Maltese MEPs are known to take their role seriously. Their offices issue press releases often and a substantial amount of them are important in terms of quantifying and qualifying the work of Maltese MEPs.

Sometimes, they are genuinely interesting. But on occasion, a clanger is dropped. In today's issue, we report on MEP Marlene Mizzi's press release where she opposes a move to improve the rights of EU citizens living abroad by letting them vote and or in their country of residence. Her office said the proponents - Spain, UK and Germany - argued that if this measure is not introduced, then the principle of free movement in being breached.  But she said that this was a case of bigger countries imposing their will on smaller countries.

MEP Mizzi went on the attack and argued that because many Maltese people live abroad, allowing them to vote would mean that Maltese people in Malta would be governed by people who do not live here.

We have to ask, what is the logic behind the reasoning? Each and every time there is an election in Malta, Air Malta flights are chartered to bring eligible voters home to cast their vote - and this, at a subsidised price.

How, exactly, does this archaic system benefit the citizen at all? Maltese citizens have the right to vote in national elections and they should not be forced to come to Malta to do their duty. They should be allowed to vote in embassies, or better still, by proxy.

Maltese people might live, work or study abroad. Why should they be forced to uproot and come to Malta to cast their vote? It simply does not make sense. Labour's latest elected MP Joseph Farrugia has already gone on record saying he thinks it's a waste of money to continue with the current system where people have to be flown back to Malta. And we agree. This is not the first time this subject has been tackled by this media house, in fact, we have shown our disapproval of the system time and time again.

MEP Mizzi goes on in her statement to say that she is in favour of empowering the voter, through means such as electronic voting (which would allow for exit polls). But it seems that Malta needs to shift forward in this direction. This is not about imposing the will of Maltese living abroad on Maltese living here. It is an issue of giving the voter the means with which to exercise his right to cast his vote in a democratic poll from within the European Union. The Prime Minister's Government has taken the issue of civil rights and made it a priority. So why not with this too? Alternattiva Demokratika and NGO's have expressed their support in such a system time and time again. It is time to change it. Maybe not for the next raft of elections (and referendum on hunting) but certainly in time for 2019.