Vincenza Bonavia’s appeal to both political parties to prevent the opening of a pizza shop (January 28) left me aghast. She bases her plea on odours that may emanate from a shop that has not opened yet. These smells, she believes, will disturb her on account of chemotherapy treatment she had received.

I would ask: how does she know beforehand whether any odours would percolate at all? If they do, how does she know whether the particular odours will affect her?

Besides, how do the political parties come into any of this? The prospective shop owner may not be able to open if the necessary permits are not granted to him by the proper authorities who are independent of political parties.

Is she considering auctioning off her vote to the party that will promise to look into the matter? It is this widespread parochial mentality that has kept, and will continue to keep, Maltese politics in its pitiful state.