Malta's electoral system is based on proportional representation. Unfortunately, a rather negative aspect of this system that has existed since its inception in 1921 is that of political patronage and clientelism. Since party candidates have to compete for election with candidates from other political parties as well as those from their own on a particular electoral district, a whole army of canvassers has to be mobilised when a general election starts approaching.
Such canvassers, in turn, promote the public image of their candidate in order to get him/her elected. A few carry out such work out of sheer respect for their candidate; the majority do so as a form of investment. Hard work today, favours and preferences tomorrow if the candidate is elected and his/her political party wins the general election.
This reality of Maltese political life has led to a situation which is surely not in the national interest. It produces favouritism and discrimination between citizens in everyday life and sometimes leads to situations where people may be placed in key posts in the administration of the country where their poor performance severely damages the rate of progress and improvement in the area falling within their (in)competence.
If a political candidate who has reached a position of power tries to act impartially, he/she is often subjected to heavy pressure from his/her "clients". Such pressure often descends to the level of blackmail such as not only refusing to canvass for the candidate at the next general election but also threatening him/her with the loss of "the client's" extended family votes which can sometimes reach quite a substantial number.
Is there a solution to this unhappy situation? The best solution I can think of is that of all political parties presenting a list of candidates on a national basis, with the Maltese islands being considered as one single electoral district. This system seems to have worked well in the 2004 European Parliament elections. By itself, this would not guarantee the eradication of political patronage and clientelism in the Maltese islands. There must also be the political will at the very top to implement a policy that looks at all citizens as being Maltese and not PN, MLP, Alternattiva Demoktratika supporters, etc.
The national leader who went furthest in implementing this noble concept when in power was Alfred Sant when he was Prime Minister from October 1996 to September 1998. In one of the greatest inauguration speeches by a Maltese Prime Minister, Dr Sant, on October 28, 1996, declared: "I would like once again to re-affirm myself today as one of a group of people who would like to lead this country as a government of all the Maltese and Gozitans... It is not true that the general election produces winners and losers if we keep in sight the ideal of a united people, a people that lives together as one single society, as one single family... Our rallying cry was 'the citizen first' and we believe that between citizens there is no difference of political opinion..."
It was not only words as everybody knows. Dr Sant really practised what he preached and this is one of the reasons why he only lasted 22 months in power. Those who regarded participation in politics simply as a sort of personal investment felt cheated of their "returns". The "clients" rebelled against the leader who would not play the game of political patronage. When fate provided them with the opportunity for "revenge" in the summer of 1998 they grasped it willingly.
That is why citizens with vision have so much respect for Dr Sant. That is why we need to rediscover the spirit and the courage of 1996. It could be the first step in the long and arduous process of eradicating political patronage and clientelism in the Maltese islands.