Mark Anthony Sammut

Youth political activism in Malta is certainly encouraging. To complement the proposal to lower the voting age at local council elections to 16, I also suggest that something as basic as our voting system is also discussed and taught at schools. Election results show that the big majority of the electorate does not know how our voting system works and are simply happy to fill up all the names in a party list with numbers. A democracy is strong as much as its citizens know how to use their democratic tools. If the citizens don't know how their vote works, how it elects their representative and is  transferred  to another, then our representative democracy will not function properly.

The Labour government has implemented another of its innovative cost-cutting exercises, to make up for the increase in government administration expenses and the new boards and committees being used for campaign paybacks. This time, it's the turn of the Eternal Flame, installed beneath the War Memorial to commemorate the victims of the war and the soldiers who lost their lives for our freedom. Eternal Flames exist in most of the civilised countries, some of the most notable being the Altare della Patria at the Vittorio Emanuele II monument in Rome and the one beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Burning as a sign of respect to those who died in such conflicts, as a memorial, and as a symbol of a spiritual connection between our present freedom and the price that was paid for it by our ancestors in the past, the meaning of these memorials emerges from the fact that they are never spent but last and outlive generations. That's why they're called 'eternal'.

Dan l-artiklu deher fin-Nazzjon tal-Ħamis 23 ta' Mejju 2013 G ħaddew iżjed minn xahrejn mir-riżultat tal-elezzjoni ġenerali. Xahrejn li fihom bdew jidhru l-ewwel sinjali ta’ Gvern esklussiv, li nesa għal kollox il-meritokrazija li wiegħed, u li minn flok qed juża l-istituzzjonijiet ta’ pajjiżna biex iħallas lura lil min għenu jasal għall-għan tiegħu. Hija attitudni li qed tħassar ħafna mit-tajjeb u sens ta’ servizz li hemm fil-politika, u li qed tferrex mentalita’ żbaljata. Mill-banda l-oħra, il-Partit Nazzjonalista jidher li tgħallem min-nuqqasijiet tal-passat, u issa qabad it-triq għat-tibdil u riformi neċessarji biex jerġa’ jsir l-akbar forza politika f’pajjiżna. Parti minn din it-triq ta’ tiġdid hija l-elezzjoni tat-13-il membru tal-Kumitat Eżekuttiv tal-Partit Nazzjonalista li jiġu eletti mill-Kunsill Ġenerali. Ħassejt li jien ukoll kelli noffri s-servizz tiegħi għal ġudizzju tal-Kunsillier, u din il-ġimgħa jien ukoll tfajt in-nomina tiegħi għal din l-elez

It seems that the Labour government has decided to spin around the honoraria saga, in its desperate need to divert attention from the farcical way it is using taxpayers' money to pay back anyone who gave a billboard appearance in its campaign (dik li mit-taxxi tagħna lkoll qed inħallsu għal kampanja "Tagħna Lkoll"). Our very positive Prime Minister, has decided to once again try to create a wave of envy by claiming that the previous Cabinet members have not paid back the increase in the honoraria they were paid, using the manipulative spin-tools he learned as a One reporter. Let's get the facts right. There were two issues with the honoraria increase given in the last legislature (I had already discussed these in a previous post: That Shameful Honoraria ). One was that Cabinet members would be paid a Parliamentary honoraria like back-benchers and Opposition MPs, over and above their Ministerial salary. The other was that this honoraria was increased from €19,1

In the second round of the leadership election being held today, Simon Busuttil will formally be appointed as the new leader of the Nationalist Party and its seventh leader in its 133 year history. I know Simon as a very humble and honest person. A man you can openly discuss with and who is always open to criticism. That is in fact one of his best qualities. He does not push back people who criticize him or challenge his views. On the contrary, he is someone who can listen and bring different positions together. Irrelevant of who we supported or voted for at the first round of this leadership contest, the councilors' free and democratic choice has been made. It was an open contest where we the councilors listened to every candidate's plans and views, where we discussed, where we asked, where we discerned. I am sure that now, all genuine Nationalists will unite around the new leader, as the other leadership contestants have themselves done in a true and exemplary displ