Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1453707
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 20 FEBRUARY 2022 OPINION 3 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 20 FEBRUARY 2022 Mikiel Galea Letters & Clarifications Why we deserve better THE upcoming election is a historic one. Because it is not about who will win but what type of opposition we will have for the next five years. Do we want only the weak and divided PN in opposition? Or do we also want vociferous voices that are not in the pocket of developers or corrupt businessmen? The 55-year-old bi-party system has led to the political shambles we have today. Politicians are meant to serve the people and society. However, certain dishonest and greedy businessmen control certain MPs, from both parties, and even ministers who, on their part, have reduced what is supposed to be the noble vocation of politics to an ex- ercise in greed, nepotism, cronyism and favouritism. The result is that a number of our institutions do not favour the com- mon man on the street anymore. The big fish keep swallowing the small. Inequality rules. We deserve better. It is for this reason that I am pre- senting myself as an independent candidate, to try, together with other honest third-party candidates, to break the "winner takes all" men- tality and instead promote a sharing "give and take" approach in politics. I am not new on the scene. I am not here presenting myself with just promises for the future. You might agree with me or not, but I have a track record of contin- uous activism, which ranges from environmental activism, such as the developments in Portomaso, Ta' Ċenċ, Balluta, Dingli, the Ver- dala and Majjistral proposed golf courses, to political activism which not only includes participation in elections, but also fighting for the assertion of good governance, such as in the Petrus, Rosianne Cutajar, Justyne Caruana, Clayton Bartolo and Ian Borg and his 'Haqqalanqas' cases. It is with this intention in mind that I have drawn up an electoral manifesto that focuses on three ma- jor pillars: the necessity of living in a clean environment; the importance of electing transparent, accountable and honest politicians who go by the rule of good governance; and the impelling need of a compassionate society, where the values and prin- ciples that have been sacrificed to mammon, are pushed to the fore- front and become again protagonists in our lives. As a country and people we de- serve better. The olive branch in my logo sym- bolises the hope for a better and sustainable future. Voters can have access to my ideas on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and to my ideas and manifesto on my website, www. arnoldcassola.eu. I would like to thank a number of personalities who are supporting my candidature. These include artist Debbie Caruana Dingli, writer and academic Immanuel Mifsud, alter- native transport advocate Michelle Attard Tonna, artist and musician Walter Vella, academic and cartoon- ist Ġorġ Mallia, academic and activ- ist Claire Azzopardi Lane and envi- ronmental lawyer Claire Bonello. I thank the Maltese voters in the 10th and 11th districts, who share my values and my political aims, and ask them to consider giving me their preference. The 21% who do not trust Robert Abela and Bernard Grech have the power to change things. I thank my hard-working team of volunteers for all the work they are doing. We deserve better. And, together, we can ensure that we make our country a better place for all of us to live in. Arnold Cassola Independent candidate Swieqi