Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1133773
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 23 JUNE 2019 prior to his degree in laws also read for an honours degree in Italian and German, says. "Disability has taught me that every challenge is there to be overcome," he says. Indeed, Cutajar had to be des- tined for greatness: at a young age, he is already a PN 'veteran' on the Xaghra local council, re- elected through three terms, ran for the MEP elections in 2014, and only recently co-opt- ed to the House of Representa- tives to take up the vacant seat of David Stellini. And it was in sheer controversy that the seat became the hotly-contested prize for the PN's rival factions, with party leader Adrian Delia's supporters in the PN executive narrowly winning a first vote for Jean Pierre Debono, be- fore the election was nullified. Cutajar was awarded the seat by acclamation after Debono withdrew from the contest due to shortcomings in the execu- tive committee's vote. Cutajar has described his co- option as simply the will of the electorate. "The electorate was clear. Following David Stellini's election, it was Kevin Cutajar's time to step into the role," he says. "If I can relay the message that disabled people can still succeed in politics, the better. I don't find anything wrong with delivering that message… This is not my first experi- ence in politics. The starting point should be that you enjoy what you are doing and that is the message I want to send to young disabled people." Already in 2014, Cutajar, then running for MEP, had candidly written about how the "blind candidate" had to be even more careful than any other candidates because his inabil- ity to see could put him in em- barrassing situations. Writing in The Malta Independent, he acknowledged the importance of form in politics, but insist- ed that substance was funda- mentally important. "A blind candidate must always ensure that he is prepared and well- informed before appearing in any media, precisely as in the case of any other candidate." A founder member of the Gozo Aid for the Visually Im- paired, which is run by blind people, Cutajar walks to the House of Representatives un- accompanied. His walking stick plots out his immediate course yet the young MP's tra- jectory is one of straight lines and sharp turns, a topography charted inside his mind. Cuta- jar is no token MP, yet he will arguably be expected to give the disabled the stronger voice they deserve inside the House, even though he says his new role goes beyond simply prov- ing himself. "All I want to do is show that a disabled MP can work as reg- ularly as any other MP, with- out everything done by the disabled person in parliament being hailed as some extraordi- nary effort," Cutajar said. "The focus should not be on me, but on my contribution to improv- ing the community as a whole." The Renzo Piano parliament in Valletta will not be restric- tive to Cutajar's mobility, even though the newness of the building may not be entirely adapted for everyone. "Acces- sibility varies according to dis- ability, and so accessibility for a person in a wheelchair is differ- ent from someone who is blind, but adaptation procedures are slowly rolling in and we are on the right track," he said. Asked if the introduction of personal assistants for people with disability should be con- sidered in parliament, he said that he is in favour of assis- tance as long as it does not lead to dependence. "Similarly, to other aspects of a disabled person's life, I be- lieve that independence should be the ultimate goal, and if such assistance leads to individual- ity, yes, I am in favour," he said. The debate on persons of trust aiding disabled people while voting was also a missed opportunity for political par- ties who still fear abusive prac- tices by those accompanying persons with a disability inside the polling station. Article 29 of the United Na- tions Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states that countries should guarantee the 'free expression of the will of persons with dis- abilities as electors and to this end, where necessary, at their request, allowing assistance in voting by a person of their own choice.' Malta is yet to intro- duce such rights, with disabled people willing to vote but un- able to, being aided by com- mission representatives. Cutajar blamed the inability of parties to introduce these rights on the prevailing men- tality towards disabled people reigning in Malta. "We still have this attitude towards peo- ple with disability that they should be protected. Yes, we are disabled, but that doesn't mean we will be necessarily abused of. If I chose the wrong person to trust, then the re- sponsibility is mine. Nobody should have the right to dictate that for me." "There is always a chance of getting abused of, and that would be another obstacle I could overcome. We have our intelligence, we have our will and we have the capacity to think. Give us the chance to prove ourselves, and we will show you," Cutajar, who filed court action on the issue in 2006 against the government and the Electoral Commission, says. Cutajar doesn't want to stop there. "I would go on to say that we should push towards elec- tronic voting, where through an electronic system the vot- ing options can be read out to you. I can't understand why the country is dragging its feet on the issue." NEWS MINISTRY FOR EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT political journey