AD has Parliament in sight
Voters can make history and vote for a multi-party system in line with modern European democracies, Alternattiva Demokratika said this morning.
Addressing a news conference, chairman Michael Briguglio said 2,000 first preference votes in a district would result in AD's election.
He invited voters to make history and ensure that a progressive voice of reason was elected.
“Malta would join the rest of Europe in having parliaments with more than two parties, and we would ensure that reasoned debate, rather than partisan pique, takes place.
“In parliament, we also table legislative proposals for environmental protection, social justice and civil rights".
Spokesman Mario Mallia spoke about moral rectitude in politics including the need for sensible policies that did not put the rights of future generations in jeopardy.
The sustainability of health and education among other areas had to be ensured.
Promising anything from giving medicines to those over 70 regardless of need and the indiscriminate dishing out of IT tablets, gifts of €500 to €1,000 to every youth irrespective of means, just to mention three of a plethora of other populist proposals, together with the wanton erosion of government revenue, would lead to unsustainable finances.
“Such politics is tentatively populist and at best irresponsible. This will result in hurting the weakest the most. Likewise, neither can the rights of the large majority of hard working, law abiding citizens be trampled upon by political parties financed by big business and held ransom by cowboys and land grabbers,” he said.
He said that AD would ensure that legislation on party financing and whistle blowers, among others, would be put in place to make sure that the tragic circus unfolding in the last weeks was avoided at all costs.
“If people want real change, they have to vote for it. AD in parliament will be the voice of reason,” he said.
33 Comments
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Michel Bencini
Feb 17th, 17:34
It is always difficult to break the hold of the 2 party state. Politics in Malta is like football. You either side with the Italians or the English. Not too much movement for someone who roots for Germany, Brazil or Ghana. Most people, with the exception of a few rational or cynical ones who mistrust what they hear, are only motivated by emotion, passion or fanaticism or expectations of reward
Daniel Buhagiar
Feb 17th, 15:06
Never before I realised that it would take so little to elect another party in parliament.
I think this time, considering the poor choices of PN and PL available, I will definitely go for AD
Gorg Sciberras
Feb 17th, 14:39
After the shenanigans of the last 5 years, the last thing we need is one MP who hold the balance of power.
D Borg
Feb 17th, 16:15
@ Gorg
Will an underhand Eur.500 Cabinet increase be repeated?
Will a holistic Energy policy remain a political football?
Will the underground Water time bomb remain under the carpet?
Will the Whilstleblower Act, and Transparent Party Financing Regulation gather more dust?
Will public authorities' board members remain party stooges?
Will accountability and political responsibility remain fiction?
Mr Duncan Scerri
Feb 17th, 16:17
I agree. Gonzi's dictatorial attitude has been a nightmare for us all.
M Grima
Feb 17th, 13:49
I suggest AD team up with the 'Tal-Farfett' party to reach their objective!!!
Joseph Borg
Feb 17th, 13:37
A good lesson after these five years is that the government needs to be solid and strong. Having the majority hinging on AD will only produce an ineffective government, like we had.
D Borg
Feb 17th, 16:11
The choice is a potential PN or PL government with a 1 seat majority, i.e. at least potential 33 individual threats if you see it that way.
OR an AD representation in parliament - which will also be representing the European Greens - with its first opportunity to prove that a coalition government is the future for Malta.
Moreover Briguglio's, Cassola's & esp Cacopardo's integrity is well known
Gianfrancesco Buttigieg
Feb 17th, 22:39
Wrong, Joseph Borg.
First of all a rogue element can appear in any party... After spending years gaining people's trust do you think AD will ruin it by just voting against the government?
It doesn't make sense - even just tactically - for the AD.
Joe Grech
Feb 17th, 13:27
Taf x'naf - li meta l-poplu inghata c-cans biex jisma l-argumenti mressqa mill-kandidati tal-AD, waqqaf widnejh ghax induna li Michael Briguglio, Carmel Cacopardo etc jitkellmu b'mod li jikkonvincik ghax professjonali, kuragguzi u jpoggu l-ewwel l-interess tan-nazzjon u mhux tal-klikka u l-partit.
Tkun haga tajba li jitla l-Partit Laburista u jkun hemm ukoll kandidati AD.
Dak li hemm bzonn!
anthony sultana
Feb 17th, 11:55
If we want to have a government that cares about our islands you need more than two parties watch,as we saw this last 50 years.The more different groups we have in parlament the wider the watch will be.We never learn despite all the nagging around us.
V. Cauchi
Feb 17th, 11:53
They must have a wrong view of Maltese voters. They should realise they have put off many a prospective voter owing to their liberal and lax attitude to moral matters. Moral rectitude must include much more than the need not to jeopardize the rights of future generations and must protect ages-old laws of inter-personal morality.
Marthese Formosa
Feb 17th, 17:50
AD are not lax in moral matters as you put it. They just realized that all the traditional enforcements have failed, endangering people. First thing you learn in ethics- law is not morality. You can't enforce and restrict it this will harm people. For example, what's the use of jailing drug addicts when all they need is help and for people to care? rehabilitate them and put them in jail after? tha
M. Cardona
Feb 17th, 11:53
Voters WILL make history by ensuring AD retains its track record of negligible electoral support and be thus confined to the dustbin of history's non-entities where it truly belongs. In reality, AD is well set on achieving just that, but why should anyone spoil all the fun and "trample" on their misconceived aspirations? After all AD is equally entitled to its unachievable day dream.
Robert Callus
Feb 17th, 14:03
You've got the PNPL defending your right to have "fun" killing birds. Other people have a different opinion and deserve someone to represent them too. We shouldn't overthrow democracy so that you can have fun, should we?
M. Cardona
Feb 17th, 16:54
Neither would the electorate elect an AD representative to hold all parliament and electorate at ransom with its single seat. And for what? For radical, non-constructive non-policies?
That's such a representative democracy, Alternattiva "non" Demokratika style.
But hey that's democracy, let's see how they fare abysmally.......as customary :-)
Marthese Formosa
Feb 17th, 17:51
history non-entities? You do realize that that's not how history works right? The fact that they are there makes them entities. Achievements start from dreams. Do you want the new generations to give up simply because there are two giants there that have hoarded all possessions, that even if they have something to contribute, they should just shut up. Is this the attitude you recommend the youths?
M. Cardona
Feb 17th, 18:57
Marthese Formosa,
and yet AD who's democratic credentials are simply its namesake, would like to be in a position to shut up any in disagreement.
"Contribute" since when? When exactly did they start to do that, cause I must have been caught asleep and missed that.
M. Cardona
Feb 17th, 11:45
AD can only criticise, any constructive proposals remain endlessly awaited.
BTW; When are we going to see a mass rally for AD's supporters instead of press conferences? Even tal-Ajkla rallied thousands for a mass rally. If AD can't even replicate that, isn't that sure sign of what this insignificant non-entity stands for and "represents". Come on AD show all what's the garnered support!
David Caruana
Feb 17th, 13:49
I hope you can realise that 90% of those attending to Tal-Ajkla meeting were there to take the mickey.
Mr Duncan Scerri
Feb 17th, 16:18
"AD can only criticise, any constructive proposals remain endlessly awaited."
Then pick up their manifesto and start read it.
Sheesh.
M. Cardona
Feb 17th, 16:56
and a good 99.9% of the electorate takes the mickey out of AD on elections day.
Marthese Formosa
Feb 17th, 17:53
Had you read articles,press releases and the election manifesto, you would see their proposals. why should a party aspire to a mass rally or meeting? Why are people content with a party spending so much money to just bash their opponents and for the attendees to scream their lungs out? Instead, they hold meetings and discussions with entities that would be affected on certain issues eg.disability
M. Cardona
Feb 17th, 18:50
Duncan Scerri,
typical of the A non D; "sheesh"ing any criticism.
BTW I did indicate "constructive" proposals.
re-manifesto; I quit reading the dandy and the beano ages ago.
M. Cardona
Feb 17th, 18:52
Marthese Formosa,
I fully agree on the points you make. Then again why doesn't AD organise just ONE single rally? I guess you know fully well why not.
Luke Lanzon
Feb 17th, 19:57
@ M Cardona I can assure you that I'm going to give my No. 1 vote to AD, but if they were to hold a mass meeting I would definitely not go, as I find mass meetings silly and a waste of time.
E Gatt
Feb 17th, 11:22
A quota is one sixth of the valid votes of a district.
There are around 23,000 votes in a district. 1/6 is around 3,800 votes (not 2000).
AD would need to increase its vote by over 7 times in the 10th district (542 votes in '08, 2.4%) and by over 26 times in the 1st district (142 votes in '08, 0.67%) to reach a quota.
Source: http://www.maltadata.com/party01.htm
Party with most 1s, governs.
Robert Callus
Feb 17th, 11:35
Most candidates don't get the quota on the first count. There are many MPs who got elected with LESS than 2000 votes.
Marthese Formosa
Feb 17th, 11:47
We use the single transferable vote system. There is more than one count. Most candidates do not reach the quota needed by the first count, but by the consequent counts. Therefore, it is very possible to get those votes!
E Gatt
Feb 17th, 12:02
@ Robert Callus
True, but those MPs who do not get elected on the first count, then inherit votes that in their vast majority, are on the same party list. Cross party votes exist, but are never enough to reach a quota.
AD fields only one or two candidates in a district, and their support falls way short of 3,600 votes.
Marthese Formosa
Feb 17th, 12:31
We use the single transferable voting system. Most candidates do no get the needed quota by the first count but manage by the consequent ones. Therefore, it is possible to get elected!
B. Cachia
Feb 17th, 13:38
@ Robert & Marthese: candidates of the main parties inherit virtually all of the surplus votes of the candidates of their own party that get elected or drop out. A theoretical AD candidate who'd get 2000 votes would not benefit from that unless there is large scale cross-party voting or unless there happens to be another AD candidate in the district who gets almost 2000 more votes.
Andre Vella
Feb 18th, 08:54
Unlike what some people are commenting, AD candidates do inherit votes due to crossparty vote. There were candidates who were elected with less than a 1k votes, but were able to remain in the race until the last round to grab the last seat. With 2000 votes, which roughly translated to 2/3 of a quota, will be enough to make sure that the fifth candidate will not overtake the AD candidate.
AD FTW!
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