Ir-Realtà editor to contest KSU elections
The university student charged with publishing obscene material in the newspaper he edits will be ganging up with another two candidates to contest the student council elections.
The left-wing student organisation Pulse on Tuesday declared it was not contesting since the electoral system did not provide for proportional representation on the council.
This left the distinct possibility that the election, due to be held soon, would not take place since the only organisation ready to contest was the Christian Democrat organisation SDM. Now, 22-year-old Mark Camilleri has announced he will be standing alongside Andrè Vella and Robert Louis Fenech under the banner Moviment Indipendenti.
"We know that it will be very difficult for us to win the election but we're doing this in the name of democracy; having a walkover would have been unacceptable" Mr Camilleri said.
He was speaking before the KSU annual general meeting on Wednesday, a meeting characterised by conflict, to the point that it was suspended before the agenda was even approved.
The young editor of Ir-Realtà has been accused of distributing and publishing obscene material under the criminal and press laws after publishing Li Tkisser Sewwi, a story containing foul language.
The article's writer Alex Vella Gera is also expected to be taken to court over the story. Meanwhile, a group of authors, artists and people working in the cultural field yesterday called on the Justice Minister and Culture Parliamentary Secretary to assume their political responsibility and stop criminal proceed-ings against the two students.
The calls were made in letters of protest sent to Justice Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici and Parliamentary Secretary for Culture Mario de Marco, by Grupp29 - an organisation with some 90 members hailing from the cultural scene.
The case has drawn condemnation from a number of quarters over the past months by people and organisations who felt that such action was uncalled for in this day and age and that it stifled freedom of expression. Along with Grupp29, in fact, Alternattiva Demokratika also expressed its solidarity with Mr Vella Gera.
AD said "it is unacceptable that in a democratic European society authors are persecuted for their work. Using this logic, the next step would be to start emptying bookshelves at our libraries for literature not deemed fit by the authorities."
The 1,300-word article is a first-person narrative by an imaginary, sex-craved Maltese man who speaks in degrading, sexual terms about women, whom he treats like objects. It has provoked much controversy both among the public and in the local media.
Grupp29 said: "In spite of the wave of public protest that Mr Camilleri's case has provoked on the part of the country's artistic and cultural communities, as well as the media, we are dismayed to see that the police have not only pursued their absurd case against him but have now extended the scope of their repressive actions to include the author himself."The group added that such actions placed Malta in the same league as anti-democratic and intolerant regimes.
The group also appealed to the Justice Minister and the Parliamentary Secretary, in their respective remits, to abolish censorship of the arts, to update laws defining obscenity and to stop the criminalisation of art, as was required of a country that defined itself as modern and European.
Copies of the letter have also been sent to the European Commission, NGOs for civil rights, MEPs and the Opposition.
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Christian Sciberras
Mar 21st 2010, 21:12
Andre Schembri, I've got a better and creative political idea; dictatorship, with me on top of the throne.
Don't think it will ever get accepted though. Shame.
Seriously, you didn't quite get it. The problem (at least in my opinion) is that there is no serious thought behind these people. We're talking about adventurous youngsters that would jump off a cliff for the fun of it.
And you know what? I don't care. I don't care one bit.
What I'd like to see though, is a warning: "KID JUMPING OFF THE CLIFF". That's what I want.
In other words; "THIS FREAKIN EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL CONTAINS ADULT CONTENT".
Get what I mean? Now if the person really wants to, well just read it.
If this "label" dirties the credibility of the journal, well, the label is stating the truth, no?
I don't want to protect your "little babies" I just don't want nasty surprises. Call me "baby" all you want.
Frans Attard
Mar 21st 2010, 12:21
Kull ma qieghed jaghmel dan Mark Camilleri hu kollu sabiex jipprova jsib kemm jista jkun appogg sabiex jipprova jiggustifika ruhu ghal dik l'oxxenita li qassam lit-Tfal Tan-Nies, u xejn aktar.
Dahhalha f''rasek, Sur Camilleri li hawn nies li, akkost ta' kollox, ma jridux li Uliedhom jigu moghtija hnizrijiet dik il-kwalita f'idejhom u ma jippurtahomx li ghalik u ghal ftit bhalek dik hi arti. U dawn il-Hafna nies huma kemm Laburisti, kemm Nazzjonalisti, kemm ma l-Alternattiva u kemm jekk huma Indipendenti.
Jekk inti trid li il-ligi tinbiddel, mur fuq dawk il-membri parlamentari li jappoggawk u ghidilhom biex iressqu mozzjoni fil-parlament ezattament, biex dan isir u jekk jista jkun ghidilhom biex dak l-artiklu jaqrawh fil-parlament qabel iresqu l-mozzjoni.
Andre Schembri
Mar 21st 2010, 18:05
skuzani jiena bniedem li ghandi 19-il sena mhux ha tigi tghidli ommi xnaqra jew le ! ... anzi allahares qatt l-istundenti maturi tibqa tindahlilhom ommom xjaqraw jew le ...
apparti li smajt li studenti gol-junior collage (li mhux bilfors ghandom 18-il sena ) jaqraw kotba "b'porkeriji" simili ghall ezami tal-a level tal-ingliz ...
ejja just nikbru u naccettaw li "it-tfal" li jaqraw dik il-gazzetta jghamlu "porkeriji" simili huma stess ... u nieqfu inkunu babies naqbdu ma xi hadt fuq dettalji legali ghax ghandu idea politika iktar krejativa u innovativa minn tghana...
V BAttistino
Mar 21st 2010, 19:51
I agree with Frans Attard.....
Andre Schembri....your thinking betrays that your 19 years are still void of any worries about society......being free to say whatever you want does not mean hurting other persons' sentiments. Your mother won't tell you what you should read or write but wait until one day when you have your own daughter and she comes home to tell you that she might have just gone through a similiar experience like the fictitious one described in Realta and we'll see your reaction !
Dominic Fenech...no one should tell anyone what to do but I guess you do deliver advice to your students !!! I believe you're also paid to offer this advice, which you provide out of the knowledge you have acquired through study, experience and other persons' advice.....so what's wrong in advising someone....for free ?? Its not the provision of advice which is wrong...its not listening to it which is worse !!
Putting himself in a 'public' position by contesting an election makes anyone open to listen to what the 'electorate' wants to say....and it seems that this is telling him to stay at home !
sandra borg
Mar 21st 2010, 08:56
who cares?????????
Dominic Fenech
Mar 19th 2010, 17:54
Must everybody tell Mark Camilleri what to do?
Franco Rizzo
Mar 21st 2010, 12:25
No Professor Fenech, but at least he should listen and think things through.
Andre` Schembri
Mar 21st 2010, 18:12
franco int verament tahseb li l-sdm (li probailment lesti jikkonvincu in nies li ir-regoli tal-matimatika hziena biex jiehdu ir-ragun), ha jhammru wicchom jekk jitillaw bla hadt ma ikkontestahom?
nahseb ahjar tohrog tellief milli ma tghamel xej tal-inqas tinbidel xi haga fis-socjeta`... u jekk ma tbiddel xej tal-inqas tkun qlajtilhom naqa hassell ux :P ...
Christian Sciberras
Mar 22nd 2010, 08:39
Andre Schembri - You know what that kind of person is called?
Sore Loser.
P Debono
Mar 19th 2010, 17:21
Should this Mark Camilleri make it to KSU President i would be ashamaed to identify myself as a university student
laurence schembri
Mar 19th 2010, 15:19
What a lot of codswallop, to think, my taxes are keeping this lot in luxury.
Mark Camilleri is a private citizen and a student, he has every democratic right to contest the election. Gianninu, what has Mintoff to do with all this? But I will ad that some of his `cucati` are giving you a comfortable life.
Mark Camilleri
Mar 19th 2010, 15:07
We aren't expecting to get elected with an Electoral Commission composed solely of SDM members and supporters anyway. The Commission is already threatening us with disqualification. However we have had enough with tin-pot dictators and contesting elections is one way of spreading our message. We have had enough!
Victor Laiviera
Mar 19th 2010, 18:12
Mr Camilleri, I respect your opinion and I share your aims fully. However, I have to disagree with your strategy. You are simply giving the SDM the opportunity to claim they were elected in a "fair" election. Having said that, I wish you luck and I will be first in line to vote for your team.
J. Mifsud
Mar 19th 2010, 14:53
Come on students....Now is your time!!!!!!! Vote wholeheartedly for the Moviment Indipendenti and show SDM that you are made of no-nonsense stuff. Do not be led by the nose.
Eliminate arrogance and superiority once and for all. This is the way to show some sense to some people.
Students are the cream of tomorrow. They do not condone mediocrity.
Students are radical in most of our democracies. They are avant-garde.
Oh...how I wish I am a student.........!!!!!!!
Christian Sciberras
Mar 19th 2010, 16:38
"avant-garde" and "radical" do not mix well.
I'll say one thing, there are (fortunately) better university-level schools out there, which value their students way better as well (rather then our prestigious University - which is always interested on deals for forcing students out of it).
These alternative institutions put UoM to shame.
However, as to be expected, it is students that are driving the University to it's demise! While the luxurious lot are contesting/voting/advertising themselves, (such as the ever-wise Mark Camilleri), others are being detained from education and/or completely discharged from University.
Where's the vision for better students/education? What I can see is self/group-promotion, nothing more to it.
Karl Schembri
Mar 19th 2010, 13:37
To all those criticising Mark Camilleri,
Mark is a rare Maltese example of a free-spirited critic putting his words into action. His defiance, independent-mindedness, perseverance and creativity are precisely what our university should be instilling in all students, but it's doing the opposite.
Keep up the good work Mark and may more young people be inspired.
Christian Sciberras
Mar 20th 2010, 01:52
The "free-spirited" are those that cause unnecessary trouble.
I'm not calling for censoring, but some simple reasoning behind actions.
Do we really have to ask such a person to think twice before acting?
You call for "free spirit", however, what I see is "political motivation".
James Scerri
Mar 19th 2010, 13:31
The KSU (at my time in the uni..6 yrs ago) was useless...its useless and will remain useless. Unless the majority of the students decide on changing the regime, the same useless nature will prevail!
About the Realta' article..
I really feel ashamed of living in such a closed minded country! If the content of the newspaper is not appealing...turn the page...if you find it offensive...throw away the newspaper! Come one..wake up Malta...stop living in the 1600s!!
...imbaghad irriduha ta Ewropej! ...what a joke!
Robert Callus
Mar 19th 2010, 13:29
Though Victor Laviera and others do have a reasonable argument, I do not think this is a bad move. A complete boycott would have made this seem illegitimate, however, in real terms, SDM would still hold the moral/political monopoly.
MI are offering an alternative. What one should refrain of thinking is 'I won't vote MI cause SDM will get elected anyway'. The way things stand MI are a David vs Goliath with SDM. However, if David does win or even get near, the message towards the totalitarianism of SDM would be clear. Apart from having a fresh breath in University.
Gianninu Saliba
Mar 19th 2010, 13:09
Of course the SDM will win again. It's Malta's intelligentsia that will be voting.
Gianninu Saliba
Mar 19th 2010, 12:54
Mr. Joseph Borg must accept the bottom line. Mintoff decided to govern because the Constitution (which it it pleased him he called it a piece of paper that he can tear up anytime) and ignored the expressed wishes of the overall majority of the electorate.
I never said that the PN members of parilament boycotted the general election. They did not what they boycotted was the fact that Labour abused the wishes of more than 51% of the electorate. Mr. Borg I am not interested in what Mintoff said before the elections. Thoughout his life he said far too many cucati... fabrikki tal-kappar, il-haddiema tal-korpi hekk hemm bzonn ihafru hofor u jergu jimlewhom, li l-lejber ta' l-vot lin-nisa, li sab kaxxa vojta, li ma konniex indipendenti, lihemm Europa ta' Kajjin u ohra ta' Abel (miskin qalibom ghax tfixkilhom lil Kajjin u Abel). Oh my goodness his blunders are so numerous.
Joseph Borg
Mar 19th 2010, 15:35
nahseb ghadek wisq zghir min kliemek jew inkella mat taf xejn jew kwazi. Jekk il kostituzzjoni kienet hekk....u for your information il kostituzzjoni li tigverna bis siggijiet kienet hekk ghal hafna snin qabel u ma kenitx xi haga li ghamel mintoff...l-MLP kellu id-driit li jigverna u ma kiser ebda demokrazija jew volonta tal poplu (nerga nghid minghajr ma nidhol fil mertu jekk kienx tajjeb jew le)....jekk forsi ma tafx l istorja, kien hemm elezzjonijiet fejn L-MLP gab id-doppju ta siggijiet tal PN u xorta ma gvernax ghax il-PN dak iz zmien kien ghamel koalizzjoni mal partit ta Boffa......so dak iz zmien jidher li ghalik kien tajjeb li gvern ta minoranzi jigverna? dak iz-zmien ma l-PN ma kienux anti-demokratici u l-MLP iva?? Jekk Mintoff kienx iqis il-kostituzzjoni toilet paper meta ried hu dik mhix problema tieghi u l-argumentazzjoni mhix dik....l-argumentazzjoni hija li int u ohrajn bhalek dejjem iddahlu il politika fuq kollox u tagreddixu lill kull min jitkellem meta l affarijiet ma jkollomx xjaqsmu....infatti l-intervent tieghek ta wara li irrispondejt lili juri sa fejn iwassal mohhok...li tahseb li l-bravi jivvutaw lill PN u min mhux ta skola jivota lil PL....sa hemm jasal mohhok sur Saliba...li tiddiskrimina min Malti ghal iehor....imissek tisthi!
C Pace
Mar 19th 2010, 12:54
Sur Laiviera et al
Using arts and culture which inlcudes the use of obscene language and blasphemy is (thank God) still unacceptable to the majority of the maltese people who are still following the teaching of the Roman Catholic church. The majority of the maltese people are still proud to hold on to what has been directly brought to us by St. Paul, through the direct intervention of God (as is stated in the Acts of the Appostles). Let's hope that this trend holds on for other hundreds of years to come.
Robert Agius
Mar 19th 2010, 15:41
St Paul... the same person to come up with the brilliant idea of using a symbol of Jesus, in agony, covered in blood and nailed to a cross. To be used and promoted all across the globe for everyone to see (including children please note). I guess its fine so long as his private parts are not on display. No how is that for some sexually repressed twisted moral ethics.
And now back to the KSU elections...
Andre` Schembri
Mar 19th 2010, 12:48
nahseb li din interessanti
"Mela ilbierah Lucienne Caruana - Electoral Commissioner cemplet lil Robert Fenech u heddidtu li jekk ma nbidlux l-istampa tal-grupp, fejn hemm wiehed qed jirremmetti ha jiehdu passi kontrina. Huma qalulna li qed niksru l-kodici ta' etika u dan m'hu vera xejn u apparti minn hekk il-KSU kemm il-darba jikser il-kodici ta...' etika imma fejn jaqbillhom juzawhom ir-regoli dawn in-nies!" -
Moviment Indipendenti
(http://www.facebook.com/pages/Moviment-Indipendenti/373654617407?ref=nf)
R Caruana
Mar 19th 2010, 12:48
What will be his first task as KSU President , perhaps drafting a bill recognizing that women are not sexual objects as portrayed in his disgusting story?!
God forbids this guy makes it to KSU!
Paul Calleja
Mar 21st 2010, 09:55
R Caruana.
Please get your facts right before condemning Mark Camilleri and the article published in the newspaper of ir-Realta'. The article was in defence of women as they are portrayed as objects by many, many MEN in our hypocrite society. I wasn't at all surprised when I read the article, the language and vulgarity used was exactly as I hear when I go out to Paceville for a clear-cut example. Unfortunately, it's people like you who slow down our country's disastrous progress in many things.
Regarding the article, Mark Camilleri is an example to every University student. He's not afraid of facing any challenges and has great ideologies. Stop depicting him as a sex maniac! His participation in the KSU elections is a great example of Democracy. He's fighting for the rights whereas other people just let this scandal go by unnoticed.
J Axiaq
Mar 19th 2010, 12:34
Bad move!! Last year it was the best chance for a change however SDM triumphed yet again!! It seems to be a Natural Monopoly these years!! I do not see that he has any chance of doing something!! One have to think different .. perhaps the KSU is not the only way .. a student can make an impact or to propose a change!! ;)
Franco Farrugia
Mar 19th 2010, 12:16
Bad move.
Ronald Cauchi
Mar 19th 2010, 11:55
What matters is not the literary value of otherwise of the story but the right to publish it. Free Speech is not the right to say whats proper , orthodox and commonly acceptable or even logical. its the right to spout rubbish and then accept the criticism or otherwise that one engenders. It is the right to say the wrong thing.!
Robert Louis Fenech
Mar 19th 2010, 11:42
SDM has entered KSU before without an election. Whether the council has legitimacy or not, noone really cares. You have to look at the needs of the situation at university, where a boycott by the major faction Pulse makes sense, but an actual challenge to the status quo makes sense just as much. We will work hard during our campaign to raise student awareness of the situation. You say it would have been an empty shell - has it been anything else in the past year?
I hope the boycott goes well for Pulse, and if we are elected then we will obviously try our hardest to change the disgustingly unfair electoral system, but our approach is different. Sure, we would love to enter KSU and implement our changes, which will be for the better of course (it doesn't take much to be better than the current KSU, so the challenge ahead of us in that case isn't too great), but most of all we want to challenge these people who make it more and more obvious with each passing day that they don't care about the students.
Victor Laiviera
Mar 19th 2010, 13:25
Mr Fenech, I admire your spirit and I share your aims.
But I still think you are making a mistake. You are not putting up a "challenge to the status quo" - on the contrary, you are legitimising the status quo by participating in a farcical election where even the slimmest of relative majorities will ensure a clean sweep. By participating, you become accomplices.
You place is fighting side by side with those who are fighting for the introduction of democracy. Don't do yourselves the injustice of refusing to heed this call
Antoine Vella
Mar 19th 2010, 15:28
Victor Laiviera
Even when you agree with someone in principle, you have to point out some "mistake" or other. How arrogant is that?
V Battistino
Mar 19th 2010, 11:32
there we go again with the infamous Realta article......
if it is so important to hit the news again, with all that is happening around it, why doesn't this paper publish the article and let your readers judge its literary contribution to our Cultural heritage ?
And whilst at it, also attach copies of the Realta article with the copies of the letter against censorship sent to the European Commission, NGOs for civil rights, MEPs and the Opposition......
Andre` Schembri
Mar 19th 2010, 12:59
id-drittijiet ta persuna li titkellem u tikteb huma hafna iktar imporntati minn hafna affarijiet ohra li jigru ta kulljum; mhijiex kwistjoni ta persuna sejra il-qorti , hija kwistjoni ta kif persuna tista malta tista titressaq il-qorti fuq dawn l-affarijiet fl-2010 u ghalxiex ma inbidlux il-ligijiet... fil-verita il-kitba tista tbidel il-hsieb ta pajjizz literalment ; ghax malta ezempju ma tistax twaqqa ghar-redikolu il-knsija, meta il-knisja tista twaqqa ghar-redikolu lilek...
Gianninu Saliba
Mar 19th 2010, 11:31
Look who's talking. Mr. Victor Laiviera believes that a boycott will create doubt to the legitimacy of a new uncontested KSU council. But does he remember what happened when his idol in1981 made a mockery of democracy and accepted to govern when the overall majority of the electorate voted him out? The PN members of parliament boycotted the parliamentary sittings, Mr. Laiviera's champion of democracy suspended the very same MPs that the Maltese wanted to lead the country. Hypocrisy! That is what your commets represent.
Joseph Borg
Mar 19th 2010, 12:08
Qabel ma takkuza in-nies nahseb l ahjar ticcekja il fatti kif inhuma ax jidher li anqas biss ghandek ideja x gara fin-1981 allura ha nghidlek x gara jiena minghajr ma nidhol f merti min kellu ragun u min le. Dik hija diskutibli imma il fatti mhumiex.
1) L-elezzjoni tan 1981 kienet kontestata bejn zewg partiti u il bojkott sar wara l-elezzjoni u mhux qabel (ghal kuntlarju ta li qed jigri issa)
2) Il gvern tal MLP kien leggittimu u mhux anti demokratiku, kellu maggornza ta siggijiet u biex tigverna dak iz-zmien kien bizzejjed ghax il-kostituzzjoni ta Malta dak iz zmien kienet tghid hekk (nerga nghid mhux qed nghid kenitx tajba jew le...qed nghid il fatti)
3) Il-perit mintoff dak iz-zmien fil kampanja elettorali qal li bla magoranza ma jigvernax imma ma jfissirx li ghax baqa jigverna ma kellux dak il jghedd. Kienitx kelma zejda li qal jew le dik affari ohra...li kif ghedt hija diskuttibli imma il fatti mhumiex!
Nispera li issa tifhem x hini id-differenza bejn in 1981 u li qed jigri issa fl universita ta Malta ghax huma zewg affarijiet kompletament differenti.
g. scerri
Mar 19th 2010, 11:23
Isn't it amazing that our Alma Mater which has the onus of educating our future political leaders permits elections that not only are not proportional but where the mere organization of a block vote decides the result. No wonder that our politics are what they are when the academic preparation is so maimed.
D Vella
Mar 19th 2010, 10:41
I tend to agree with you Mr Laiviera. Boycott is by far the best option,if nothing else it will teach them a lesson in Democracy,but then again, perhaps they will are happy with the neo Conservative( for which read )Fascist Theocracy that has during the last years reared it's ugly head again at University and without.
Victor Laiviera
Mar 19th 2010, 10:06
Mr Camilleri’s decision to contest the election is a bad mistake – he can't have thought the matter through properly.
The decision by Pulse not to contest the election was meant to highlight the anti-democratic system in place at the University, which totally denies representation to anybody who does not form part of the majority, however small it is.
If the election had remained uncontested, the council “elected” would have been devoid of any legitimacy whatsoever – it would have been an empty shell.
With his action, and by making a "vote” necessary, Mr Camilleri is giving spurious legitimacy to the very people who are willing to see him go to jail just to further their conservative, fundamentalist agenda.
Think again Mr Camilleri.
John Attard
Mar 19th 2010, 10:52
Bravo, well said.
Vince Deguara
Mar 19th 2010, 22:57
The decision by MLP(aka pulse) not to contest the university election is solely due to the fact that they now that they stand no chance to win the election at uni.
Tyson Fenech should make may to other competent persons .... as Stefan Balzan of SDM should due ... I remember the days when Pulse was headed by Aaron Farrugia (now MLP exec member) and David Zahra ... it was a pleasure to have such organisations debate maturely on campus .... they all lost their true value and political ideologies ...