Letters | Sunday, 24 May 2009

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Merchandising, not meritocracy

With probably one or two exceptions, those who will get elected next June the 6th will be the ones who have spent most money on merchandising and advertising, with candidates who have operated on a shoestring budget like the undersigned standing no chance of getting elected.
It’s useless making valid proposals when rules meant to regulate candidates’ spending were hardly enforced, effectively paving the way for the big-spenders to win the day. In fact, MEP candidates are bound by a 1,400 euro capping on their campaign expenses, even though this is evidently farcical, especially in view of the plush parties, newspaper adverts, websites, printed material and all similar paraphernalia being organized by the different candidates. Probably, the buck will be passed on the candidates’ ‘friends’ who are pictured as being the munificent anonymous big brother propping you up. Equally farcical is the sworn return of all monies spent to be presented by all candidates after the campaign is over – are we so gullible as to believe that someone is to investigate the contests with any zest?
I can profess with pride to be one of the few (or the only?) candidate not to have ‘invested’ in any newspaper advertising and have organised just a handful of activities. Those of who are impressed by the overtures thrown at them still carry a vote, as those who are more discerning as voters, and the candidates who cant test up to scrutiny know this pretty well. The almost complete dearth in debates between individual candidates further compounds this sorry state.
Yet again, in Malta, it’s a case of he who shouts loudest is elected, this coming elections. Meritocracy has once again been flushed down the drain – money gets you elected, proposals and vision get you nowhere.

Alan Deidun
PN candidate for MEP
Gudja

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