Local councillors had to look beyond party lines and ensure councils served residents first and foremost, a panel of nine young election candidates agreed yesterday.
The time for tribal politics is over
The candidates were taking part in a debate on youth’s role in politics held on the University campus as part of the Student Council’s Organisations’ Day fair and jointly organised by student bodies Insite and TDM 2000.
Despite the sunny weather and the organisers’ best efforts, only a small number of students sat in and participated in the debate. Others stood in the background, paying tepid attention before eventually moving on. At times, the panel outnumbered seated audience members.
Nationalist Sliema candidate Julian Galea, embroiled in a controversy concerning disparaging remarks he made about Labour voters, was conspicuous by his absence. He had been scheduled to attend the debate as one of the panellists but was subsequently indisposed.
Although there were a few veiled references to Mr Galea, only one panellist made direct mention of him.
“Why didn’t Julian Galea turn up today? I would like to know if he’s phobic towards me and the other Labour candidates here today,” said Dingli candidate and incumbent mayor Ian Borg.
According to Labour Mosta candidate Alex Grech, young people were increasingly disillusioned with the political arena. “Political piques benefit nobody. The time for tribal politics is over and I think people want to see more young people in politics.”
This was echoed by Mr Borg, who felt the youthful composition of Dingli’s council had contributed to the cross-party cooperation that characterised the council.
Mosta Nationalist Party candidate James Cassar was equally positive. There were plenty of ways in which young people could involve themselves politically, he said, “and councils must learn to make the most of the human resources – residents’ knowledge – available to them”.
The agreeable bubble was somewhat burst by the two Alternattiva Demokratika candidates seated on the panel, with Mosta candidate Robert Callus insisting several young people continued to see the world through partisan eyes.
AD Sliema candidate Michael Briguglio was more blunt, slamming the big parties for discouraging cross-party voting and “treating voters like idiots” by telling them to only vote for their candidates.
PN Swieqi candidate Justin Fenech argued that cross-party votes had to be earned.
“If candidates deliver, they will earn people’s trust and their vote,” he said, insisting councillors had to be held accountable for their promises.
Asked if local councils – and young activists – would be better served if political parties played no part in local council elections, PL Kirkop candidate Antoinette Cefai disagreed. Too many cooks spoilt the broth, she noted. “Imagine a council with multiple viewpoints that could never reach a decision. It would be chaos.”
PL Nadur candidate Josianne Cutajar and PN Dingli candidate Ernest Mercieca, both University students, also took part in the debate.