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The Maltese Herald

There already is a progressive third party and it’s called ADPD

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by

Mark Camilleri
in

ADPD Leader Sandra Gauci has been punching above her weight in local politics. Apart from campaigning and meeting people on a daily basis, she is out on the beat pushing her campaign trail with house events and attending various functions. She does this nearly as a full-time job, unpaid and of her own will.

So, it is of course saddening to see others trying to capture their own 5-minutes of fame by creating new groups and dissecting the opposition even further instead of doing what’s in the national interest and pull their support behind the third party. Politics is not a game, but already, even before the third-party has caught up with electoral results that reflect the current political demographic, we see those who overnight want to anoint themselves as representatives of the disenfranchised peoples via a press conference.

Labour could be overthrown tomorrow if the political opposition is united, and this should be obvious when looking at the numbers. Progressives who refuse to vote or simply refuse to back the third-party because they are opportunistically looking for the media limelight, are simply acknowledging that they are accepting the status quo. You either want to change things or you don’t, and it’s that very simple. In addition there are so many NGO’s, civil society and protest groups in our small society that I honestly can’t understand why would anyone add even another group.

I think that first and foremost the country needs a united opposition. I will be voting for Roberta Metsola in the upcoming European Parliament elections because she is capable of uniting the country with a vision of hope for the future. I am also voting for Roberta Metsola because we need European unity in the face of current crises. Then I will vote for Sandra Gauci and continue on all the other ADPD candidates. I’m not going to vote for any independent candidate because sincerely I don’t think any of them deserves any votes at all. This is not something personal and I may be friends with people like Arnold Cassola, but I think that in electoral terms, dissenting opposition voices who are dissecting and dividing the opposition should be punished rather than rewarded. And as I said, this is not something personal. Politics is not a game.

 

Comments

9 responses to “There already is a progressive third party and it’s called ADPD”

  1. John Cordina aka Benny avatar
    John Cordina aka Benny

    Not sure I agree with you on this one. ADPD is not just Sandra Gauci. Unless ADPD fields multiples it’s good at least there are other well intentioned individuals who can inherit from ADPD or vici versa given we are shackled with an STV system that’s failed us so far. The original reasoning behind adopting an STV system was actually to address a small and fragmented political scenario. Unfortunately this was subverted with a highly active political duopoly and ridiculously numerous parliament and and an unnecessarily larger number of districts. While the number of districts won’t hinder independents for MEP having 2nd 3rd and 4th options at Keady could be a very beneficial in seeing finally a non PLPN elected. Cassola does a great job and to my mind is second only to Metsola.

    Reply
  2. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand avatar
    Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

    As well-intentioned as they may be, ADPD simply do not inspire and exude charisma. At present, they are more of a think-tank group rather than an electable party.

    Reply
  3. Banquo avatar
    Banquo

    I think ADPD is too exclusively progressive for Maltese tastes. They have never inspired the masses. Il-Kollettiv sound like they are trying to fill in a gap in the centre (Wayne Flask has said that they are willing to work with people from across the political spectrum). This is similar to what Emmanuel Macron did in France with his new centrist party En Marche in 2016 and would be an interesting concept that can possibly mop up votes of people who would otherwise not vote.

    However, I do agree that the opposition needs to be united. What I would like to see for the next general election is a coalition of the Nationalist Party, ADPD, il-Kollettiv (if they become a party), Arnold Cassola and other sensible fellow travellers. The 2017 Forza Nazzjonali (PN/PD) was a great idea. Just because it electorally failed then, it does not mean its time won’t come.

    As more people become disillusioned with the two big parties, the PN becomes too small to claim victory on its own and the small parties remain sinks of wasted votes, the only way for the PN to revitalise itself and for the smaller parties to punch above their weight will be a coalition in which a number of parties contest together on the same ticket and then share power if elected to government.

    I think Generation Z voters will be open to this because they came of age as citizens of the EU and coalition governments that foster cross-party collaboration and are inclusive of small parties that represent specific sectors of the population are the norm in most EU countries.

    Reply
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  6. Joseph avatar
    Joseph

    Nowadays we cannot play with party votes. In Meantime is important to vote for the party that will govern the nation without criminals corrupt and manigold people. Our nation of Saints need voters to open their head instead of looking for favours. Favours are peanuts for politicians compared to their aquistarum land and money.

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