This article, my final one before we go to the vote on May 25, is not meant for those who say they were born blue/red and will die blue/red.
The situation of these people is a respectable but an unmovable one. It is a question of faith for them. Blind faith in one of the two political parties they were born into.
I can fully understand that.
It is like with the Juventus and Manchester United supporters. The party/football team become a religion, an infallible faith. Whether Ronaldo or Pogba play well or not is immaterial. If I am a blind follower of the team, then whatever happens, I will support my football team with blind faith. Till death do us part.
Same thing with the faithful, loyal political party supporters: I believe in Joseph, because Joseph believes in me. Nothing to discuss here. It has become religious devotion. Amen.
But there are 35 to 40 per cent of Maltese who are not blind politically. They might have been born into a political party, but they are inquisitive and want to know and compare things before arriving at an informed decision.
There are many whose heart aches for political righteousness and who wish to see Malta prosper in the right way. All this, instead of the frenzy that is going on at present, without any national plan whatsoever.
There are those who are deeply hurt and who have witnessed politicians who have sold their political values and thrown them to the dogs. Then there are those who have been silenced and feel completely fragile.
They have been made to feel completely helpless in our communities. These are the communities that have been robbed of the peace, serenity and tranquillity of their once community life.
They are not happy with the fact that Labour and the Nationalists are colluding together to ensure that a useless tunnel linking Malta to Gozo is built, with all the disastrous environmental, social and financial consequences that it will bring with it.
They are unhappy with these two parties, with the disaster they caused in Tigné and with the way they both voted to take away Manoel Island from us once and forever.
They are furious at the two parties that permitted squatters to take over illegally our coastline at Armier and allowed the big tuna farming companies to expand their tuna pens without any limit and to destroy the clean seas for which we had always been renowned.
They are appalled at the fact that the PN and PL have allowed our public transport system to go to the dogs, while the levels of asthma caused by the uncontrolled car emissions have now reached gargantuan proportions, making us the first country in the European continent – and the eighth in the whole world – as regards asthma in children.
There are many whose heart aches for political righteousness and who wish to see Malta prosper in the right way
These voters would like to give a shake up to our 55-year-old fossilised political panorama dominated by the PNPL oligarchy.
This article is therefore meant for you.
We are a few days before election day and things are unfurling out quite clearly now.
The Nationalist Party has lost one of its present three seats once and for all and there is no way of getting it back.
Do you want this seat to end up as Labour’s fourth seat? Imagine the further arrogance of Konrad and Keith if this were to happen. If you do not want to fuel this arrogance with your vote, you have only two clear options.
Are you in favour of children born with a disability being killed within an hour of birth? Are you in favour of the forced sterilisation of those Maltese men considered to be of low IQ? Do you consider Adolf Hitler to have been a glorious and illustrious political leader? Well, if so, vote for the Maltese rightist Nazi contesting the elections.
The other option is voting for me.
In this case your vote would be for a resident-friendly economic model, based on full transparency, for a moratorium on large scale building development, for a decent basic minimum wage, for sustainable traditional fishing in a 25 mile radius, for fiscal incentives for youths taking up farming, for a carbon zero Malta by 2050 and for a fully functioning, regular, reliable public transport system, which would include a fast ferry service from Gozo to Xemxija-Sliema-Valletta.
And, after voting number one for me, please do continue giving other preferences to the AD and PD candidates, as well as to other individuals whom you consider to be honest and well meaning.
This is the only way of breaking the system.
It is a golden chance to show the PNPL duopoly that you are standing up to their by now proverbial arrogance.
Think about it.
On May 25 you have the unique opportunity of giving a shake up to the whole putrid system. It is really now all up to you. So do pluck up the courage.
Together, we can make history.
Arnold Cassola is an independent candidate at the MEP elections.
This is a Times of Malta print opinion piece