In a meeting at AD’s Sliema office Alternattiva Demokratika candidates for MEP and local elections spoke about various issues.

Arnold Cassola spoke of the report in Malta Today which said that Prime Minister Gonzi is telling hunters to be careful because the sixth seat can go to Cassola and Alternattiva Demokratika. Arnold Cassola asked. “Is the Prime Minister trying to scare people from voting for the party which wants to work in favour of clean air? Is Gonzi trying to scare people from voting for higher environmental and public health standards? Is Gonzi scaring people from voting for those who have consistently worked for a better quality of life for all Maltese and Gozitans? The European Parliament consists of 8 parties and the next parliament will be made up of 9 parties since the British and Czech conservatives have left the EPP-ED to form their own group.”

“I understand that there are people who feel hurt and betrayed and want to pass on this message. However not voting will not change anything. The clearest and strongest message is to go out and vote and to vote for Alternattiva Demokratika. This will mean that after 47 years of a suffocating duopoly a third, clear and credible voice will be elected in a nationwide election. Voters should also use cross-party voting to choose the best people from all parties. I appeal to all those who are fed up of the status quo to vote AD. With 6 seats the possibility of electing an AD MEP is, as the Prime Minister himself said, a real possibility.”

An audio clip link and transcript of the meeting provided by AD is appended below.

Sliema local councillor and candidate Michael Briguglio said that an AD councillor makes a huge difference. He spoke about how he insisted that the council works for alternative energy systems on its premises. He said that however the government has rendered councils helpless as regards building contractors. He said that these can now hoard equipment on roads, in front of building sites without paying any compensation. Candidate for B’Kara local council Mario Mallia said that the bike racks he had managed to get installed in B’Kara when he was a councillor are either not there anymore or are in a state of disrepair. He also mentioned how AD together with residents managed to save one of the few remaining open spaces in B’Kara.

MEP candidate Yvonne Arqueros spoke of the need for MEPs to work in favour of high standards for clean air. She said that the decision to use heavy fuel oil for the new turbine at Delimara was a step backwards and a big shame. She said that the amount of people including children who suffer from respiratory diseases because of pollution is alarming.

AD Chairperson and MEP candidate Arnold Cassola added that he had received phone calls from Maltese citizens living abroad who are saying that either the Air Malta call centre lines are constantly occupied or else nobody answers the calls. “I appeal to the Air Malta chairman to make sure that these people who have the right to avail themselves of the services of the national airline to be able to vote are ale to make the necessary arrangements with Air Malta.”

“There is also the issue of those who work with EU institutions who need proof that they took leave off work to come and vote. The Electoral Commission should provide these people with some kind of certificate that they came to Malta to exercise their right to vote.”

Clip from Prime Ministers meeting with the hunters [MP3]: http://www.alternattiva2009.eu/news-details?nid=127

Transcript:

Lawrence Gonzi: Issa x’jigri fis-6 ta’ Gunju jista’ jkollu effett fuq l-affarijiet ghaliex fis-6 ta’ Gunju se naghzlu hames deputati pero’ imbaghad wara jista’ jkun li jkun hemm is-sitt wiehed tajjeb ……… jigifieri oqghodu attenti, oqghodu attenti ghaliex jekk is-sitt wiehed ikun ………… emmmm……….”

Kaccatur: Toqghodx tiddejjaq tghidha… il-hodor!!

Lawrence Gonzi: Issa, issa jiena qed noqghod attent …

Kaccatur: Imma ahna ma noqghodux!

Lawrence Gonzi: … Biex kulhadd jaghmel l-ghazliet tieghu. Jekk xi hadd jghid jiena mhux sejjer nivvota, jmorru jixxejru, ma jmurx jivvota … hemm cans li s-sitt wiehed jitla’ minn partit iehor, ma jkunx la mill-Partit Nazzjonalista u l-anqas mill-Partit Laburista …

Kaccatur: Jitlaqulna ta’ veru!

Lawrence Gonzi: … tajjeb! Imbaghad hemm int. U ghal min qieghed jipprova jizvijjakom orajt, issa jiena mieghi hadd ma qabad lambrazetta. Jien l-ebda partit Alternattiva ma qabad lambrazetta mieghi. Pero dak il-partit qabad lambrazetta ma’ xi hadd iehor. Mieghi ma qabadx. Jiena qabel l-elezzjoni generali li ghaddiet, fuq programm, ta’ Bondiplus, ghedtilhom car u tond, intom lambrazetta ma’ dawk. Mieghi m’ghandkomx x’taqsmu. Mieghi ma taghmlux coalition. M’hemmx koalizzjoni mieghi.

Issa lil shabkom ghidulhom illi fis-6 ta’ Gunju se naghzlu hamsa deputati. Pero’ bis-sitt siggu mdendel, jigifieri x’aktarx jekk jghaddi dak li jghidulu t-trattat ta’ Lisbona Malta tkun rebhet siggu iehor. Minn hamsa ghas-sitt wiehed huwa numru kbir. Dak il-wiehed ser ikun min mill-kandidati ta’ din l-elezzjoni ser jibqa’ mdendel. Hames snin ilu tafu min kien baqa’ mdendel?

Semmejtuh inthom, mhux jien. Cassola baqa’ mdendel. Tajjeb! Issa jiena nerga’ nghid: kulhadd jaghmel l-ghazla tieghu. Il-vot huwa taghkom. Jien bhal ma ghedt, jien dejjem hekk irragunajt: jiena l-vot hu tieghi u hadd ma jindahalli x’naghmel bil-vot tieghi. Nisma’, imbaghad niddeciedi jien. Intom il-vot huwa taghkom, isimghu, imbaghad iddeciedu intom. Tajjeb, inhalli lil kulhadd fil-liberta’.

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