Rival student candidates exchange insults during debate on campus

Rival student candidates for the office of president of the students’ council, KSU, hurled insults at each other during a debate in the run-up to tomorrow’s elections.

Stefan Balzan, from the SDM Christian democrats, and Mark Camilleri, from Moviment Liberali, held a lively two-hour long discussion on Monday focusing on students’ apathy towards activities on campus. The discussion at the University campus was organised by student media organisation Insite.

“Student representatives have to be willing to change and not just talk about change to garner students’ support,” Mr Camilleri said. “Pupils do not actively participate in University events because the current KSU is irrelevant to their lives.”

Asked what the prospective presidents would propose to get rid of such apathy, Mr Balzan said the starting point for SDM was meeting student organisations to enhance event management. That would include a universal campus calendar, which would prevent events by different entities from clashing.

The debate was well attended in the run-up to tomorrow’s elections. The atmosphere did hot up at times with SDM supporters demonstrating strong approval for Mr Balzan’s comments while sniggering at Mr Camilleri. At one point, someone shouted: “Save us all, Mark!”

When things heated up, Mr Camilleri was advised to watch his language.

Members of the former KSU executive turned up to defend council decisions criticised by from the floor.

The issue of parking, an all-time favourite, was raised more than once. Mr Camilleri said one of Moviment Liberali’s promises was to promote the building of a multi-storey car park and Mr Balzan insisted this was not a new idea.

The discussion heated up when both sides accused the other of lacking transparency. While the KSU, with an SDM majority, was accused of not publishing its expenses accounts in full, Moviment Liberali was criticised for not revealing the identity of the architects who provided advice about the multi-storey car park proposal.

Mr Balzan said Moviment Liberali’s manifesto did not include any education policies.

Mr Camilleri reiterated that Moviment Liberali insisted on strengthening the recognition of the Maltese language. He said the students’ council should put pressure on the Maltese Academy to initiate a process in which the language could be used more and students would have the opportunity to answer examination papers in Maltese.

KSU education coordinator Roberta Rizzo retorted from the floor that English was the European language of tuition, as stated by the Bologna Process, which aims to make academic degree and quality assurance standards compatible throughout Europe.

However, Mr Camilleri insisted SDM had taken this approach by default because the government had accepted the Bologna Process.

Mr Balzan asked Mr Camilleri whether Moviment Liberali was too radical to adequately represent the vast majority of students. Mr Camilleri said if the desired changes seemed to be so radical, then there had to be a radical change in the students’ council.

Mr Balzan insisted the students might not feel comfortable with a party that had previously labelled SDM as “fascist”. Moviment Liberali’s president insisted he was not sorry for calling the student organisation fascist.