From Mr J. Gaffarena

In a few months’ time, Parliament will decide on who will be our new President.

This had been a debated issue for a long time now, but as usual there is always that political touch from both parties when it comes to choosing our President.

The late Sir Anthony Mamo did not come from a political background, yet he did his job wonderfully well and was loved by all citizens.

In this small island of ours, it is very hard to find such a man, so we do not have that many options. In our country, the role of a President is only that of a figurehead, and going over his weekly engagements, proves it. So when choosing a president, the political issue is very minimal.

In my mind there is a certain professor who can fill this role. It’s very hard nowadays to be loved by all the students, yet when I asked a number of students, I was told to leave this man as they wanted him only for themselves. By choosing this man, I thought that at last we might see some flowers growing in our Parliament.

The other gentleman has a political background, but time showed us that he sacrificed his livelihood by not being a yes man to his party in government, and this is what we are searching for. A man capable of taking the right decision whatever it costs, even ending his career as a politician. His writings were always a clear indication of what his views were, and he was always in the forefront when a national issue arose, as he was never afraid to express his views in public.

A President must be loved by all the people. This time we have to make the right choice; there is no need for confrontations from both sides. They must take the right decision when appointing our next president

Joseph Gaffarena

SANTA LUCIJA