Recently, both Nationalist and Labour parties admitted to the practice of clientelism. In essence, they admitted that they are both responsible for disrespecting the Rule of Law. The Hon. Jose Herrera even went as far as trying to justify clientelism by saying it is the most democratic possible system, which as we shall see, is utter nonsense.

In layman´s terms, clientelism is the system through which our two major parties control everything in our country by using favours and nepotism. It is the system where everything is decided by who you know, not what you know. Clientelism takes on many forms. The Hon Jose Herrera elaborated that MPs have ‘customer care departments’. Basically, you phone your MP, he puts you in touch with his stooges and they help you to jump a hospital queue, get a job, regularise a building or get a building permit from the PA, or a number of other things. For every person who gains via this system, somebody else suffers.

It is a habit which is very hard to break in our culture, but it is crucial that we do so. The so-called debate that has been ongoing on the Rule of Law all boils down to this problem above all others. If justice is blind, then everyone should be treated equally, regardless of whom they vote for.

Clientelism in Malta has resulted in a situation where people are afraid to say which party they support and what their political opinions are. This climate of fear is devastating for any democracy and it runs deep in Malta. It runs so deep in fact, that we take it for granted and hardly realise that things could be different. People are afraid of posting what they ‘like’ on Facebook, of what they say at work or who they are seen talking to.

The consequences of supporting the wrong political party in Malta can mean that your business loses out on tenders and contracts, or that you are discriminated against in a number of other ways. In the end, one is left with a country full of Yes Men, and two tribes. The two tribes, PN and PL, fear and loathe each other so much because whichever party is in power uses clientelism to channel the country´s money into the pockets of the people backing that party. It is of course extremely unfair, and the people who are left out become entrenched in their biases.

In conclusion, clientelism is the cancer which is killing Malta, and I encourage people to break this system by using their vote. Let us focus our fear and loathing on clientelism, not on the party we have been raised to hate all our lives. If we have a level playing field, via the necessary checks and balances, then everything would be a lot fairer and a lot better for everyone.

 

Timothy Alden

Naxxar