed members of the great family of European nations to which we rightly boast of belonging.

Another ardent wish is that we must show brotherly respect for different opinions during the general election campaign. This difference is of the very essence of democracy. But there must not be any mud-slinging, any slander or libel. Let it be a clean, democratic fight of diverging opinions both in the general and the local elections.

Let there be no impossible promises simply to lure votes. All the people cannot be fooled all the time. One promise that, given goodwill of all parties, may solve a very troublesome problem. The leader of Alternattiva Demokratika some months ago proposed the liberalisation of rents. Dr Harry Vassallo proposed the nomination of a commission composed of the three parties to study the problem. The problem has been crying out for redress and reform of the more than 60-year-old rent laws. Solution of this problem would also help the environment.

The agenda for local wardens should be shifted from money-making parking tickets to protection of the environment. This must be pro-active rather than reactive.

One wishes very much that there be less bullying in the roads by insensitive drivers. Bullying in schools must be addressed with urgency. One wishes that more time is devoted to civic education in schools. While on this subject, there is a burning wish and urgent need of the establishment of Neighbourhood Watch as well as Victim Support Schemes with the active participation of local councils and the police.

The civil service has really and truly risen to the occasion during the negotiations on the acquis communautaire. Now it is high time that the various government departments and ministries show and exercise closer collaboration and co-operation.