Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/970554
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 18 APRIL 2018 NEWS TIA RELJIC A new voting system for KSU elections is being proposed in an attempt to chal- lenge student apathy and increase voter turnout. Students Dario Cacopardo and Nath- aniel Falzon will be submitting propos- als in an attempt to move KSU voting online – specifically through the voting system ElectionBuddy. The amendment would see KSU elec- tions taking place online, as opposed to the traditional ballot method, which is proving to be ineffective. "Unfortunately, in the past years, elec- tions for the University of Malta stu- dent council have experienced very low participation rates when it comes to voting – some 30%," Cacopardo wrote on his Facebook page. The concern around the traditional ballot method of voting for KSU elec- tions arose due to an ever-decreasing voter turnout, as students who do not have lectures on election day tend not to show up on campus for the sole pur- pose of voting. "This is an opportunity to increase interest and participation, incite debate and maturity, engage a level playing field for all candidates and promote the efficient use of the limited resources and time that we have," Cacopardo said. The students submitted a total of 14 amendments to the KSU's statute, which would effectively change the electoral process as it would shift vot- ing online. The University Senate, Council and Student Representative elections al- ready take place online, and Cacopardo said that it is "only natural that KSU elections follow suit." Speaking at a press conference yester- day, Cacopardo said that representa- tives of student organisations SDM and Pulse showed support for the amend- ments, and that IT services were also consulted on the issue. Both the Registrar's office, which is responsible for the electoral register, as well as IT services, are willing to col- laborate with the student body should these amendments be approved, Ca- copardo said. "Issues of security, anonymity and autonomy have been cleared with both SDM and Pulse and will be also ex- plained during tomorrow's Annual General Meeting." ElectionBuddy is hosted in Canada and is used in educational institutions such as Harvard University and Yale University. The fact that the platform is hosted abroad would ensure fair elections, as Cacopardo said that no Maltese citizen is employed at ElectionBuddy. A Facebook page – Online Voting for KSU Elections – was subsequently set up in attempt to rally up support for the cause. "The current ballot-paper sys- tem is resource wasteful, time consum- ing, inefficient, open to abuse and keeps the voting turnout very low," a post on the page read. "Our plea is for student political or- ganisations, candidates, and students to join us and support our mission to increase voter participation and stu- dent apathy by the introduction of an electronic voting system." Students to push for online voting in KSU elections Nathaniel Falzon (left) and Dario Cacopardo said that online voting would make democracy more accessible to students MALTA'S pro-new technology stance has attracted a block- chain fundraising platform Neufund, the company's Chief Executive Officer Zoe Adam- ovicz said. Neufund, based in Berlin, is a blockchain-based equity fund- raising platform operating on Ethereum and it is expected to open its satellite office in Malta. The company allows any kind of company to issue equity to- kens on a blockchain in a pub- lic or private placement. An equity token offering is a hybrid investment model com- bining advantages of an IPO, an ICO, and a VC round. "We are impressed by the work done so far by the Mal- tese government and its pro- new technology stance," Ada- movicz said. "We are excited to contribute in building a strong and stable blockchain ecosys- tem on Malta." Parliamentary Secretary for Digital Economy Silvio Schembri said that the new company will help create an ideal ecosystem for investors and diversify the market, add- ing that he is "overwhelmed" by the response received by companies so far since "the government decided to take the lead in this new emergent sector which will eventually make Malta the blockchain island." Berlin-based blockchain company to move to Malta Neufund Chief Executive Officer Zoe Adamovicz (left) and Chief Technology Officer Marcin Rudolf Parliamentary Secretary for Digital Economy Silvio Schembri said that the emergent new technology sector will make Malta 'the blockchain island' A man has been arrested af- ter a shooting incident at St George Street in Gharghur. Police were called to the scene when a 31-year-old man from Gharghur shot a 58-year-old man from Mosta. The victim was lightly in- jured and taken to hospital. The Gharghur man left the scene but was quickly arrest- ed by police from the Rapid Intervention Unit. The shooting allegedly hap- pened after an argument be- tween family members at a farmhouse. Man arrested after Gharghur shooting