I think that this clientelism issue is being inflated beyond rational justification.

MPs all over the democratic world have clinics where they meet their constituents in order to keep in contact with voters. This, in my opinion, is a vital part of the democratic process, namely, to keep close contact and comprehend better the micro issues at a local level.

I was an MP for 30 years, from 1987 to 2017 (I didn’t contest the last election), and my professional offices within the constituency also served as the place where I met my constituents on a regular basis.

I also had door-to-door meetings,  which I found informative albeit taxing, of course. But choosing politics along with my professional career as a notary was a choice I freely made and I was fully aware of the implications.

During these 30 years as an MP, I met thousands of constituents and I can with confidence state that only a very small percentage of those who called made outrageous demands. It all depends on how the MP or prospective MP deals with them.

One can go along with such demands well knowing that they are ludicrous or else deal with the issue there and then and tell the individual the truth.

But, at the same time, one has to comprehend also those with genuine demands who, more often than not, require guidance on how they can deal with a problem they are facing.

Obviously, people did ask for assistance for housing because they couldn’t cope with the rent or couldn’t purchase their one home. Demands for jobs were also common but let us not consider this a crisis. In my experience, the more our children got educated, the more the demand for government jobs diminished.

This clientelism issue was a hot topic pre-1987 and I recall a well-known ex-politician and a colleague of mine claiming vociferously “drittjiet mhux pjaċiri”.

Let us focus on the bigger picture and the challenges before us as a nation- Charles Mangion

A career in politics is, without doubt, demanding and the increased public scrutiny on social media makes it even more taxing.

However, the individual needs to deal with it by being honest with constituents and not giving in to unreasonable demands of the few. Instead, one should concentrate more on the real justified demands of the majority. Meeting voters gives the opportunity to understand better the social and the actual reality of the constituency.

This is my personal experience over 30 years and I never promised fridges, government jobs or free housing. But I always tried to assist those who genuinely needed advice or help. Admittedly, I lost some voters and won others but what’s more important is that one wins respect. 

Mind you, it’s not an easy task but, if one makes a choice, he or she has to bear the burden of such a choice as well as the satisfaction of being elected to the highest institution after a hard campaign.

Meeting constituents and getting to know them and assisting them is, in my opinion, an essential part of the democratic process and also gives one the opportunity to get a better insight into the society he or she aims to represent.

First-hand knowledge of society’s aspirations will be beneficial when legislation is discussed at primary and committee levels in parliament.

Obviously, this is a personal opinion based on my 30-year experience. I don’t expect others to necessarily embrace this opinion but, for God’s sake, let us focus on the bigger picture and the challenges before us as a nation.

This is what the majority of voters will be expecting as the focus of the campaigns we will witness this year.  The personal travails of the candidates are only a distraction from the real challenges.

Charles Mangion, former PL minister

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