Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1197486
15 CLIENTELISM is one of Mal- ta's societal ills enabling corrup- tion and endangering democracy. Beneficiaries of clientelistic networks do not challenge abuses of power per- petuated by their patrons since clients' prosperity depends on the patrons' suc- cess. Clientelism itself is sustained by the district-based electoral system. A re- form originally proposed by Godfrey Pirotta to abolish the electoral districts and run elections with one national constituency would be an effective way to weaken clientelism. This result could also be achieved through different means. Giving non-Maltese residents a right to vote or introducing ac- cessible paths to obtain- ing citizenship by n a t u r a l i s a t i o n could have a major re- vitalising e f f e c t o n M a l - t e s e society and politics. Extending the right to vote in national and local council elec- tions to foreign residents, including third country nationals, could cause a significant blow to clientelism. Since non-Maltese residents move to Malta alone or together with a small number of family members, they do not belong to extensive family networks which form the foundation of the clientelist structure. And this is why they are more likely to vote for policies and principles rather than immediate personal favours. Considering that a large number of non-EU residents are paid minimum wage and thus not prospering, their in- clusion into the electorate could finally revive the real left-of-centre politics. The needs and demands of this – least affluent – section of the population would have to be addressed by the polit- ical parties, which in turn would benefit the interests of lower-class Maltese peo- ple, making them a force to be reckoned with. It would also prevent politicians from scapegoating foreign workers and pandering to xenophobia. I am not versed in law enough to sug- gest a legal pathway to implementa- tion of this reform. This might require another amendment which would guarantee transparency of obtaining citizenship by naturalisation, since the Minister for Home Affairs and National Security currently has the discretion re- garding the grant of citizenship, which makes the process rather arbitrary and vulnerable to abuse. Raisa Galea is editor of IslesOfThe- Left.org I believe that if we want to 'fix the republic', we should first try to understand the status of Malta's democracy. We should ground our analysis into the re- alities of a small island state. We should give due impor- tance to evidence-based social sci- entific analysis of its social struc- tures and networks, but also of agency, of people's everyday lives, affiliations, aspirations, concerns, identities, com- monalities, differences and plural realities. We should investigate the intersection of political, economic, cul- tural, social, ecological and other factors. Such analyses can nourish concrete proposals for change such as Constitutional Reform. We should ensure that the con- stitution gives due importance to Malta's small size: For example, the proximity of politicians to electors, the multiple hats people wear, and the personalisation of poli- tics cannot be ignored. The methodology of consti- tutional reform should foster deliberation. To date it is not clear what type of methodology is being adopted. There should be an expert review of possible methods of consul- tation; transparency in the analysis of public feedback; peer review of the en- tire process; and impact assessments of proposals that are followed through. Qualified experts, citizens, civil so- ciety, constituted bodies, minorities and political parties should have ample space and time to delib- erate, beyond quick fix solu- tions and sloganeering. Some areas which I be- lieve should be given priority within constitutional reform include accountable governance, institutional autonomy, finance of po- litical parties and candidates, profes- sionalisation of parliament, individual rights and responsibilities, checks and balances, press freedom, political edu- cation, structured and evidence-based policy making, the role of civil society and the mainstreaming of sustainable policy. Through constitutional reform we can help avoiding having Prime Minis- ters who have excessive power and lack of accountability. But let us also keep in mind that in a liberal democracy a gov- erning formation can only be replaced by another one – and this requires peo- ple's support. Michael Briguglio is a sociologist and senior lecturer at the University of Malta maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 JANUARY 2020 LOOKING FORWARD 20 20 17. Libya's troubles intensify Turkey's decision to send soldiers to the North African state, could see Libya's internal strife intensifying. Turkey is aligned with the UN-recognised Government of National Accord based in Tripoli. Military support could strengthen the GNA in its fight to keep the Eastern-backed General Khalifa Haftar and his self-styled army at bay. Malta may see the strife on its doorstep develop into a full-blown military escalation. 18. Football's new dawn The Maltese national football team starts training under new Italian coach, Devis Mangia, who will also be in charge of the Malta Football Association's coaching set up. The holistic make-over will include the formation of a Malta XI team to compete in the Italian Pro Lega league in a bid to groom a crop of young Maltese players. Success will only start to be measured in March 2021 when the qualifying tournament for the next World Cup commences. 19. A new energy plan A damaged interconnector has exposed the weakness of Enemalta's back-up option, which relies on aged diesel plants at Delimara. In 2020, the company will be working on drawing up its energy plan for the next 15 years. The plan will outline whether the company should invest in a new interconnector cable, a new gas plant, batteries to store electricity from solar farms, or a mix of these. It will also outline the timeframes for these investments. 20. Expensive streaming war IPTV subscriptions, which include Netflix, covered almost 17% of the population, according to a Broadcasting Authority survey last October. But in 2020 expect Netflix to face competition from the likes of Disney+, Amazon Prime and Apple TV Plus. Consumers may have to fork out more in monthly subscriptions to watch their favourite movies and series that may be playing on different platforms. Raisa Galea Michael Briguglio Through constitutional reform we can help avoid having prime ministers who have excessive power and lack of accountability Beneficiaries of clientelistic networks do not challenge abuses of power perpetuated by their patrons since clients' prosperity depends on the patrons' success