Marlene Farrugia: ‘gender quotas spell the death of Maltese democracy’

The Democratic Party has come out against quotas that will add more seats for unelected women MPs to the House of Representatives.

MEP candidate Cami Appelgren said women “do not need hand-outs” and dubbed the quotas as a “counterproductive” proposal that would encourage division. “Positive discrimination is discrimination nonetheless.”

Appelgren said women needed equal platforms that encouraged them to go into politics. “That is why we support measures which make life equal for male and female MPs, but without trying to fast-forward progress in an undemocratic way. We need to tackle the root cause to why we have less women in politics.”

PD MP Marlene Farrugia said democratic representation was already heavily compromised by illicit party financing and manipulation of state broadcasting.

“Education and a cultural revolution to adjust the national mind-set will ultimately deliver a level playing field in the political arena… this constitutional amendment only spells the death of our democracy in the guise of positive action in for female participation,” Farrugia said.

“If independent thinking women were given as much airtime as their male counterparts, were equally included in all debates and party activities, and politically criticised without the sexist rubbishing actively promoted and applauded by this hypocritical government’s trolls and pundits, our political landscape will change into a more representative one.”

Farrugia said the PD said it believed in equality between the sexes and championed the empowerment of women, but she said constitutional quotas were a cosmetic change, ignoring the real problems faced by women aspiring to serve in public life.

“Partit Demokratiku believes that basic democratic principles cannot be compromised, and that all persons who aspire to become members of parliament should be provided with equality of opportunity…

“It is becoming clearer with each passing day that the intention of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is to bring to fruition the total hijack of the highest institution in the land, using the public purse, and render it completely useless like all the other institutions it has stealthily tampered  with,” Farrugia said.