Rather than pulling out altogether of the student council elections, Pulse ought to have done its best to, first, press harder for an agreement over the form of elections best suited to be held at the University, and, second, see how, together with all other interested groups on campus, they could generate greater student interest in the council itself and in student life in general.

Since differences over the electoral system can only generate greater apathy among the students, it is best for the student organisations to put their heads together and see how they could find a solution. This is the second time Pulse is not taking part. Of course, withdrawing is not a sound option.

Pulse is one of the two student organisations at the University, the other being the Christian Democratic Students (SDM). They regarded as allied to the Labour Party and to the Nationalist Party respectively.

Both the students and the University would have been better off without such an alliance – formal or informal – but the least that can be done now is for both organisations to make the student representation mechanism work effectively.

When the turnout in general elections in Malta is always very high, it is surprising it is as low as 30 per cent at the University. Is it because students are not interested, or not interested enough, in the work of the University Students’ Council (KSU)? According to a former chief executive, the feeling among students is that Pulse’s absence from the elections is contributing to rapidly diminishing interest in the KSU.

The KSU, which, as it happens, is the oldest national student body in Europe, has an interesting place in the matrix of local politics. For years, it has been a breeding ground, as it were, for budding politicians, much in the same way local councils are today. Many prominent politicians – past and present – were either presidents or members of the council in their time as university students.

Malta badly needs a new generation of politicians, people who have the intellect and courage to raise politics from the very low level into which it has descended. Misdemeanour, sleaze, corruption, dishonesty, double standards, outright lies, sheer arrogance and self-interest have come to characterise much of local politics, greatly discouraging potential politicians of a high moral standard from even considering entering politics. This works against the country’s long-term interest. As the two mainstream parties keep their hard-core supporters politically charged all year round, a growing swathe of uncommitted voters get increasingly weary of their antics and greatly disappointed about the damage they are doing to the fabric of society.

The country cries out for new talent, for young people who are prepared to be of service to others. The number of politicians who fall into this category today appears to be dwindling fast.

The University and local councils are among the most suitable places where aspiring politicians can cut their teeth in preparation for a political career. It is in this spirit that the two student organisations ought to come together and, possibly with the help of well-meaning mediators from outside the University, attempt to bridge the gap between them and ensure that the situation is normalised in the interest of all.

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