A foregone conclusion

Since the publication of this article will probably coincide with the end of the campaign, I would have loved to title this piece 'Dissection of a campaign'. But I went for a provocative heading. Let me start with the proviso that my article refers to manoeuvres within both the Labour and the Nationalist camps and I hope the PL side have the decency not to misquote me.

I have no crystal ball, but come next Sunday or, more probably June 8 or 9, it will be clear that none of the new candidates will get elected. This can attributed to a couple of enlightening phrases - 'power of incumbency' and 'big brother influence'.

Some may reduce the argument to sour grapes from my side or to coincidences, but I am still unconvinced. Let's call them coincidences for now, then. Coincidences such as seeing some candidates always having their press calls featured first in news bulletins, in order to reach the highest number of viewers, or articles or blogs by particular candidates always making it into the media despite their lack of news value.

Or the coincidence that some candidates are invariably given a regular column on Sundays while others are lectured on the need to alternate between candidates' articles to give a chance to everyone. The most hilarious moment came when a candidate was listed during a news bulletin among those attending a particular meeting when he/she was not even present. What signal does this send to the other candidates? Basically, that we could have stayed at home and not attended the meeting in the first place. On the PL side, things are not any rosier, and the backing of individual candidates is even more blatant, with the party's top brass actively pushing some over others.

It is not a coincidence that some of the candidates who contested the 2004 EP elections have similar points to make. It's a pity that the electorate does not have the opportunity to see through the rhetoric and to distinguish between candidates who actually write their own contributions and the majority who enjoy the support of troupes of acolytes who continuously churn out new articles for them and even reply to their e-mails.

The behaviour of some of the candidates was far from judicious. To cite one glaring example, less than a week after I spoke about photovoltaic panels and the need to introduce measures to enable those living in apartment blocks to install them, a candidate in the same camp chose to do the same without having any idea what he or she was talking about. The only inkling he or she had was that the environment rakes in votes. This despite party guidance on the need of individual candidates not to 'trespass' onto each other's competencies.

Sections of the media were inadvertent accomplices to this scheme since they chose, for the most part, to lambast me, ironically for my green credentials. Most of these media were heavily biased in favour of Alternattiva Demokratika, and thus they chose to dismantle my genuine efforts and criticism of the party in order to reduce the chances of AD losing votes to me. This despite me never attacking AD in any way.

Another accomplice to this desecration of democracy is that authority or authorities which supposedly ensure campaigning financial thresholds are adhered to. With some candidates splurging newspaper ads, even on front pages of newspapers and on leading websites every single day, the painstaking writing of articles becomes redundant.

The flashing images of candidates in their most appealing posture ultimately trumps proposals and arguments put forward. Is it too taxing a demand to ask for every candidate to be afforded a quota of newspaper and internet ads? Or is the business too thriving for media portals to stifle it? This is democracy for you - the more money you splash out, the higher the chances of getting elected, irrespective of your vision.

This campaign has drained me but at the same time it has still been a worthwhile experience. It has projected some of my proposals to the top of the political agenda but it has also convinced me that, when it comes to the crunch, the electorate has a minimal say in picking the candidates.

Such a sobering statement is valid for both the PN and the PL camps. Hence, the names of the elected candidates are a foregone conclusion. I long to be proven wrong. But, ultimately, we get the politicians we deserve.

Dr Deidun is a Nationalist Party candidate for the European Parliament election.