The election of Arnold Cassola to Italy's Chamber of Deputies must surely rank as the most stunning achievement of any Maltese politician. Prof. Cassola has been democratically elected to serve on the government benches of a country which is a key member of the G8, Nato, and a founding member of the European Union.

If one excludes international appointees, I can think of no other Maltese politician that has achieved such high office through a democratic process.

Those who hint that Prof. Cassola has betrayed his country and party fail to see the wider picture of Malta's place in a modern European setting. His position will facilitate cooperation between Malta and Italy on issues that affect our region. This said, it is sad that the crowning moment of Prof. Cassola's political career was not achieved in Malta. It is our loss and Italy's gain.

For the very small group of us who have supported and admired the work of Alternattiva Demokratika in general, and Arnold Cassola in particular, this is a moment of immense pride. His election is a major boost to those of us who have always believed that AD is a party with members well capable of contributing to the process of government in a mature democracy. This opportunity has been outrageously denied to them in Malta by our heavily biased electoral system and the oppressive and reality-twisting atmosphere engendered by the PN-MLP propaganda machine. Prof. Cassola's election in Italy is food for thought for those in our society who vote on the basis of party allegiance rather than issues of the day, or the quality of the candidates who put themselves forward.

On a less serious note, I understand that Prof. Cassola's earnings as an Italian deputy will outweigh those of the entire Maltese Cabinet put together. This seems about fair to me!