The local councils’ election has started to dominate the news and the printed media. Although it is a short campaign, it is quite intense.
The focus is on the two leaders who have approached this mid-term election test in different ways. On one side, the Opposition Leader has put everybody into a classroom, and dishes out percentage points. What never ceases to amaze me is the bias used in favour of Labour-led councils who garner fantastic percentages, even if they were riddled with problems. Some had even more than one serving mayor in the last three years.
Then, by contrast, low marks are given to the Nationalist-led councils, who cannot do anything right in his eyes. Then if they did, they are accused on being spendthrifts – a tactic used and heard over and over again.
Such statements, however, may find their way into the voters’ mind, as repetition and brain washing on news bulletins may have an effect. The reality is, however, not the one being portrayed by Dr Sant.
On the other hand, we have our Prime Minister, who has taken a pro-active role and continued to dish out more information on Malta’s progress, including that at council level. One notices how the four recycling plants proposed by Labour have no address. Will it be in your locality or mine?
No bets are being taken in, as naming the four localities will surely harm Labour’s chances. They will be pronouncing them only after the general elections. They have made their study to come up with four, as otherwise the number of localities could have been three or five. Now, it transpires that the Labour Party wants Lm400,000 of your money to come up with a report. Not a bad idea really. Wanting money to criticise and paint everything black is a remarkable idea.
However, the Nationalist Party could have been lacking in the amount of information it dished out to residents, especially in a locality like Sliema. Work of embellishments, future plans have been drafted nine times over so far. Dialogue with concerned parties are ongoing.
This refers to the Qui-Si-Sana area that really is a whole area for planning. Residents have been fed information and used for partisan politics. Our lack of information was taken, albeit wrongly, as having something to hide.
On the other hand, perhaps it’s better to wait till the whole consultation process is completed and then speak up, rather than get all the residents geared up and fed information which is constantly changing. When – shortly – the whole plans will be unveiled, I am sure that there will be consensus. We must applaud the government for taking off the Jumbo Lido, for we do not need any more similar commercial outlets on the seashore. This government does not take the credit it should take.
How nice it is to have people suggest things to do, and then these are taken on board by the government. What a different state of affairs to the past. The same past that some Labour exponents want to take us back to. Sliema residents are hungry for the right information that only the Nationalist government can deliver, and will deliver.
The ultimate plans will suit each and every Sliema resident. Remember, voting takes place on 11 march, until 7pm, and voting documents can be collected from the police station. Voting correctly is giving your council strength to do their job for the three years to come.
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