Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/298224
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 20 APRIL 2014 26 Letters Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. One of the more riveting propositions made by Premier Lawrence Gonzi was his indica- tion that he would like to see electoral reform return to the discussion table. There have been indications that the Marsascala lawyer would also like to see the financing of politi- cal parties settled in one way or another. Dr Gonzi need not look far to rekindle the debate on electoral reform. When he was Speaker of the House, he was the chairman of a Commission known by his name – the Gonzi Commission – to study electoral reform. Composed of nominated officials from the three political parties and a technical expert, the Commission had some degree of success and came to a conclusion as to where to go next. If the Gonzi findings had gone ahead, we could have very well found ourselves in a different political landscape today. Apart from improving representation, the Commission had proposed a national electoral threshold of five percent – meaning any political party that obtained five percent of the vote on a national level would be represented in Parliament. This would have clearly advantaged the third political formation, Alternattiva Demokratika. Perhaps more importantly, it would have guaranteed a fairer democratic representation. Unluckily for AD, within the party in government, electoral reform today does not enjoy the same enthusiasm of former PN secretary general Austin Gatt, who had pushed the idea forward. Now, however, Dr Lawrence Gonzi has a great opportunity to put into action some political altruism. One would hope that the new Premier has a keen interest in encouraging a healthier democracy and a more representative electoral system would be a major step forward. Of late, Dr Gonzi has indulged himself in campaigning for the European elections. When the June elections are over, the Prime Minister will need to find constructive ways of implementing electoral reform within the spirit of the Constitution which clearly calls for a just representation of all the democratic forces in the country. Mediocre beginnings The celebrations for 1 May are unique in that the organising consortium is charging a fee to anyone who wishes to view the spectacle from a boat moored in the Grand Harbour, whilst access to public gardens overlooking the harbour has been restricted to paying sponsors, who in turn retain the right to grant access to their invitees. This silly state of affairs was brought about by the shortfall in government-provided funds for the organisers. One can understand that the organisers should not lose out financially, but surely if the government believed from the very start that this was such a grand occasion, then it should have avoided such a mediocre beginning to Malta in the EU and instead forked out the cash. It is hardly a good omen for our first day as EU members that to watch a fireworks and light display we must pay a fee, however small. Questioned about the fee, Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech told this newspaper that he was not aware of what fees had been decided upon by the organisers. His reply says more about a detached administration than profit-motivated organisers. This is a nation that is not alien to mass celebrations provided gratis to the general public. In summer alone, dozens of villages and towns put on beautiful displays of fireworks and brass band music. All provided for free. There is nothing wrong in celebrating 1 May, but the administration has an obligation to its citizens to cater for a national event. Participation in national events of this nature should never be charged a fee. A riveting proposition by Lawrence Gonzi EDITORIAL - April 15 2004 Opposition by worst-case scenario Are you thinking of going on a cruise this summer for your holiday? Well think again. Have you not heard about Concordia or the Titanic? Do you realize that if there is a fire on board you will be burnt to cinders? Are you aware that if a virus, like Ebola, gets on board the ship within a couple of days you will be as dead as a dodo? Have you considered collisions and piracy? This is an example of a worst- case scenario, a disease that is af- f licting the Hon. Dr. Simon Busit- til and his honourable nationalist friends in a big way at the moment. No sooner does the government announce some scheme than the opposition digs up all the things that could possibly go wrong with that scheme. This has become a habit as predictable as the rising of the sun each morning. According to these worst-case scenarists, our street lighting and the electricity in our homes and industries will soon depend on the whims of a few nasty Chinese ogres. Our beloved island will be used as a prostitute by some very shady mafia types who will bring with them untold miseries - on Campus FM radio I even heard one of those analysts of the daily press announce that one of these new citizens could even kill the Prime Minister. Unbelievable but true. Now it's the tanker. The scenar- ios of poisonous clouds, devastat- ing explosions and a power station in ruins are paraded in front of us with nauseating regularity. One is reminded of Hitler's dictum that if a lie is repeated thirty times it will be believed. The truth is that, fortunately, most of us do not allow our lives to be ruled by worst-case scenarios. If we did, we would all go crazy. Rather, most sensible people turn to probability when they weigh up the pros and cons of the various events in their lives. Even those with only a vague notion of mathematical probability resort to common sense in their choices. So, for example, in spite of very well-publicized crashes, most people still use the airplane to travel because they know that the chances of a crash are very remote. In fact, the odds are 11 million to one that you will die in an air crash. In life there are only two things that are absolutely certain, death and taxes. For the rest, we have only probability to guide us in our actions. If the people of Marsax- lokk allow the worst-case scenarios to rule their lives, according to what is presented to them by the fear mongers, then they should se- riously consider moving to Rabat, for the chances of their low lying land being inundated by a tsunami are greater than they think. Personally I think that the sen- sible way for all of us to deal with the tanker problem is to examine the statistics published by inde- pendent experts and not by those with a political agenda. We should consider carefully whether the general good is being sabotaged for the political benefit of the few. When, in a democracy, opposi- tion becomes obstructionism then there is cause for concern. Albert Ellul Via email Another beach in danger Summer is approaching once more. The deckchair-beach saga and the injustice that was being done to hundreds of families during the summer season will hopefully not be repeated, thanks to your consistent reports over the years. After many years, we hope that many families will start enjoying the popular sandy beaches again without having to pay anything. Be that as it may, there are many beaches all over Malta that are abused in some form or other. And as much as entrepreneurs abuse of them, so too can the individual abuse of public places. Now, there is a place in St Paul's Bay, known as Ta' L-Ghazzinin, which is neither rocky nor sandy. To get access to this beach, one would have to walk down a hill that leads to an open cemented area, supposedly for children to play in and for adults to relax and enjoy. This area, I have been told, was used in the past for sports activities. And, in the corner, not seen from above, there is a small family run restaurant that caters for a number of people who come from all over the island. Unfortunately, on the second Sunday of its opening, the area reserved for swimmers and chil- dren was occupied by some 20 odd cars by 4pm and the families were, little by little, pushed back toward the restaurant. There was nonstop car activity, which was a threat to all those present. Instead of watching the beautiful little island just opposite, the sea and waves roll toward us, we were watch- ing cars go past whilst having to inhale their exhaust fumes. The car owners didn't seem to mind posing a threat to all those present, including the children, as long as they could keep their cars close by and hop in and out when the need arose. These people are disregarding all the signs present, disrespecting all those people and children present on the beach, risking the lives of others, indirectly inviting all other car owners to bring their car down thereby increasing the pollution and disrupting the peace and tran- quility of all those present in the supposedly fresh air, aside from posing a safety threat to children. Now, in the past, no cars were allowed except for the restaurant owner to bring his/her goods down. However, this has changed over the years. We Maltese are renowned for being lazy and this is one perfect example. The barri- cade that was once there has been destroyed and the local council never repaired it. Occasionally, when a complaint is made, the council sends its wardens first thing in the morning when only a few cars are present. This whole affair is a mockery to all those who would like to enjoy some peace, tranquility, fresh air and respite from today's hectic life style. We do not enjoy seeing drivers park their cars indiscriminately and irresponsibly. Thus I invite the lo- cal media, the police and the local council to look into this issue and follow it with actions. Leonard Schembri Gzira Simon Busuttil (centre) PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD