Political discrimination against Victor Galea

18 August 2008, 2:26 pm

Reversing summer follies Lino Spiteri The clang of broken promises reverberating through the second Gonzi government's first months in office is now being accompanied by discriminatory decisions that know no rhyme or reason. The Sunday newspaper Maltatoday yesterday revealed that the Office of the Prime Minister has triggered a must-choose situation for three teachers in government schools who were also active in politics. Two of them were in the ranks of Azzjoni Nazzjonali. The third had the highest political profile. He is Alternattiva Demokratika's secretary general. The first two, it was reported, bowed to the position put to them, and opted out of their political position. Alternattiva Demokratika's Victor Galea did not. He replied to the statement made to him that he could not continue to exercise his teaching profession - government teachers are precluded from holding any political post. He queried that position, citing discrimination. Bully for him. Discriminated against he definitely was. In recent years and to this present day there have been teachers very openly active in either of the two main political parties. One could but should not mention names. The Office of the Prime Minister knows them well enough. I would not be surprised if among the hundreds of local councillors in office there are also several individuals who teach in government schools, and others of equal public service ranking. On top of that, not so long ago, the first Gonzi government finally recognised that public service employees elected to Parliament need not resign their government post, up to a very high level of grading. One might say that the practice whereby government teachers and civil servants of similar or higher grading take open part in politics crept in by stealth. Among the regulations governing civil servants there is the Public Service Management Code, which MaltaToday correctly described as being anachronistic. Read more here: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080818/opinion/reversing-summer-follies... read more

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