'Clientelism and patronage is the ruin of this country,' says ADPD

ADPD - The Green Party said that stories of clientelism like the driving licence racket are the rot that ruined a country where patronage, clientelism and favouritism trump fairness and good governance.

In a press conference in front of the offices of Transport Malta in Lija on Saturday morning, the Greens emphasised that Maltese politics is riddled with clientelism: politics based on handouts, instead of politics based on rights.

“Unashamedly we have the Prime Minister Robert Abela, as well as members of parliament and Labour ministers gaslighting the public by playing down the seriousness of the driving licence scandal with their statements, trying to frame what is clear and rampant clientelism as normal and simply 'being close to people',” ADPD said,

ADPD Secretary General and MEP candidate Ralph Cassar said that in a “normal country” resignations from Minister Ian Borg and other officials in the customer care units would have been instantly handed in.

“But Abela's Government prefers such handouts. He wants people to be indebted to his party for being favoured over all others,” Cassar said.

He said that what used to be done over the phone in the past is now taking place “unashamedly” on online chats like Whatsapp, which “fortunately ended up in the hands of the journalists who are exposing the manoeuvres of Abela and his friends.”

Cassar emphasised that anyone who wants a political system based on good governance and what’s right and fair, and government institutions and agencies that treat everyone the same cannot but be outraged by what has been reported both about driver's licences, but also about the benefits for severe disability scandal, and even about how the Airmalta saga ended.

“The link between all these stories is clientelism, the rot that has ruined this country. A country where patronage, clientelism and favouritism trump fairness and good governance,” Cassar said.

"The fact that the Ministries have 'customer care' offices, both now and even during previous administrations, full of supporters appointed in the private secretariats of the Ministers clearly shows that the system of clientelism has been rotting the Maltese political system and turning it into a system of patronage and nepotism.”

Cassar argues that citizens are not “clients” and that they have a right to public services in a legitimate way and not through some “patron saint”.

He emphasised that the ministers’ job is not to have customer care units, but regular public service officials should be the one coordinating and delivering public services to citizens, without partisan interference.

"People need to understand that if they remain hostage to the system of clientelism perpetuated by the PL and the PN over the years things will not change,” Cassar said.

ADPD Chairperson and MEP candidate Sandra Gauci said that Abela should be ashamed of trying to turn the discourse about clientelism in driving licences by saying that what happened is something normal.

“Robert Abela is trying to normalise clientelism instead of changing the political system to one where everyone is treated the same. People should be able to obtain what is theirs by right and not through favouritism,” Gauci insisted.

She said that the messages exchanged over WhatsApp among Transport Malta officials, several Labour supporters in the secretariat of the Ministry of Transport, Minister Ian Borg, supporters, delegates and Labour canvassers in Transport Malta, the Ministry for Gozo and that of Transport, and even in PBS and in Castile confirm that there is a whole conspiracy to dish out favours.

“Instead of a politics based on rights we have a politics based on patronage," Gauci argued.

Gauci said that the messages included phrases like “this one came from OPM”, “take care of them”, “make a note against his name, you understand me”, show that those involved were well aware that they were engaged in a scheme for votes.

“They knew they were using their political influence to grant favours. It is disgraceful that the Prime Minister tries to cover this up and is not man enough to admit that this is pure and unabashed clientelism: a corrupt abuse of political power,” Gauci said.

She insisted that Robert Abela has the strength to change the way politics is done but instead he tells us that for him this conspiracy of favours is normal.

“It seems that it is acceptable for Robert Abela that people who are not yet able to drive are, because of their loyalty to Labour be granted a car licence. It is worth reminding the Prime Minister that a car is also a weapon if used incorrectly.”

She quoted NSO figures from 2022 that confirm that there were 28 deaths on the roads, 19 more than the previous year, and 1,341 accidents in which people were injured.

“One shudders to think that some of those deaths and accidents are the result of institutionalised clientelism with the blessing of the Prime Minister," Gauci concluded.