Speaking at the launch of the Green Party�s Local Council election campaign, Alternattiva Demokratika (AD) Chairperson, Dr Harry Vassallo said that in 2007 the Green Party was committed to build on its achievements in previous years in improving the quality of local democracy.

"Having served myself as a local councillor in my home town, I have every reason to be convinced by experience that Green councillors bring a completely new dimension to the localities they serve" Dr Vassallo said. "Apart from the wealth of experience and expertise in such matters as planning, public health and environment which they bring with them to serve their friends and neighbours, they are always a brake on partisan pique enhancing cross-party cooperation where it exists and setting up an opposition to discourage zero-sum politics on a local level" Dr Vassallo said.

"Unfortunately the conduct of politics has made many very valid people reluctant to serve on local councils and this is not helped in any way by the exploitation of local council elections as some form of annual survey of the political state of the country" Dr Vassallo said.

"I am very proud to present our 2007 local council election candidates who come to give to their communities and not to take from them. I am proud of them and I am thankful to them for sharing our work with us not only to address the specific issues in their localities but to bring to their friends and neighbours a direct experience of actual pluralism and mutual respect. I entrust them with the excellent democratic tradition of the Green Party knowing that it is in safe hands" Dr Vassallo said.

"Michael Bajada is a Court Marshall in Gozo and has been an active citizen in Munxar for several years. He believes that the local council should serve the whole community and not only those with good connections. If Munxar should have a playingfield, if its square is to be embellished or its country roads repaired, planning laws should be respected together with the wishes of Munxar residents. Their simple and commonsense demands should not be ignored in order to serve private interests" Dr Vassallo said.

Martin Brincat who is contesting the Paola election is self-employed and comes to us with a wealth of experience of work situations in Malta and abroad. He is not new to politics and has been active in sports and other organizations in his locality. His candidacy in the interests of Alternattiva Demokratika is a measure of his commitment to good governance at a local level and indeed in every situation.

"Ralph Cassar is well known in his locality since he has contested and been elected to the Attard Local Council previously. He is an industrial chemist employed by a foreign manufacturing firm and has served for many years on the executive committee of Alternattiva Demokratika" Dr Vassallo said. "His commitment to local issues in Attard has been demonstrated in cooperation with residents in various instances over the years. He combines intimate knowledge of Attard issues with professional skill and an exceptional political experience in view of his youth" Dr Vassallo said.

"Simon Galea is a civil servant and is the Green Leader in his government department. He brings to the service of the people of Mosta his enthusiasm as well as his experience in getting things done regardless of bureaocratic obstacles together with academic qualifications and hands-on experience in environmental science and agriculture" Dr Vassallo said. "His participation in the council�s work will bring a valuable new perspective to the challenges faced by this large community."

"Carmel Hili is a co-founder of the Green Party and for many years a member of the executive committee of the party, presently its Treasurer. As a teacher in a state upper secondary school, he was nominated for the Worker of the Year Award 2006 by his pupils and colleagues. His post graduate qualifications in biology obtained in Japan make him a key asset for the Green Party and his commitment in a number of NGOs over the years allow him an enviable wealth of experience. We are pleased to offer voters in Gzira a candidate of this calibre in view of the potential and the problems faced by this locality. During its coming term Gzira local council will face the consequences of ill-advised and poorly planned development in neighbouring localities. Overdevelopment in Sliema and St Julian�s will make unbearable the increase in traffic due to the opening of the new hospital in Msida with Gzira bearing the brunt of greed and overdevelopment. Carmel Hili is highly qualified to face up to this reality. Gzira should not remain a voiceless, forgotten corridor to somewhere else.

"Rene Rossignaud is of the first generation brought up in Swieqi and intimately aware of the challenges faced by his neighbours. He is a well known professional photographer with a young family and a renewed commitment to the quality of life in his locality through the birth last Wednesday of his first child. As all Greens he brings a long term commitment to local politics keeping in mind present and future needs of the community.

Saviour Sammut�s candidacy in Hal Safi is aimed at enhancing and preserving the quality of life in this locality but also in ensuring that the voice of Safi residents is constantly heard by local and national government. He is a teacher by profession and serves in a number of state schools as a teacher of PSD having followed his post graduate studies with Leicester University. His commitment is to ensure that for the next three years local government in Safi will rise above partisan pique as residents in this village in a great majority have said that they want.

"Although in general elections since 1992 Alternattiva Demokratika has always contested every single electoral district without exception, it has become a tradition of Alternattiva Demokratika not to contest all local councils due for election each year. In this way we ensure that the candidates and the councillors we provide to these localities are of the highest standard and have the highest commitment to those who support them" Dr Vassallo said. "In this way we also ensure that we do not participate in the absurd exercise of the other political parties which make the yearly local council elections into some sort of second class general election. It is this abuse and nonsensical exploitation of local politics which truly angers many people and makes them wish for the exclusion of political parties from local elections" Dr Vassallo said. "We encourage all those who want to protest against this abuse to collect their voting documents and to vote for the Green candidates in these localities in order to express their wish for less partisan pique especially in local government" Dr Vassallo said.

"We also encourage all voters in all elections to disobey their parties and not to block vote. We encourage them to use the right given to them by the electoral system to vote for deserving candidates of all parties" Dr Vassallo said. "Especially in local council elections we should strike a blow against blind partisanship and choose the best candidates regardless of party affiliation. Cross-party voting is the only way left to Maltese citizens to tell political parties that they have had enough of pique and partisanship" Dr Vassallo said. "We encourage all Green supporters to use their vote wisely by first supporting Green candidates and then selecting from among the other candidates in the election those who should be supported within other political parties or as independents. We must be an example to all voters and show that we are truly an alternative to the politics of partisanship and that we give a profound meaning to democracy at every level " Dr Vassallo concluded