“Fl-elezzjonijiet tat-8 ta’ Ġunju jiswielek li tmur tivvota u li tivvota fuq l-aħdar. Il-messaġġ, jekk tridu jkun wieħed b’saħħtu u li jasal hu li tmur tivvota u mhux toqgħod id-dar u tħalli lil ħaddieħor jiddeċiedi għalik. Jiswielek tivvota fuq l-aħdar għax qed naħdmu biex ikollna pajjiż verament modern, bi kwalita’ tal-ħajja li tixraqlek.”
Dan kien il-messaġġ ewlieni taċ-Chairperson tal-ADPD-The Green Party Sandra Gauci meta is-Sibt filgħodu indirizzat il-Laqgħa Ġenerali tal-partit li fiha ġew approvati il-manifesti elettorali għall-elezzjonijiet tal-Parlament Ewropew u tal-Kunsilli Lokali kif ukoll ġew formalment ikkonfermati il-kandidati f’isem l-ADPD għal dawn l-elezzjonijiet.
Għall-elezzjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew l-ADPD qiegħed jippreżenta erba’ kandidati: Ralph Cassar, Rachelle Deguara, Sandra Gauci u Mina Jack Tolu. Gauci emfasizzat li jiswielek li minn Malta ukoll jkollok il-ħodor fil-Parlament Ewropew li jaħdmu biex l-Ewropa tkun aktar demokratika, trasparenti u rappreżentattiva, u fejn id-drittijiet ta’ kulħadd ikunu mħarsa.
Anke għall-Kunsilli Lokali jiswielek li tivvota aħdar. Jiswielek li jkollok nies li jaħdmu biex tissaħħaħ it-trasparenza, il-governanza tajba tal-finanzi, il-ħidma politika tal-Kunsill u t-tisħiħ tad-demokrazija lokali. L-ADPD qiegħed iressaq kandidati f’Ħ’Attard, Ħal Balzan, Birkirkara, Birżebbuġa, Pieta’, Marsaskala u San Pawl il-Baħar.
Fid-diskors tagħha Gauci aċċennat kif il-gvern tal-ġurnata sejjer jerġa’ għal darb’oħra jirrikorri għal prattika illegali ta’ tqassim ta’ ċekkijiet fi żmien kampanja elettorali bħala mezz qarrieqi biex inessi il-każijiet ta’ korruzzjoni, il-problemi kbar li tinsab fihom l-infrastruttura u l-impunita’ li teżisti b’istituzzjonijiet ipparalizzati. Din il-prattika saħansitra ġiet ikkundanata mill-OSCE.
Gauci tenniet għal darb’oħra is-sejħa tal-ADPD għal liġi tal-iffinanzjar tal-partit li taqta’ ħafna minn illegalitajiet bħal infieq eżaġerat li diġa rajna minn ċerti kandidati tal-partiti l-oħra f’avvenimenti li jwasslu wieħed jaħseb min hemm warajhom u x’kompromessi qegħdin isiru. Fl-istess waqt l-ADPD tibqa’ tiġi żvantaġġata saħansitra fl-iskeda tal-Awtorita’ tax-Xandir għal dawn l-elezzjonijiet li dejjem tara kif taġevola lill-PLPN fuq kollox u dan minkejja li dawn għandhom ukoll l-istazzjon tat-TV u tar-radju tagħhom ukoll.
“Hemm bżonn bidliet u riformi biex nipproteġu l-proċess demokratiku f’dan il-pajjiż li żgur mhuwiex it-tqassim ta’ ċekkijiet ftit ġimgħat qabel l-elezzjoni. Imma rridu nkunu aħna li bħala ċittadini nieqfu b’din l-idolatrija lejn nies fil-poter u ma nibqgħux ngħalqu għajnejna għal kull ħaġa ħażina li jagħmlu għax dawk magħna u allura ma jimpurtax. Hemm bżonn proċess ta’ maturita’ li jieħu ż-żmien imma li hemm bżonn isir għax il-pajjiż tilef il-boxxla.
“Għalhekk fit-8 ta’ Ġunju jiswa lil kull wieħed u waħda minna li nivvotaw lil kandidati tal-ADPD li m’għandhom l-ebda interessi oħra ħlief dawk ta’ pajjiżna. Jekk trid verament tħares id-drittijiet tiegħek fit-8 ta’ Ġunju għandek tivvota ADPD”, temmet tgħid Gauci.
Il-laqgħa ġenerali approvat ukoll il-membri tal-kumatit eżekuttiv tal-partit kif elenkat hawn taħt:
Sandra Gauci – Chairperson; Melissa Bagley– Deputat Chairperson; Carmel Cacopardo – Deputat Chairperson; Ralph Cassar – Segretarju Generali; Samuel Vella – Deputat Segretarju Generali (Organizattiv u Amministrattiv); Mario Mallia – Deputat Segretarju Generali (Policy); Brian Decelis – Uffiċjal għar-Relazzjonijiet Pubbliċi (PRO); Mina Jack Tolu – Teżorier; Mark Zerafa – Segretarju Internazzjonali; u Luke Caruana – Membru, Marcus Lauri – Membru.
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It is worth your time voting Green on 8th June
“It is worth voting Green in the upcoming elections on 8th June. If you want to send a strong message loud and clear, you must get out to vote – do not stay at home and let others decide upon your behalf. It is worth voting green because we are working for a modern country with the quality of life you deserve.”
This was the main message that the Chairperson of ADPD Sandra Gauci delivered during a press conference following the party Annual General Meeting in which the electoral manifestos for the European Parliament and Local Councils elections were approved and candidates contesting these elections on behalf of the party were formally confirmed.
For the European Parliament elections, ADPD is presenting four candidates: Ralph Cassar, Rachelle Deguara, Sandra Gauci and Mina Jack Tolu. Gauci emphasised that it is worth having Green representatives from Malta in the European Parliament to work towards a more democratic, transparent and representative Europe, where the rights of all are protected.
It is worth voting Green in the upcoming Local Council elections too. It is worth having people working towards greater transparency, good financial governance, political will and the consolidation of local democracy. ADPD – the Green Party is presenting candidates for Attard, Balzan, Birkirkara, Pietà, Birżebbuġa, Marsascala, and St Paul’s Bay.
In her speech, Gauci pointed out that the government of the day is once again resorting to the illegal practice of distributing cheques during an electoral campaign to distract people from cases of corruption, the infrastructural problems that the country is facing and the impunity that exists in tandem with paralysed institutions. The practice of cheque distribution has also been condemned by the OSCE.
Gauci reiterated once again ADPD’s call for a law regarding party financing to eliminate illegalities such as excessive spending. Some of the activities observed amongst some candidates from the two main parties makes one wonder as to who is behind such financing and what is being compromised in the process. At the same time, a party like ADPD is at a disadvantage, including the fact that the Broadcasting Authority appears to favour PLPN, notwithstanding the fact that these two parties already have their own television and radio stations.
“There is the need for changes and reforms to protect the democratic process in this country which is certainly not about distributing cheques a few weeks before an election. But it is people like us who must stand up to the idolatry of people in power and stop accepting bad governance because they are from our preferred political party. There is the need for maturity, which takes time, but something needs to be done because the country has lost direction.”
“Therefore on the 8th of June, it will be worth each and every person’s time to vote for ADPD candidates who have no other interest except the interest of the country at heart. If you truly want your rights to be protected, on the 8th of June you should vote for ADPD,” Gauci concluded.
The general meeting also approved the party’s executive committee members as follows:
Sandra Gauci – Chairperson; Melissa Bagley – Deputy Chairperson; Carmel Cacopardo – Deputy Chairperson; Ralph Cassar – Secretary General; Samuel Vella – Deputy Secretary General (Organizational and Administrative); Mario Mallia – Deputy Secretary General (Policy); Brian Decelis – Public Relations Officer; Mina Jack Tolu – Treasurer; Mark Zerafa – International Secretary; and Luke Caruana – Member, Marcus Lauri – Member.
