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6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 MARCH 2022 OPINION 2 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 APRIL 2024 Why Myriam Spiteri Debono's appointment bodes well Editorial MYRIAM Spiteri Debono's first speech after becom- ing President of the Republic was bold and refresh- ing. She displayed self-confidence when touching on several raw nerves and did so with a down to earth approach that can communicate with dignitaries as much as ordinary people. People who know Spiteri Debono were not sur- prised. That first speech was her genuine self – a rough diamond, intelligent, knowledgeable, hu- man, and able to speak truth to power. She did not mince her words when talking about the need to transform "passive tolerance" towards immigrants into acceptance and integration. It was a wake-up call for a society that is increasing- ly viewing immigrants and foreign workers as the root of many evils. She was unforgiving when reminding politicians in front of her – particularly the government – that the reforms to protect journalists in the aftermath of the recommendations made by the Daphne Caruana Galizia public inquiry have not yet been enacted. A promised White Paper has not seen the light of day despite the government having been presented with a series of proposals by the Me- dia Experts Committee last summer. Additionally, other recommendations made by the inquiry re- main unfulfilled. She did not hesitate calling for electoral reform to ensure parliament is more representative of socie- ty, in a nod to political parties that have no parlia- mentary representation. She did not shy away from prodding the nation- al conscience by saying that generosity should not stop at forking out money for worthy causes but must be displayed in our everyday relations. She reiterated the need for closure on the Caru- ana Galizia murder, which she likened to an open wound that continues to bleed and warned against having a repeat of the Karin Grech and Raymond Caruana murder cases where closure was never achieved. Spiteri Debono's warning on financial greed, which she likened to "a disease", was a telling as- sessment of the economic system that has devel- oped over the years. Greed is a human instinct, which is facilitated in a situation where money and possessions are valued as status symbols. It is not an instinct that can be controlled by laws but the State can do more to ensure greed does not lead to corruption, like the President warned. "Greed harms the whole of society," she said, in- sisting that good governance should never be side- lined. She saluted the media as the fourth pillar of de- mocracy and defended its role as a watchdog on government and the Opposition. Spiteri Debono also felt the need to state the obvious when she said protests are part of the democratic process. It was an indirect jibe towards politicians who sometimes shun protests. These were the words of a President, who has no qualms in expressing herself but at the same time fully conscious of her non-executive constitutional role. "In the coming five years, I aim to be visible and accessible," she said. "This does not mean that I shall interfere or have my say on all matters. I shall express myself in the open when I feel that the need arises and the situation so warrants." But there is also Myriam Spiteri Debono's human- ity that could not go unnoticed during the hours- long investiture ceremony. She is aware of social problems and this leader believes she will use these five years to exert moral pressure whenever this is required to raise such is- sues on the national agenda. There will be testing times as well. One of the contentious issues that may arise is euthanasia for which the government has an electoral mandate. Whether she will display the moral hang-ups her predecessor had on several issues of an ethical na- ture still has to be seen but she will undoubtedly face pressure from different facets of society when push comes to shove. We trust that she will listen, absorb, make her own judgement and let the Con- stitution guide her actions. Spiteri Debono's appointment bodes well and it must be acknowledged that in the end, Robert Ab- ela and Bernard Grech did rise to the occasion in a display of political maturity when agreeing on her nomination. The President insisted in her inaugural speech that the two-thirds majority rule introduced in 2020 to appoint the president is not a hindrance because it helps foster compromise and consensus-building. Although this leader has its doubts as to whether it makes sense not having an anti-deadlock mech- anism, only time will tell whether the President's words are a vague wish or a sage reflection. This newspaper wishes the President well. Quote of the Week "The generosity in our national character should also manifest itself in wider ways, and should be at the basis of our relationships with each other and with those who seek to live amongst us." President Myriam Spiteri Debono during her maiden speech after taking oath of office at the Grand Master's Palace in Valletta. MaltaToday 10 years ago 5 April 2014 State moves in to take control of local wardens THE running of Malta's local enforcement sys- tem has become too costly to keep up with the expectations of the two private companies which provide Malta's and Gozo's 44 local councils with wardens, CCTV cam- eras, and speed cameras, and the only way it can survive is to issue more tickets and col- lect more fines. But Labour seems to be living up to a warn- ing sounded by Joseph Muscat in 2011 that the "sub- sidised racket" of local enforcement would longer be tolerated under a new govern- ment. "Yesterday, parliamentary secretary for local government José Herrera unveiled plans for a new centralised unit to take over the manning of local wardens. Herrera has pledged a 30% reduction in costs - a reduction that industry insiders de- duce can only be achieved by cutting out the private sector. But the parliamentary secretary said that today's system was built on the misleading as- sumption that it should make money for local councils when in reality, uncollected fines and a decline in contraventions and speed- ing offences being committed, has rendered the system unsustainble to run. Herrera's solution will be to turn the LES in- to a national unit of wardens serving councils, rather than the private operators taking over 70% of the total fines issued over the years. Labour taking on 'subsidised racket Malta's local warden system is in the pro- cess of being reformed, 14 years after it was first introduced – but the jury is out on what government's plans for a centralised unit means for people like Kenneth De Martino, whose Guard & Warden Service runs the gamut of local enforcement services, deploy- ing wardens to the coun- cils, monitoring CCTV systems and also processing speed camera fines. ...