University election valid despite low turnout - KSU president

Annette Camilleri

Mar 28th 2010, 10:00

Carl Grech, you should go back to doing 'Owkej!', you were doing a far better job when your speeches were scripted by those who know better!

Andrew Casha

Mar 27th 2010, 11:31

"Id-demokrazija hadmet" - Carl Grech

Jekk Il-President tal-Ksu jemmen li turnout ta 15 fil-mija huwa demokratiku u raprezentattiv mela verament dawn in-nies iridu monopolju. Huwa tad-dahq, anzi tal-biki, li nies bhal Carl Grech u shabu tal-Sdm li qalghu paniku waqt l-Agm biex il-proposta tal-Pulse ma tghaddix, issa li ghaddiet l-elezzjoni u zammu l-monopolju ghal sena ohra lesti li jiddiskutu proposta li qabel l-elezzjoni kienu jmaqdru. Il-maturita politika minn naha tal-Sdm u Ksu fl-universita ma tezistix ! Sewwa kitbu l-Pulse fil-banner ta' quadrangle, Il-Ksu huwa demokrazija tal-ftit !

Paul Abela

Mar 26th 2010, 22:12

Yeah, it seems pulse students are more intrested in studying, while sdm students enjoy wasting their time in politics, which no body cares about anymore nowaday. Run the KSU but just for your own buisness, nobody cares what happens, and everyone will still keep on doing whatever he feels like to do.

A. Dimech

Mar 26th 2010, 19:57

"Many" students believe they should trust SDM. I think. Mr Balzan is forgetting to ask himself why the other major part of the students did not vote or do not care.

And frankly KSU is just there for the people "tal qalba". Its just a whole farce to get what you want if you know the right people, and for the KSU members to get their way around university. Most of the other faculties and irregularities and injustices that are carried out on a daily basis at university on the students are pretty much ignored. . .

c.caruana

Mar 26th 2010, 19:42

'Democracy had worked'....are we talking about the same university that i attend?? I don't think so!!
Free t-shirts and free food are not the basics of democracy my dear Carl!!

A Sciberras

Mar 26th 2010, 19:26

I did NOT vote for this election, and I have been voting for university elections since my 2years at junior college, because I think voting for a KSU is something positive and I'd like to have my say, when it comes to who is representing me. However, this year I didn't for one simple fact, the election was a total bull. I mean seriously, why cast a vote for 3people to be elected??

and if i'm not mistaken, many of the voting ballots actually were made invalid by some form of writing.

Ahhh well, for next year I guess, maybe there will be an actual election campaign and process.

M Agius

Mar 26th 2010, 19:25

HAHAHA @ 'The re-elected president of the University Students' Council (KSU), Carl Grech, said today that the council was prepared to hold talks with students on the university electoral system.'

Will he pass it down to the KPS meetings like the other two controversial issues? Where most of the members of the executives of the respective organization are SDM members and supporters?

About 3000 students signed and are in favor of proportional representation (Pulse proposal).

Oh well SDM Għalik, l'għada jinsik! They will certainly be representing their friends in KSU but not the majority of the students.

martin brincat

Mar 26th 2010, 17:57

Demokrazija FALZA. SDM ghandu llum qabel ghada jara kif ghanda ssir elezzjoni ohra bil qbil minn qabel ta' regoli miftehna bejn l-ghaqdiet kollha.
SDM qed tkun arroganti. Minn jizra r-rih jghahsad riefnu.

J. Mifsud

Mar 26th 2010, 17:48

@ Nicky Azzopardi & all apologists

This is democracy of convenience.
A good politician takes notice of people who cast their vote, and most importantly, takes note of others who stay at home, and do not even bother to turn up at the ballot place.

Please take note of the above apophthegm!!!!!

A turnout of 15% is a flop to any decent politician in a true democracy.

DR EMMANUEL BEZZINA

Mar 26th 2010, 17:47

UNIVERSITY ELECTIONS WERE ALWAYS A GAME & THEY WILL REMAIN SO UNTIL & UNLESS STUDENTS LEARN THAT EXTENDING OUR IDIOTIC MAJOR PARTIES POLITICAL CREDO IS SIMPLY NOT ON.WHAT DEMOCRACY WHEN ONLY A TINY PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE DID INDEED CAST THEIR VOTE ? IT IS AN OUTRAGEOUS VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN THE SYSTEM,IT IS A LOUD ADMONITION THAT THINGS MUST CHANGE,EXACTLY AS HAS TO OCCUR IN OUR COUNTRY.ALL ESTABLISHED INSTITUTIONS HAVE TO BE ERADICATED AND REPLACE BY A STRUCTURE THAT REFLECTS MALTA AS AN EU STATE,STILL PARTIALLY SOVEREIGN,WITH A PLURALISTIC OUTLOOK ON EVERY SINGLE SOCIAL ISSUE THAT MIGHT ARISE.

This insignificant University Students` Election reflects however the inertia in our country in just about everything and why we have only a framework democracy which puts into gear an autocratic implementation of whatever,even if public opinion is manifestly against,such as the outrageous,unbearingly ugly Roofless Theatre Project - to hell with PIANO by the way who should have been side lined and the unsolicited Papal Visit particularly in circumstances when world wide the Catholic Church could not have been more doubted!MALTA is led by encircled circles who are doing whatever their whims fancy!

Marc Vella Bonnici

Mar 26th 2010, 17:41

''Democracy is something in which individuals and minorities feel secure, a system in which fundamental rights are respected and protected and in which there is the rule of law.''

Our president Mr. Grech should see the true meaning of democracy before stating that '' democracy has worked.''

A. Borg

Mar 26th 2010, 17:39

H Caruana,
It's your idea of the meaning of democracy that it's limited my friend.
Pity that you were not born in North Korea.

Nicky Azzopardi

Mar 26th 2010, 17:33

Of course its legitimate. People did not vote because they did not want SDM. They didn't vote because they couldn't be bothered. If they didn't trust them they would have voted for the cheap attempt at a party called Moviment "Independenti".

Don't be pathetic.

And you say people don't trust SDM? So that's why they've won for the past 4 years.

Michael Vella

Mar 26th 2010, 17:32

Hearing this Carl Grech speak, you would be forgiven for thinking that you are talking to someone who has just won a general election. Being a wannabe politician, the guy ddoesn't seem to realise that if only 15% of the students voted and his group got 50% of that vote, it means that just over 7% of students at the university actually want to see him represent them. (in all honesty, based on his interview who can blame them!) How he has the audacity to stand up in front of a camera and give a little lecture about the 'electoral process' and his group's policies is beyond me.

This is ridiculous. If SDM, PULSE and whatever other group want to be taken even close to seriously, i suggest they work on listening to what the students they should represent really want, and not what the political parties behind them want them to say and do!

J. Mifsud

Mar 26th 2010, 17:31

Dawn l-istudenti/politici t'ghada?

Ummi ma!!!!!!!!!!!

M Saliba

Mar 26th 2010, 17:16

3000 students petitioned for pluralism, and 1261 voted for KSU..SDM are more interested in having totalitarian power than having a democratic council.

Mike Micallef

Mar 26th 2010, 17:15

At my age, I can remember a film of 1970 called - Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? Seems to have been prophetic.

P.Cassar

Mar 26th 2010, 17:09

Of course it is valid BUT, WITH 15% IT IS IRRELEVANT. COMMUNIST STYLE. THE KSU IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE STUDENTS AND SHOULD WITHDRAW TO SAVE FACE.

Daniel Laus

Mar 26th 2010, 17:05

I believe that this election was fair and democratic! The low turnout was not because of anti SDM voters but students saying "I don't give a damn about elections and politics!" If most of the students were against SDM they should have voted for the leftist/ independent movement not abstain from voting! Therefore congratulations SDM!

Franco Farrugia

Mar 26th 2010, 17:02

This state of affairs does not augur well for the future in politics in Malta. The University students are far too immersed in partisan politics of their 'elders' and cannot realise the harm that they are inflicting on themselves. They should be busy working for the improvement of education at Tal-Qroqq and not squabbling between themselves over 'electoral reforms'. This is not how democracy works. Just because an election is deemed to have been without irregularities, it does not mean that the side that has 'won' the election has the moral support of the students. What all uni students taking part in this election-of-sorts should do, for starters, is to ignore left, right and centre and come out with concrete plans for the welfare of the students in general.

CILIBERTI David

Mar 26th 2010, 16:57

Kindly keep the following fact in mind before rushing to conclusions as to the voter turn-out.

In 2006, 2007 and 2009 elections all KSU Executive posts were contested.

In 2010, only 3 KSU Executive posts were contested.

Undeniably, this fact has a direct bearing on the voter turn-out, which, however, remains low.

Furthermore, any proposed changes to the electoral system will not increase or decrease voter turn-out. It fundamentally boils down to how KSU operates and is viewed by its fellow members, something which cannot be changed in a year or two.

Jeremy J Camilleri

Mar 26th 2010, 16:56

H Caruana...its also been used by the Nationalist party.
Actually, the Nationalist party gave birth to such a tactic in Malta...

See, today you've learnt something new...

H Caruana

Mar 26th 2010, 16:56

@Anthony Dimech

Rest assured that I'm not joking and if you think that it's the joke of the year then your idea of humour is pretty limited.

Carlos Grima

Mar 26th 2010, 16:53

With just 15% of students voting, there is avery clear indication of the kind of University life that about 85% of the students at the UOM have, that is: a non-existant university life, very limited interaction on campus. Student simply go for their lectures and leave. Perhaps they use the library but then they go home to study, or for driving lessons or to their part-time job or somewhere else.

Its quite a pity in a way because many foreigners say that their best years in life were at the University campus.

I do not think that most maltese students would be able to say that. It seems that for them university is just a box on their daily 'things-to-do' list, an errand amongst many other.

C.G.

A. Borg

Mar 26th 2010, 16:46

H Caruana,
14%??????????? elected in a legitimate manner!
I'm sure you're joking.
This is the joke of the year for sure!

Alexia Falzon

Mar 26th 2010, 16:43

Well done SDM!

All students had the right to vote. Pulse and their side-kicks chose not to participate in yesterday's election. Their call. Their loss. Now it's time to move on.

Joseph Catania

Mar 26th 2010, 16:30

with less than 14% students voting i wouldn't call that DEMOCRATIC.... I think SDM you should be ashamed of yourself.

T Camilleri

Mar 26th 2010, 16:14

This election will be the sick joke of the year if nothing sicker happens which I doubt.
KSU and SDM, agree to a change in the election methods and rules and hold another election if you want to have any credibility. You are nothing but a tiny minority.

H Caruana

Mar 26th 2010, 16:13

Maybe we should count the invalid votes, those who voted for Moviment Indipendenti and those who didn't vote and maybe then we could conclude that SDM didn't win yesterday's election. This formula has been used, in vain, by Socialists in the past so maybe they could give it another shot this time. The truth is that this KSU has been elected in a legitimate manner by the students who decided to vote. Student apathy is a phenomenon which has always been present irrespective of council elections or not and applies to participation in student orgs, cultural activities, etc . The majority of students opt to attend lectures and go back home and it's their choice but it is no valid justification for delegitimizing this or previous KSU executives. This had to be some sort of referendum on Realta editor's case and instead the communist coalition turned out to be the least credible contestant in recent years despite the vicious campaign mounted over the past days against SDM's candidates who kept a positive approach all the way. Best of luck to the new executive!

A. Borg

Mar 26th 2010, 16:05

Kieku jien nisthi nghid li rbaht meta kelli 10 % biss tal-votanti warajja!
Wera bic-car li 90% m'ghandhomx fiducja fih.

S. Borg

Mar 26th 2010, 16:05

Pulse is barking up the wrong tree. While it's is true that the 11000-odd students who did not turn up did not vote for SDM, neither did they vote for Pulse. If Pulse enjoys so much support, how come its supporters stayed away?

E.Farrugia

Mar 26th 2010, 15:59

..students cant be bothered with politics on campus, nothing ever happens or if so after a life time something happens, but apart from that in my opinion Student Politics is a waste of time on campus no one cares come on .. we'r there to study & get our degree. Its the nation politics which are important rather than small scale politics which only divides students.

Ivan Attard

Mar 26th 2010, 15:47

L-SDM hija skreditata u ma tistax tghid li gabet il-maggoranza meta kienu biss 15% tal-istudenti li vvutaw f'din l-elezzjoni fazulla. Il-poplu jrid sistema gusta ta' kif isiru l-elezzjonijiet.

P.Scicluna

Mar 26th 2010, 15:44

what a joke.............................
this gives a very bad image to Malta's oldest institution.
its a joke which now it goes beyond our shores.
The University needs to go into this (and not only into a students publication) because at the end this does not reflect a true democracy . The turn out say so. But the university and the Goverment are happy as long as they have the people they want. but still a joke.

G. Fenech

Mar 26th 2010, 15:40

15% turnout should not allow the election to be valid. this obviously shows lack of confidence in the electoral system at university, and the prospective candidates.

Is this a glimpse of our political future?

Ernest Vella

Mar 26th 2010, 15:38

Ghamlu votazzjoni ohra Pulse u araw kemm tghaqqdu voti - hemm tkunu tistghu tparlaw. Jekk l-istudenti mohhom iktar fl-istudju milli li joqghodu jilghabu tal-poltici, dan ma ttihomx tort...nahseb tghaqqdu 50%....qed inkun generuz ukoll.

C. Sapiano

Mar 26th 2010, 15:27

Turnout or no turnout, democracy triumphed.

Even if the turnout was low, the fact remains that SDM has more support than any other grouping.

Claire Bonello

Mar 26th 2010, 15:19

So Carl Grech is willing to start talks about the electoral system now. Conveniently enough after the election.