Your independent voice in Parliament

I want to improve democracy, fight for better government and prevent and investigate corruption and cronyism. For many years, I have argued for all these policies.

There are other subjects, Brexit, housing, health, social services, the environment, public administration, the economy, finances and more. I will touch on as many as possible in as much depth as possible over the campaign and in my manifesto.

I will work for YOU. Not for any Chief Minister or any Opposition Leader. The way it should be – MPs represent you. The advantage of being an independent is that I will be able to assess the policy of the governing party and accept or criticise without the restrictions of party politics.

I pledge to push for improved democracy and government and the prevention and investigation of corruption and cronyism, when I am elected. Our voting system should be changed, our parliamentary system improved, and any corruption and cronyism (‘trafico de influencias’) hit hard.

Our voting system needs reform, more people need to be attracted to stand for election, to improve democracy. The current ten votes per voter translates into one block vote to choose a Chief Minister, who will rule virtually without challenge.

Remember YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BLOCK VOTE.

SPLIT YOUR VOTE: give me one vote, voters want individualistic and free-thinking MPs. Remember nine members of a party can form Government.

Is it really the case that all the candidates of your preferred party are the right MPs? Or is party loyalty so strong that anyone will do? Elect me who will not have an agenda or a party leader to follow and can speak my mind.

That is the way it should be – MPs represent YOU, not the Chief Minister or the Leader of the Opposition or their friends.

Moreover, we need electoral reforms to improve democracy and government: a form of Proportional Representation, as will meet the special needs of Gibraltar.

I will push to ensure more sittings of Parliament, more questioning of the Chief Minister and Ministers, less control by the Chief Minister, more Standing Committee, a Public Accounts Committee to investigate spending and open the hidden public finances and give more power to the Opposition.

We need a separation of powers. Enlargement is not popular, so let us reduce the number of Ministers to eight and have two Government MPs who are not Ministers.

Constant chitchat about corruption and cronyism shows a breakdown of democracy, but nothing ever seems to be done. I wrote publicly about this well before the 2011 general election.

In 2011 the GSLP-Liberals took up my suggestion of an anti-corruption authority with supporting laws but did not deliver. In their 2015 Manifesto, they promised that the Royal Gibraltar Police could deal with corruption and cronyism, nothing has happened – the chitchat continues.

Now, all the parties want to do take anti-corruption and anti-cronyism measures, having let us down before. Elect me and you will have someone in Parliament who will push this agenda forward.

Corruption is a hidden and sneaky crime; it must be dealt with specifically by a specialised body acting forcefully. additionally, reducing corruption needs openness and transparency in party funding, as well as parliamentary and electoral reform.

I am an open book. My views and opinions on many subjects are available at, www.facebook.com/llanitoWorld/ and at, www.gibnews.word press.com.

14-10-2019 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR