Scroll down for English version
Sebaħ il-jum li fih, mingħajr lanqas ħjiel ta’ fidi, isiru mirakli kbar. Illum il-mifluġ jimxi, l-għami jikteb u l-maqful joħroġ. Illum Lazzru, Bartilmew, Malku u l-għami ta’ Ġeriko, jinġiebu mid-dixxipli, b’kull mod u mezz quddiem il-karta tal-vot sabiex fuqha, bħal f’kuntratt dejjiemi, jagħmlu dik l-imbierka linja dritta bil-faħma tal-lapes.
Huwa fatt magħruf li fil-jum tal-votazzjoni f’pajjiżna, isiru l-kutrumbajsi. Fil-passat smajt b’anzjani fis-siġġu tar-roti, li wara xhur sħaħ maqfulin f’darhom, tniżżlu sulari sħaħ fuq l-idejn sabiex dawn jivvutaw. Mument topiku ieħor li dejjem affaxxinani jkun dak meta reliġjużi tal-klawsura jerħulha lejn xi sala tal-votazzjoni biex jaqdu dan id-dmir uniku. Tikber u titgħallem… Illum ikkonfermajt kif nhar is-Sibt li għadda, meta l-isptar San Vinċenz ma kienx aċċessibbli għall-viżitaturi u familjari minħabba l-proċess bikri tal-votazzjoni, kandidati tal-Kunsilli Lokali ta’ Ħal Luqa żaru l-kmamar tal-anzjani sabiex jassiguraw li dawn jivvutawlhom. Ikkonfermajt ukoll kif, bħalma ktibt fil-passat, nies bid-dementia, ġew akkumpanjati fis-sala tal-votazzjoni u dawn, b’xi mod mirakoluż, għamlu l-għażliet tagħhom! Dan kollu ikompli jixhed l-abbuż psikoloġiku li dwaru ktibt fuq Facebook nhar it-22 ta’ Mejju. Iżda bħala jiġri spiss, ħadd ma ta’ każ. Iktar jinteressana fuq kemm il-“like” tenniet Raquel ta’ Love Island!
Hawn wisq persunaġġi fostna li jħarsu lejn kariga f’Kunsill Lokali jew fl-Unjoni Ewropea bħala poter u mhux servizz. Għal dawn l-uħud illuppjati, il-vot huwa wisq importanti, u allura jagħmlu minn kollox għal unu ieħor. U taħsbux li benefiċċji sekondarji ma jkunx hemm għal xi uħud! Dan tikkonfermah ir-realtà ta’ kandidati li innominaw ruħhom għall-Kunsill bil-wegħda ta’ impjieg tajjeb mal-Gvern jew aċċess aħjar sabiex familjari u ħbieb jiġu mogħtija xi favur.
L-akbar element li jħassibni huwa dak li tul is-snin, kien hemm xi forom ta’ evidenzi dwar kif is-sistema tal-votazzjoni setgħet kienet manipulata. Fl-2013 kif ukoll għaxar snin wara, insibu dinamika politika fejn l-ebda ġurnalisti, partiti jew kandidati fl-oppożizzjoni ma jinvestigaw dawn il-istejjer li jxejjnu l-proċess demokratiku tal-votazzjoni.
Ilbieraħ smajt l-aħħar kontribut b’vidjo ta’ Ricky Caruana, dwar kif il-vot ta’ llum jista’ jkun l-aħħar wieħed f’kuntest ta’ Ewropa demokratika. Is-Sur Caruana enfasizza l-bżonn li l-poplu Malti jivvota lill-kandidat indipendenti, sieħbi Conrad Borg Manche, sabiex ikollna rappreżentant li lest imur kontra gwerra li l-Unjoni Ewropea qegħda allegatament timmira lejha. Kemm f’dan il-vidjo u anki f’ieħor li kien tella’ ix-xahar li għadda, huwa saħaq kemm il-vot tal-MEPs Maltin huwa tista’ tgħid mingħajr influwenza fil-kuntest ta’ pajjiżi ġganti li qatt mhux ser jagħtu każ tal-bżonnijiet ta’ pajjiż ċkejken bħal tagħna. U hawn fejn nolqtu l-likk. Fl-aħħar ġimgħat smajt lis-Sur Caruana kif ukoll kandidati MEPs oħrajn jitħaddtu dwar il-bżonn li r-rappreżentanti Maltin jimbuttaw lill-Unjoni Ewropea sabiex tadatta liġijiet għal pajjiż ċkejken bħalna.
Jiena dejjem emmint li sħubija sħiħa fl-UE qatt ma kienet l-aħjar triq għal Malta. Dejjem ħlomt f’mexxejja kariżmatiċi li kapaċi jitħaddtu mal-Ġgant u joħolqu ftehim ad-hoc skont sitwazzjonijiet prattiċi mingħajr ma jintrabtu miegħu! Dan kien iwassal biex filwaqt li ngawdu minn dak kollu li l-Maltin tant jiċċelebraw, bħaċ-ċans li tivjaġġa, li taħdem u li tesperjenza skambji fl-Unjoni, illum is-Sur Caruana ma kienx ikollu għalfejn iħabbel rasu dwar kif fi ftit xhur oħra jaf inkunu msejħa ningħaqdu f’armata jew li avversarju tal-UE jiġi jaħsilna b’xita ta’ bombi! Meta lura fis-snin kont intenni dan ir-raġunament uħud kienu jgħiduli li ma tistax tieħu li jaqbillek u tirrifjuta dak li ma jaqbillekx.
Għaldaqstant illum, ladarba Malta, din iż-żibġa fil-Mediterran għażlet li tkun bħall-ġganti, naħseb m’għandniex għax ninħasdu jekk niġu trattati ugwali anki fil-mumenti koroh! Dik l-għażla sħiħa li għamilna għalina, għal uliedna u għal ulied uliedna lura fl-2004. Min qed jistenbaħ issa, stenbaħ għoxrin sena tard!
U llum ser nerġgħu nivvutaw. Il-ġuħ għall-poter, l-ambizzjoni li nkunu “kbar” bħal ħaddieħor u rilevanti daqs jew aktar minn ħaddieħor, qeridna fuq livell lokali u anki Ewropew. Sintomu li inxebbħu mal-istorja tat-Torri ta’ Babel fejn kull min “ra kbir”, spiċċa umiljat. Xi darba dan il-poplu għad jitgħallem u jisfa umiljat!
Hemmhekk nitwieldu mill-ġdid.
Nistennew għada sabiex minn dan l-eżerċizzju mċajpar tal-elezzjoni, nippruvaw nifhmu kemm għadu msejken dan il-poplu.
A free and democratic vote
It is the day when, without a trace of faith, great miracles are performed. Today the lame walk, the blind see, and the mute speak. Today, Lazarus, Bartholomew, Malchus, and the blind man from Jericho are brought by the disciples, using every means possible, before the voting booth to make that blessed straight mark with the pencil, as if signing a lasting contract.
It is well-known that on polling day in our country, extraordinary efforts are made. I’ve heard stories of elderly people in wheelchairs, confined to their homes for months, being brought out just to vote. Another fascinating moment is when cloistered religious individuals are taken to polling stations to fulfill this unique duty. I confirmed such efforts last Saturday when St. Vincent de Paul Hospital was not accessible to visitors and family members due to early voting. Whilst our family members laid in utmost solitude, I learned that candidates of Luqa Local Council visited the nursing rooms to ensure that patients voted their way, asking why if they didn’t. I also confirmed how, as I have written in the past, people with dementia were accompanied to the polling room and somehow made to pick their choices. All this further testifies to the psychological manipulation I mentioned on Facebook on May 22. But as often happens, no one takes notice. More interest is given to how many “like” Love Island’s Raquel speaks out in one episode!
There are too many people among us who see a position in a Local Council or in the European Union as a source of power rather than a service. For these individuals, voting is so important that they will do anything for another vote in their favor. Secondary benefits are confirmed by the reality of candidates nominating themselves for the Council with the promise of a good job with the government or better access to grant favors to family and friends.
The biggest element that worries me is that over the years, there have been some form of evidence on how the voting system was somehow manipulated. In 2013 as well as a decade later, we live a political dynamic where no journalists nor any opposition party or candidates investigate these stories that skew the democratic voting process.
Yesterday, I watched Ricky Caruana’s latest video about how today’s vote could be the last in a democratic European context. Mr. Caruana emphasized the need for the Maltese people to vote for the independent candidate, my friend Conrad Borg Manche, to have a representative willing to oppose a war that the European Union is allegedly pushing for. In both this video and another one he uploaded last month, he highlighted how the vote of Maltese MEPs is insignificant compared to the influence of larger countries that will never consider the needs of a tiny country like ours. This is the crux of the issue. In recent weeks, I’ve heard Mr. Caruana and other MEPs talk about the need for Maltese representatives to push the European Union to adapt laws to fit a tiny country like ours.
I have always believed that full membership of the EU has never been the best path for Malta.I always dreamed of charismatic leaders who could negotiate with the giants and create ad-hoc agreements based on practical situations without being bound by them! This would have allowed us to enjoy everything the Maltese cherish, such as the chance to travel, work, and experience exchanges within the Union. Today, Mr. Caruana wouldn’t have to worry about being called to join an army in a few months or the threat of an EU adversary attacking us! When I reiterated this reasoning in the past, some would tell me that you can’t take what suits you and reject what doesn’t.
So today, since Malta, this chip in the Mediterranean, has chosen to be like giants, we should not be surprised if we are treated equally even in the tough times! That the choice we made for us, our children, and our children’s children back in 2004. Whoever is complaining now waited twenty years too late!
And today we will vote once more. The hunger for power, the ambition to be “big” like others, and the desire to be as relevant or more so than anyone else, have destroyed us at both local and European levels. This is reminiscent of the story of the Tower of Babel, where all who sought greatness ended up humiliated. One day, this nation will learn and be humbled!
Then we will be reborn.
Let us wait for tomorrow’s results of this blurred exercise to truly understand the depth of despair our people are choosing.
