Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/333851
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 JUNE 2014 20 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. The resignation of the towering figure of Eddie Fenech Adami as leader of the Nationalist Party was bound to leave its mark on the Party he led for over 25 years. His capacity to keep a naturally non-homogeneous party together and united was an art practised to perfection. He managed to do this in spite of the different and at times conflicting groups that formed a part of the Party. He was the unifying force. His political stature boosted by his biggest achievement, the restoration of democracy, left no one in doubt that not only was he fully in command of his Party but he managed to rally people from very different economic and social groups around him. The party under his stewardship remained one unified monolithic block. It was always a matter of amazement to many an analyst how persons with such varied backgrounds aspirations and po- litical vision could all simply rally around one common cause. The culmination of this achievement was the referendum result and its confirmation at the subsequent general election. Many rallied behind his clarion European call. Following the European election results this party unity no longer appears so complete. No differ- ently to the breaking up of Yugo- slavia following the death of Tito, the resignation of Fenech Adami has led to the first visible cracks within the Party edifice. Persons who in countless elections gave their support to the Party had, for the first time, switched their political allegiance and voted for another party. The unexpected had taken place: a third party with little support had managed to win the votes of a substantial number of Nationalist Party supporters. The persons ironically belong to the more comfortable middle- and upper middle class. Disillusioned by the countless number of meas- ures taken, which they perceived to have negatively affected their interests and disillusioned with a strengthening two party tribal system, they voted in large numbers against their traditional Party. Possibly simply as a protest vote or as a political statement against the two party system, the net result is that the unity of the PN has taken a shattering knock. In simple political terms, voters' political allegiance can no longer be taken for granted. The hallmark of the tradi- tional Nationalist voter who voted Alternattiva Demokratika is the tendency to be a pale blue liberal who feels that his own party is no longer connected with him. This in no way amounts to his agreeing with the political pro- gramme of the third party. Indeed the novelty of the election result is that people were prepared to vote Alternattiva Demokratika without even agreeing with their electoral programme or indeed even having much in common with its vision of society. Still they made this political leap and in doing so, cracked the unity of the party that had managed so ably to keep persons of diverse views together. The PN party strategists are well- advised to take note of these de- velopments. It is politically unwise to label these persons as belonging to the fringes of society or persons with an axe to grind. It is most especially the height of folly to accuse these persons of be- ing responsible for electing a third Labour candidate. This is a foolish strategy to embark on as it could strengthen the new AD voters' re- solve to repeat their voting choice. At the least, it certainly distances them even further from the PN to the party's electoral disadvantage. The Nationalist Party should listen to these people and start bridging once again if it wants to move ahead. Its 'business as usual' response to the electoral set back leaves much to be desired. It cer- tainly gives the impression that the Party has still not learned its lesson from the defeat. One view worth pondering upon is the wisdom of excluding Maltese issues from the campaign. Not surprisingly, many a voter may have felt totally unaffected by the PN campaign, as it did not discuss any of the concerns of the electorate including the present preoccupation over the ever-grow- ing unemployment situation. This may also have created a distancing from the Party. The PN may be fortunate that this wake up call has come so early in the life of this legislature. There is sufficient time to address the problems, but the first reactions to the result do not augur well. There is a dire need for a soul-searching exercise. The PN can for its own good rope in persons who are not pres- ently a part of the internal Party machinery and try to discover exactly why this political earth- quake has taken place. Identify the reasons why people felt so comfortable to cross the political Rubicon. The political stakes for the Nationalist party are high. It risks loosing its liberal wing, that sector that for years gave Eddie Fenech Adami its full support so visibly during his first rallying call in Dingli Street Sliema, after the per- verse 1981 election result. The problem for the party lies there in the heart of Sliema, its traditional stronghold, and in areas like Lija, Balzan and Attard. These are the traditional pale blue areas without which the National- ist Party can never win a majority vote again. These are an essential block in the edifice. They represent the true pale blue vote: comfortable and criti- cal. Their loyalty to the Party is now being put to the test. The inner circle that runs the Party would be very unwise not to smell the coffee, the writing is on the wall. Their most traditional voters risk either congregating under a new liberal banner or flocking to Alternattiva. The consequences for the PN spell electoral disaster. The bridg- ing exercise must commence. There is no longer the unswerving emotional tie with Eddie Fenech Adami who was given total sup- port for restoring democracy to the people. Tito is dead Editorial • June 27 2004 Mess in Marsaxlokk Teddie Borg - a true gentleman, sportsman & friend I'm from Australia and have been spending some time back in Malta, staying with friends in Marsaxlokk. Before flying home I thought I'd send you some photos of the rubbish dumped all around this pretty fishing village. This doesn't seem to be a massive problem elsewhere in Malta, so why is Marsaxlokk treated this way? It's shocking and utterly disgusting, considering the excellent waste facilities available with of course the collec- tion service, all free. I've heard it said that the people in Malta have exceptionally clean homes, but don't care what they throw away outside, with some making a special point of using Mar- saxlokk as a dump. They say it's a cultural thing. Well it needs to change - there is no valid excuses for this selfish behaviour. You Maltese need to look at yourselves as others see you or do you not care? Horace Caruana Berwick, Victoria, Australia With heavy heart I heard the sad news that my friend of long standing has passed away. Every person who got to know Teddie was enticed by him through his enthusi- asm for life, sports and also politics. I got to know Teddie in the late seventies and we remained friends all this time, even closer when he and his wife Roselle came to live in Gozo for many years, until recently returning once again to Malta. Even when living in Gozo, he was almost daily crossing over to Malta to film or organize yachting activities or his duties as the Secretary of the Royal Yacht Club. In Gozo, he started to be active as well, integrating in Gozitan society. He started filming local habits, sports and historical information sometimes with me about Gozitan life. He was sadly interrupted in this by someone who pretended that he, as a representative of a soci- ety, should take over, only to reduce it to nothing until the programme got lost in itself. The Borg family were also good hosts and regularly had both Maltese and local guests in their Mgarr apartment. Those were good times. In his spare time we used go out to Victoria to have a drink and talk about almost everything; cur- rent and past events. People recognised Teddie and used to cross the street to talk to him. He was always the gentleman; always was nice to everyone and respectful of all views, even those different to his own. I wish to remember my friend Teddie as he was, a tall handsome looking gentle- man, full of enthusiasms for life, sports and politics. Lino DeBono, Gozo Occupational Therapy treats physi- cal or mental health problems that interfere with a person's ability to perform in daily life activities. In Malta, this service is provided in all hospitals and community set- tings for young children or adults. This year, the Occupational Therapy Department at Mount Carmel Hospital is collaborating with Kenn Ghal Saħħtek to organ- ise the conference 'L-Ikel: Bżonn, Pjaċir jew Problema?' This will be held on Friday 18 July between 8:30am and 2:30pm at the Dolmen Hotel Buġibba. The purpose of this conference is to raise aware- ness about Eating Disorders and Obesity and will present multiple perspectives including psychiatry, psychology, occupational therapy, and nutrition. Qualified Occupational Therapy Practitioners aid in the recovery process by following a holistic and client-centred approach, where the client is the active participant in the rehabilitative process. The profession's perspective is not about setting eating rules and standards, but rather allows clients to take control over their condi- tion. Control is achieved by undergo- ing training where limitations caused by poor eating habits and rigid routines are addressed. Engagement in self-care activities such as bathing, grooming, and make-up application might also require consideration, as these eve- ryday tasks can be neglected when having body image problems. Providing retraining in meal preparation, shopping for gro- ceries, carrying work or study demands are other aspects to the Occupational Therapy Rehabilita- tion programme. Finally, focusing on social engagement and reinte- gration can lead to the rediscovery of the client's identity that will then guide them to become active members in society. This will help in establishing occupational balance between self- care, work and leisure activities. This conference is being held through support from Paperclips, Benna, Holland & Barrett, Good Earth, and Talbot & Bons. If you would like to gain more information on Eating Disorders and Obesity, book your seat at this conference by contacting us on otawarenessday@gmail.com or 23304069. Raisa Micallef, Mt Carmel Hospital Conference aims to raise awareness on eating disorders