Dimostrazzjoni favur Ikel Nadif

Iktar tard illum, il-Moviment favur l-Ikel Nadif (Clean Food Movement) ser jorganizza March kontra Monsanto 2014.

Dan il-Moviment huwa magħmul minn 21 għaqda, l-parti l-kbira minnhom għaqdiet ambjentali.

Il-Moviment Ikel Nadif qed jitlob li tkun imħarsa l-ekoloġija fraġli tal-gżejjer Maltin u li b’mod partikolari Malta tkun dikjarata żona ħielsa mill-Ikel Ġenetikament Modifikat (GMO Free Zone).

Il-Moviment għall-Ikel Nadif qed jitolbu lill-Membri Parlamentari Ewropej eletti f’isem Malta biex jieħdu l-istess posizzjoni kemm individwalment kif ukoll fil-gruppi politiċi tagħhom.

Għandu jkun ċar għal kulħadd x’inhuma l-impatt tal-ftehim li qiegħed jiġi negozjat prezentement bejn l-Unjoni Ewropeja u l-Istati Uniti dwar il-Kummerċ, it-TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership). L-impatti tiegħu għandfhom ikunu mgħarbla kif ukoll għandu jkun suġġett għal skrutinju demokratiku.

Il-produzzjoni tal-ikel f’Malta teħtieġ skrutinju aħjar biex ikun assigurat il-ħarsien tal-konsumatur Malti minn abbużi diversi li jistgħu jirriżultaw f’diversi sustanzi kimiċi fl-ikel Malti.

George Abela & Joseph Muscat: a game of snakes and ladders

 

Online comments are aimed at congratulating former President George Abela for declining an offer to be appointed as an advisor to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

Whilst Abela’s reaction is the correct behaviour one would expect from a former President it would be pertinent to point out that this “news” is obviously being leaked to counteract and balance out the same Abela’s behaviour when, as President in office, he had signalled that he would not sign into law the Civil Unions Bill.

He should have resigned then.

Rather than congratulating a former President for acting correctly out of office, it would have been preferable to be in a position to congratulate him for acting correctly whilst in office.

But some people have very short memories indeed.

A case of snakes and ladders?

Mis-Saqqajja sal-Belt Valletta

Diġa kellna l-opportunita’ bħala Alternattiva Demokratika biex nikkummentaw fuq il-fatt li l-partit ta’ Norman Lowell kiseb numru mhux żgħir ta’ voti. Numru qrib dak li kisbet AD.

Il-voti li nkisbu mill-partit ta’ Lowell huma inkwetanti minħabba l-politika li jmexxi l-quddiem il-partit tiegħu. Politika ibbażata fuq supremazija mistħajla tar-razza bajda fuq razez oħra.

Il-partit ta’ Lowell huwa partit li jemmen fl-użu tal-forza biex jitbegħdu l-immigranti li jkunu fi triqiethom lejn Malta.

Fuq is-sit elettroniku Viva Malta l-kliem huwa ċar ħafna. M’hemmx lok għal miżinterpretazzjoni. Fil-fatt jingħad hekk:

“We only have to sink half a dozen boats, preferably laden full of hundreds of them. And the Kaffir will take the lesson, don’t worry. Then, we turn on those Traitors opening the gates, encouraging them in.”

It-tradituri, jiġifieri dawk li ma jaqblux fuq l-immigrazzjoni mal-partit ta’ Norman Lowell ukoll hemm soluzzjoni għalihom li issibuha fuq is-sit elettroniku Viva Malta. Ċara ħafna u li ma tħalli l-ebda dubju :

“We will hunt you all down, like ferrets.We will never, ever forget or forgive you – you traitorous bastards.There are not enough lamposts from Saqqajja to Valletta.”

Hemm ħafna iktar. Imma dan jiddeskrivi fi ftit kliem il-partit ta’ Norman Lowell. Ma naħsibx li kull min ta’ vot lill-Partit ta’ Norman Lowell jaf b’dan. Issa dan m’hu xejn, għax hemm ħafna iktar!

1823 grazzi

 

Fil-ħin li qiegħed nikteb l-għadd tal-voti għadu għaddej. Jiena sfajt eliminat tard il-bieraħ bil-lejl fit-tnax-il għadd meta kont ilħaqt l-1823 vot.

Irrid nirringrazzja lil kull min kellu fiduċja fija u ivvutali. Kemm lill-1527 persuna li ivutaw li fl-ewwel għadd kif ukoll lill-296 persuna oħra li tawni preferenzi wara l-ewwel waħda.

Fil-ħin li qiegħed nikteb, il-parti l-kbira tal-voti li tajtuni ngħaqdu mal-voti l-oħra li kiseb Arnold Cassola li bħalissa laħaq it-8060 vot fis-sittax-il għadd.

Għal partit bħal Alternattiva Demokratika li ma jitmexxiex mill-kurrent, dan hu vot ta’ fiduċja.

 

Grazzi lil kull wieħed u waħda minnkom.

Ir-riżultat elettorali s’issa

Riżultat elettorali ma targumentax miegħu. Taċċettah u tipprova tifhmu.

Alternattiva Demokratika żiedet il-voti minn l-aħħar elezzjonijiet għall-Parlament Ewropew b’madwar 30%. Fih innifsu mhux ħażin. Imma meta tqabblu mal-bqija tar-riżultat mhux wieħed sodisfaċenti.

Huwa inkwetanti li żdiedu sewwa l-voti ta’ min imexxi l-quddiem politika ta’ vjolenza fil-konfront tal-immigrazzjoni. Dan hu rifless tal-biża’ illi l-immigrazzjoni nisslet fost uħud. Hi ukoll in parti riżultat tal-waqtiet meta mexxejja politiċi f’Malta ma ħadux posizzjoni ċara u mexxew il-quddiem politika, li, anke jekk temporanjament, ma kienet bl-ebda mod tirrispetta d-dinjita’ tal-bniedem.

Mill-bqija r-riżultat irrifletta konsiderazzjonijiet ta’ politika lokali u injora kompletament il-posizzjonijiet kemm tal-Partiti kif ukoll tal-kandidati individwali dwar issues Ewropej.

Matul is-siegħat li ġejjin ikompli l-għadd u iktar tard illum ikunu magħrufa l-ewwel ħames kandidati eletti. Dwar is-sitt wieħed jew waħda ikollna nistennew ftit iktar għax dan ser ikun jiddependi mit-trasferiment tal-voti tal-partiti ż-żgħar.

Fuq livell Ewropew, meta wieħed iqis ir-riżultati li deħlin mis-27 pajjiż l-ieħor, jidher li s-Soċjalisti Ewropej ma rebħux dawn l-elezzjonijiet. Dan iwassal għal ħaġa waħda ċara: huwa improbabbli li Martin Schultz imexxi l-Kummissjoni Ewropeja.

Nistennew.

The Europe we want

The European Parliament campaign for the next Parliament has now come to an end. We have voted. As I write the counting hall is being prepared for the final scene: the counting of the votes. We will now be informed of the verdict.

Around 75% of those entitled to vote have cast their vote. A high percentage by European standards, but maybe slightly low by what we are used to in Malta.

It was a campaign, supposedly about Europe. That is what I tried to do together with Arnold my AD colleague. We tried to frame local issues within the current and future EU agenda. Unfortunately we had little or no response on European issues. The reaction was so scant that we could not expand on other important issues.

We discussed issues of transparency and accountability related to the European Commission and other European institutions. No response, except that the price of petrol was down by 2 euro cents!

We discussed the safety of residents from industrial mishaps (Seveso Directive), bathing water quality (Bathing Water Directive and Urban Wastewater Directive) as well as whisteblowing and the voting patterns of Maltese MEPs.

We had no reaction except on water and electricity bills or Simon’s direct orders!

Maltese MEPs did not explain why 4 of them opposed the proposal to grant protection to Edward Snowdon, with the other two not even bothering to vote!

There were no reactions to the Greens’ proposal to have Digital Rights defined on an EU level, applicable to one and all. Nor were there any tangible reactions to the Green’s position on the threats to democracy posed by the TTIP process [TTIP is the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Protection negotiations currently in hand between the EU and the US].

What about immigration and the EU New Deal for Somalia? Or the fact that Martin Schultz and Jean Claude Junker will have considerable difficulty in delivering their promises until they have the cooperation of the governments of the EU member states which have been less than forthcoming to date?

We await the results to know the verdict: who will be selected? Will those who have no interest in European issues remain on top? We await the verdict which will certainly impact our vision of the Europe we want.

AD issejjaħ għal Politika konsenswali Nazzjonali dwar l-Immigrazzjoni

Stqarrija ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika

 

Issa hu l-mument li f’Malta tkun imfassala politika konsenswali dwar l-immigrazzjoni. Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo, Deputat Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, meta kien qed jindirizza l-aħħar konferenza stampa ta’ AD f’din il-kampanja elettorali.

Carmel Cacopardo qal li tul il-kampanja elettorali għall-Parlament Ewropew Alternattiva Demokratika iffukat fuq materji li filwaqt li kienu ta’ relevanza għal Malta jiffurmaw parti ukoll mill-aġenda tal-UE.

Id-drittijiet diġitali kif ukoll il-kontabilita/trasparenza tal-istituzzjonijiet Ewropej ser ikunu elementi essenzjali tul il-ħames snin li gejjin tal-Parlament Ewropew. Billi ffukat fuq dawn il-materji Alternattiva Demokratika fittxet li tiddibatti materji politiċi relevanti mal-partiti politici l-ohra li kkontestaw dawn l-elezzjonijiet. Sfortunatament kemm il-PN kif ukoll il-PL iktar kienu interessati li jitfgħu t-tajn lil xulxin milli jieħdu sehem f’diskussjoni politika serja.

“AD,” żied jgħid Cacopardo, “kellha l-opportunita’ li tikkummenta fuq id-dikjarazzjonijiet ta’ Jean Claude Junker u Martin Schultz, kandidati ghall-Presidenza tal-Kummissjoni Ewropeja għan-nom tal-PPE u l-Partit Soċjalista Ewropew rispettivament. Filwaqt li AD tilqa’ l-kummenti pubbliċi ta’ Junker u Schultz, tosserva għaldaqstant li dal-kummenti ma jirriżultawx mill-Manifesti Elettorali tal-partiti rispettivi.

Alternattiva Demokratika temfasizza li l-pajjiżi fuq il-fruntiera tal-UE m’għandhomx jibqgħu jerfgħu r-responsabbilta għall-migrazzjoni prattikament waħedhom. Emendi għar-regoli ta’ Dublin,  flimkien mal-formolazzjoni u l-approvazzjoni ta’ politika olistika tal-UE dwar il-migrazzjoni li permezz tagħha t-28 stat membru tal-UE jieħdu fuq spallejhom ir-responabbilta’ għall-migrazzjoni mingħand l-istati fuq il-fruntiera, hi t-triq ‘il quddiem.”

Carmel Cacopardo emfasizza li tul din il-Kampanja Elettorali, bħala riżultat tad-dikjarazzjonijiet ta’ Junker u Schultz, il-posizzjoni politika kemm tal-PL kif ukoll tal-PN hi issa iktar viċin dik ta’ AD milli kienet qatt qabel. Alternattiva Demokratika jidhrilha li issa hu l-waqt li l-PL, il-PN u AD jidħlu f’diskussjonijiet biex ikun ifformulat abbozz konsenswali ta’ politika nazzjonali dwar l-immigrazzjoni li għandu jservi bħala l-bażi għal kunsens nazzjonali fuq din il-materja sensittiva.

“MEP elett f’isem Alternattiva Demokratika jaħdem biex jiffaċilita dan id-djalogu kemm lokalment kif ukoll fl-istituzzjonijiet Ewropej,” ikkonkluda Cacopardo.

Snippets from the EGP Manifesto: (15) Climate Change

 

For many years the European Union has played a positive role in international climate negotiations, but recently, this role has dwindled. It is one of our prime Green foreign policy concerns to make Europe once again a leading actor in the fight against climate change and environmental degradation.

Climate change already causes damage and suffering all over the world. Many people have to leave their land and become climate refugees, because of desertification, soil erosion, heavy rainfall or rising sea levels. We want to see the concept of climate refugees incorporated into international law. TheEU must therefore play a leading role on climate migration in international institutions and at home. It must enhance its support for climate mitigation and adaptation. Climate financing plays a key role for developing countries and Greens will hold the EU to its promises and its responsibility. Such financing must be new and additional to existing development aid. We also advocate mainstreaming environment into development projects to promote an effective climate change mitigation and adaption strategy. (EGP 2014 Manifesto section entitled  : Taking the lead on Climate Change.)

Snippets from the EGP Manifesto: (14) Animal Protection

 

We are well known for our commitment to animal protection and Greens in the European Parliament are at the forefront of legal and political moves to provide ever increasing standards of well-being for all sentient beings. We urgently need to move away from factory farming, with its horrendous record on animal welfare and its intensive use of antibiotics.

We have led the fight against excessive animal testing and will continue to do so. We want to significantly reduce animal transport times and to end live animal exports. At the international level, the EU must be more energetic in combating wildlife trafficking, protecting marine mammals and defending its ban on seal products. We support a ban on fur farming. (EGP 2014 Manifesto section entitled  : Animal Protection.)

Snippets from the EGP Manifesto: (13) Green Transport

 

Aviation and road transport are major sources of greenhouse gases, air pollution and noise. The current volume of fossil fuels used for the transport sector not only has a strongly negative impact on public health and the environment but also makes the EU dependent on energy imports and exposed to rising prices. We need to shift to safer and less environmentally-damaging modes like sustainable waterways, cycling, public-collective transport and rail. Special emphasis needs to be put on fair competition between different modes of transport. A European railway network should therefore close missing links on both regional and long-distance connections, in a way that urban and regional agglomerations can easily be reached. Existing cross-border rail connections must be prioritised over roads and aviation, especially for the movement of goods. Improving the energy efficiency of cars helps cut the fuel bills of European citizens and improves air quality. We also want to spur innovation by making electric bicycles, tramways and trains, electric cars, all based on renewable sources, more attractive options. (EGP 2014 Manifesto section entitled  : Priority for Green Transport.)