We are still waiting for the result. It seems that now the election will hang on the election or otherwise of an AD candidate from the 10th.
To my mind this indicates the need for a radical overhaul of the electoral system. The Single Tranferable Vote has been bastardised over the last twenty years making it inefficient and unrepresentative. We should work for a fool-proof system which apart from being mathematically consistent, does not disenfranchise a part of the electorate.
For the sake of democracy we should have a system which allows a plurality of voices in parliament. This will improve the quality of all the parties who will not take us the people for granted.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Waiting for the result
We don't know what is going to be the outcome but as Fasto Majistral has written it does not look good for the PN and we might be looking for a big defeat for them.
http://malta9thermidor.blogspot.com/2008/03/bongu-malta-rebha-socjalista.html
This defeat for the PN, if it happens, was on the cards all along. I have expressed my opinion several times that I have very little confidence in an unreformed MLP administration although we are not going back to the doom and gloom predicted by a number of PN pundits. The reason for this is with membership of the EU and belonging to the Euro zone, Governments do not have the same freedom to act as before in particular with regards to the economy.
I had been hoping for something positive to come out of this election with a breakthrough by one of the smaller parties. I expressed the opinion that this was the right opportunity for Malta to strengthen its democracy by having a plurality of voices. There is still hope for this.
http://malta9thermidor.blogspot.com/2008/03/bongu-malta-rebha-socjalista.html
This defeat for the PN, if it happens, was on the cards all along. I have expressed my opinion several times that I have very little confidence in an unreformed MLP administration although we are not going back to the doom and gloom predicted by a number of PN pundits. The reason for this is with membership of the EU and belonging to the Euro zone, Governments do not have the same freedom to act as before in particular with regards to the economy.
I had been hoping for something positive to come out of this election with a breakthrough by one of the smaller parties. I expressed the opinion that this was the right opportunity for Malta to strengthen its democracy by having a plurality of voices. There is still hope for this.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
There will be MUD 2
The consiracy theories surrounding the arrest warrant for Harry Vassallo are not the real story behind all this. I have no intention of going into the merits of who is behind it. The story is very very dirty indeed. I will assume that this story is ther result of a mindless bureaucracy acting like a headless chicken. To my mind the real issue is that the law is an ass.
We have a number of laws where penalties do not match the 'crime' or better the fault. Harry Vassallo has explained that no tax was evaded and yet he is slapped with am Lm 6000 fine or two years imprisonment. To the law is the one that needs to be changed. These laws are arbitrary and to my mind whoever drew these laws does not have any idea what justice is.
One issue which surprises me is why the President of the Republic declined to issue a pardon to Harry Vassallo while issuing almost two hundred such pardons for VAT offences to others and especially since this time no actual tax was evaded.
No wonder people are alienated from politicians and that the best minds in Malta are not interested in a political career.
My plea is that these draconian penalties for minor failures should be abolished and replaced with punishments which reflect the seriousness or otherwise of the fault. Seeing how this election campaign has gone I wonder why I remain 'everhopeful'.
We have a number of laws where penalties do not match the 'crime' or better the fault. Harry Vassallo has explained that no tax was evaded and yet he is slapped with am Lm 6000 fine or two years imprisonment. To the law is the one that needs to be changed. These laws are arbitrary and to my mind whoever drew these laws does not have any idea what justice is.
One issue which surprises me is why the President of the Republic declined to issue a pardon to Harry Vassallo while issuing almost two hundred such pardons for VAT offences to others and especially since this time no actual tax was evaded.
No wonder people are alienated from politicians and that the best minds in Malta are not interested in a political career.
My plea is that these draconian penalties for minor failures should be abolished and replaced with punishments which reflect the seriousness or otherwise of the fault. Seeing how this election campaign has gone I wonder why I remain 'everhopeful'.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Solidarity with Harry Vassallo
I am still under shock reading what has happened to Harry Vassallo. This is an example of bureaucracy run amock as empowered by the PN Government. These absurd rules were drawn and enacted by the PN Goverrnment.
It is not right that Government hurts its own citizens in this way and especially where the ordinary citizen has not cheated on any taxes. This is something right out of the Theatre of the Absurd.
This comes soon after my previous post regarding Taxation and what Alfred Sant said about companies belonging to political parties not paying their dues.
There is a great need to make Government for the people and by the people. I wish to express my solidarity with Harry Vassallo.
It is not right that Government hurts its own citizens in this way and especially where the ordinary citizen has not cheated on any taxes. This is something right out of the Theatre of the Absurd.
This comes soon after my previous post regarding Taxation and what Alfred Sant said about companies belonging to political parties not paying their dues.
There is a great need to make Government for the people and by the people. I wish to express my solidarity with Harry Vassallo.
No country for ordinary citizens
One thing which got me during yesterday's Press Conference by Alfred Sant was his answer to the question by the AzzjoniNazzjonali.com guy regarding unpaid taxes and dues by the Parties and their companies. Far from apologizing for not paying their dues and complying with the law Alfred Sant excused them and comparing them to other non-paying private companies.
How about comparing them to the ordinary citizens who do pay their dues? Anyone of those who miss paying by just one day is assailed with fines, penalties and all kinds of harassments? What kind of example is he giving? Thank God he is reducing the surcharge by half when his and similar companies do not pay the bills outright getting a 100% rebate on the whole bill.
Likewise what example are Mangion and Vella giving? The fact is that for seven consecutive years they signed and approved accounts which did not give a true picture and fiddled with their tax for at least seven years. The fact that they got away with it for seven years out and settled afterwards does not alter the fact that they fiddled in the first place. As Directors of a company they are responsible for the accounts and income tax declarations. I am curious to know how much tax they did eventually pay and what penalties and interests were levied by the Inland Revenue. If an ordinary citizen is caught fiddling the Inland Revenue comes down really hard and throws the book at you. Did they do the same with these two politician businessmen?
This just reaffirms the alienation from government and laws that many of us ordinary citizens feel. There is a law for the ordinary citizen and another for the powerful and well connected.
How about comparing them to the ordinary citizens who do pay their dues? Anyone of those who miss paying by just one day is assailed with fines, penalties and all kinds of harassments? What kind of example is he giving? Thank God he is reducing the surcharge by half when his and similar companies do not pay the bills outright getting a 100% rebate on the whole bill.
Likewise what example are Mangion and Vella giving? The fact is that for seven consecutive years they signed and approved accounts which did not give a true picture and fiddled with their tax for at least seven years. The fact that they got away with it for seven years out and settled afterwards does not alter the fact that they fiddled in the first place. As Directors of a company they are responsible for the accounts and income tax declarations. I am curious to know how much tax they did eventually pay and what penalties and interests were levied by the Inland Revenue. If an ordinary citizen is caught fiddling the Inland Revenue comes down really hard and throws the book at you. Did they do the same with these two politician businessmen?
This just reaffirms the alienation from government and laws that many of us ordinary citizens feel. There is a law for the ordinary citizen and another for the powerful and well connected.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
There will be mud
Fausto asked me why I am not writing. This election ceased to interest me for the past couple of weeks. Now it has deteriorated to something like a Jerry Springer show with tears and jeers and boos and cheers and the lions. The show being put on is highly unedifying. It seems to be getting out the worst in people.
I am surprised how the slick GonziPN campaign has been derailed and has lost all its poise including the PM himself. Somebody at Tal-Pieta will be shown the door very soon for mismanaging the campaign. Despite the fact that the MLP does not have one single interesting proposal it has managed to land a few body blows.
I am surprised how the slick GonziPN campaign has been derailed and has lost all its poise including the PM himself. Somebody at Tal-Pieta will be shown the door very soon for mismanaging the campaign. Despite the fact that the MLP does not have one single interesting proposal it has managed to land a few body blows.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Strange bedfellows
What have Silvio Berlusconi and Alfred Sant in common?
Silvio seems to have taken a leaf out of Alfred’s book. One of his central promises for the forthcoming Italian general election is to ‘de-tax’ earnings from overtime.
Strange bedfellows or is Silvio a fellow traveller in disguise?
Silvio seems to have taken a leaf out of Alfred’s book. One of his central promises for the forthcoming Italian general election is to ‘de-tax’ earnings from overtime.
Strange bedfellows or is Silvio a fellow traveller in disguise?
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