Winston Zahra says: Don’t vote for corruption. On 3rd June, my family and I will vote for change.

Winston Zahra wrote a longish Facebook post yesterday in which he urged people not to vote for corruption on 3rd June, because of the damage being done to Malta already and the far worse damage that this will cause after June.

His post made a news story in the Times of Malta today, but I reproduce the full text of his original piece below.

———–

In my mind the upcoming election is not about PL and PN. It is not about Joseph Muscat or Simon Busuttil.

The collective decision that we take as a country will ultimately define us as a nation going forward. Its impact will be akin to that when we gained our independence and when we voted to become part of the EU.

The economic impact will possibly be even greater, especially now that our financial services industry has been seriously compromised, with a potentially very significant negative impact on various other sectors from real estate to retail and from maritime to hospitality to mention a few. 

However, the decision is not so much about economic policies or political promises which in any case are often not delivered. In my mind the collective decision we take on the 3rd of June is about what type of moral fabric we are made of.

Are we a principled nation with a solid backbone built on proper values or have we become a nation that puts money, greed and compromise before everything else? Are we a nation that calls a spade a spade or have we become a country where anything goes?

Our decision will define our future. We will either roll out the red carpet for our politicians to run riot, despite their promises, or we can send a message that we have a  zero tolerance approach to the type of behaviour that is totally unbecoming of an island that in the past proudly punched above its weight for all the right reasons.

Our politicians represent us as a people and their behaviour, as ultimately accepted or rebutted by us, the people, reflects the basis of what we consider to be right and wrong.

Four years ago the island was promised unity and meritocracy. It was promised the abolition of corruption in no uncertain terms. The speeches were eloquent and the marketing was slick.

The vision for the country was appealing and even many who stuck to their PN routes were not totally disappointed with the result.  They knew it was time for a change and were more than happy to give the benefit of the doubt and hope for the best.

After all, the promise was of an extended hand that was prepared to work with everyone including those of a varying opinion.

It is very sad that today we see an island which is once again divided in a way that it has not been for a very long time. It is tragic that the image of our dear island, and our collective reputation, is being dragged through the mud. It is a great shame that the eloquent speeches and slick marketing from four years ago ended up in such a dishonest shambles.

The opportunity was a golden one to do the right thing, but it was squandered. Anyone without partisan blinkers, an open mind and sensible objectivity can only come to one conclusion.

Come the 3rd of June, together with my family, I will be voting for a change because I want an island which does not close an eye, or both eyes, to blatant wrong doing simply because we have more money in our pockets.

My vote will be based on standing firm behind strong principles and morals that we should all be proud to uphold as a population. Corruption in our political class has to have a zero tolerance response from us all. We should not accept it now or any time in the future irrespective of political beliefs.

Our institutions have to be totally independent and left to work in serenity at all times for the sake of our own serenity. This should never have to be questioned or even debated. Our democracy and our democratic values have to be protected in their totality.

If we let matters slip through the net now we will be giving a very clear message that our democratic values have no value and that is a very slippery slope that we will all ultimately live to regret.

During the EU referendum I stood up and made my thoughts known. After much reflection, I am once again making my position unequivocally clear with no apology or reservation. I do this while respecting any alternative or opposing view to which anyone and everyone has a much right to express as I do mine.

Free speech is ultimately the basis of our democracy which we should never be afraid to protect for ourselves and each other.