Gender quota in politics

Could the disparity between male and female MPs in Malta be due to the small number of women who are interested in politics or, perhaps, women candidates lack drive and tenacity? 

Taking the UK as an example, three years ago we had Theresa May as prime minister (even if unpopular) and the leaders of both the SNP (Scotland) and Scottish conservative parties were females. 

The current leader of Sinn Fein (Ireland) is female, as is the deputy leader of the DUP (Northern Ireland) and the Labour Party.  There is also a proportionate number of females on the front benches of the government and the shadow cabinet and other opposition parties.

Then, of course, there is the legendary Margaret Thatcher, who took on the strongest union bullies in the 1980s (miners’ strike) and beat them into submission, allowed council tenants to buy their own homes and privatised nationalised industries , which were bankrupting the country. 

And, of course, there’s the Falkland conflict which made one sabre rattling leader deeply regret his actions. One of her favourite quotes was: “This lady is not for turning”, that is, no U-turns once a decision was made. She was also famously known as the Iron Lady.

And she was the daughter of a greengrocer on a corner shop, so of a very modest background. 

Thirty-four per cent of the UK parliament is made up of women.

Could the disparity between male and female MPs in Malta be due to the small number of women who are interested in politics or, perhaps, women candidates lack drive and tenacity? Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Do not make the mistake that is sometimes advocated here with regard to race and colour, in other words putting people in positions of authority just because of their race and creed, or because it’s perceived by these same people that they have a right to be there to make up numbers. It will dilute expertise and it has the opposite effect to that intended, that is, they will fail in their remit, people will hate them (to put it mildly) and they will be subjected to criticism and even abuse.

Democracy has been banded about freely by readers, however, I tend not to associate that with Malta, which carries a reputation for corruption, nepotism and cronyism in high places.

Perhaps what is needed is more forceful and well informed (and honest?) female aspiring politicians who are able to convince voters that they are fit to be elected to do the job in hand, whatever that job is. And now comes the difficult bit – and that they will act with integrity and honesty and be prepared to challenge their own party’s unfair or corrupt practices.

Until that happens, having party leaders (as seems to be suggested) selecting their own MPs, who would include a proportion of women, sounds to me like a corrupt practice in itself and the country will not only remain hovering in a Third World status with its antiquated rules, laws and bureaucratic and corrupt practices but it will sink deeper into the mire.

In which case, why not just elect a president and let him pick out parliament with whatever colour and gender that suits his fancy? Or stick a few names into a hat.

PAUL BRINCAU – Uxbridge, England

MPs should meet their constituents

I was very surprised by one of the questions asked to Evarist Bartolo in his interview (April 10).

The interviewer seems to think that an MP opening an office in a village so as to facilitate face-to-face meetings with local people, that is, the voters, is a bad thing.

In the UK, where I have lived for most of my life, the local MP routinely meets his/her constituents in regular ‘surgeries’.  That is the whole basis of a democratic system. Ordinary people who feel short-changed and frustrated by bureaucracy have a chance to voice their concerns at the highest level and to seek help. It works.

In my opinion, every single MP should have a local office to meet people, listen to their grievances and, hopefully, help them. 

Leaving the rarefied confines of parliament and listening to the mundane difficulties faced by real people would help to keep our politicians in touch with the problems regularly faced by us lesser mortals. Surely, this cannot be a bad thing?

CHARLES A. GAUCI – Sannat