Many people in Malta are afraid the Labour Party will win the next MEP elections. If that happens, then more than 55% of the people will be satisfied. In reality there should be no fear at all because whoever wins will reflect what the majority wish.
The Maltese people have gone forward from strength to strength where politics is involved. From what was acceptable to be classified as “floating voters”, a degrading term from colonial times, now the people have became “free voters”. This gave us the freedom to unchain ourselves and choose what we think is most beneficial to the entire population, even at the cost of breaking away from our old self-imposed voting pattern.
We have learned that it is useless to keep repeating that “politics is filthy”. The truth is that politics is not filthy! It is only those who use it to mislead or dominate us that are filthy. Each one of us has the freedom, and the responsibility, to find them out, and keep them out.
The people have learned that it can be very wise to have a political party governing and at the same time give the majority to the other party (the shadow government) in local councils and/or in MEPs’ representation. If this is really what the people are now choosing then it is a credit to their intelligence and maturity. No more total power to anyone; but a balancing pattern. The only people who do not have this free choice are Members of Parliament – they are not allowed to vote in a parliamentary sitting as they personally believe; they have to vote according to their party’s line.
But every one of them is allowed the biggest power possible – which is very immoral. Incredibly enough, every one of them is allowed to “cross the floor” and bring down a government that has been democratically chosen by the majority of people. That is highly immoral! When a Member of Parliament is elected, the people trust the voting to a particular party; so no MP can be allowed the power to cross the floor and take the votes (the seat) to the other side. That is a misappropriation of trust.
Blackmail? Every MP should have the freedom to choose or change – freedom of association; but not to misappropriate the seat, or the votes trusted in an election. This is what is filthy, the dictatorial act, and not politics. Each one of us, even individually, has the power to balance or control any bigger power than us. Democracy is not practised perfectly; it is a never-ending process of learning; but if we wish others to accept our free democratic choices, then we have to accept that others should have that freedom too even when it is different to ours.
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