Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1462347
8 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 23 MARCH 2022 NEWS JAMES DEBONO THE legal profession still domi- nates the Maltese political land- scape to the extent that nearly a third of candidates of both major parties are lawyers or notaries. The PN, which has been tra- ditionally associated with the legal profession, is fielding 22 lawyers and a notary while the PL is fielding 20 lawyers and a notary. The latter include Prime Minister Robert Abela, the first Labour leader since Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici (a trade union lawyer) to hail from the legal profession. On- ly two of the party's six leaders were lawyers. In contrast, all six PN leaders hailed from this profession. Both parties are lacking in working class and vocational representation to the extent that only one candidate on each side, namely Labour MP Anthony Aguis Decelis, an electro-cardiographer, and PN candidate and midwife Jose- phine Xuereb hail from the vo- cational sector, while veteran Labour MP Joe Mizzi, a skilled technician and radio operator, remains one of the few can- didates hailing from a skilled working class background. This represents a departure from the 1970s and 1980s when the Labour Party included a con- tingent of working class MPs. A MaltaToday analysis based on the occupational status of candidates reveals a striking similarity in the class composi- tion of both parties, with most candidates hailing from the le- gal, financial, management and medical professions. But while the PN has a stronger contingent of can- didates hailing from the en- gineering profession, the PL has a stronger contingent of economists, financial practi- tioners and accountants as well as a larger number of business owners. The latter include cho- reographer and dance com- pany owner Felix Busuttil and TCTC owner Ray Abela, who was one of the few candidates to support a yacht marina in Marsascala. The PN's contingent of busi- nessmen includes two veteran politicians: shop-owner Edwin Vassallo and hotelier Robert Arrigo, as well as 6PM owner Ivan Bartolo, who had already contested in 2017. This may reflect the La- bour party's association with strong economic growth and pro-business policies in the past years. Moreover Abela's two predecessors, Joseph Mus- cat and Alfred Sant, were both economists; while a number of Labour ministers, such as Sil- vio Schembri and Aaron Far- rugia, are also economists by profession On the other hand, the can- didature of four engineers with the PN represent an opportuni- ty for the party to make inroads in the scientific community. Engineer Ryan Callus already represents the party in parlia- ment. Candidates aspiring for parliament include electric en- gineer Mark Anthony Sammut, biomedical engineer Rebekah Cilia, and airline engineer John Baptist Camilleri. But Labour has also made inroads in the academic com- munity, fielding fishing expert and anthropologist Alicia Borg Said, Damian Spiteri, a lecturer in social work, and Katya De- giovanni, a senior lecturer who also chairs the Psychology Pro- fession Board. Despite the planning emer- gency facing the country, only four architects – two on each side – and an urban planner (housing minister Roderick Galdes) will be contesting the election with the major parties, while Carmel Cacopardo is contesting with the greens. Lawyers dominate candidate lists of both parties Labour stronger in financial and business sector, PN has more engineers, working class unrepresented in both lists General Elections 2022 Lawyers/Notaries Economists/Accountants/Finance Management/Administration Medical professionals Self employed/Business owner Academics/Researchers Media/Marketing Teachers Architects Engineers Vocational Others 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 20 23 10 6 8 8 7 4 6 5 4 1 4 4 3 4 2 2 1 4 1 1 3 8 Labour candidates Nationalist candidates Candidates' professions Data based on jobs mentioned in candidates' social media accounts and bio notes of candidates. In case of pensioners, the last job cited before retirement is listed. In case of ministers the last job cited before appointment is listed