SIR – My parents retired in 1983 and went to live in Malta. The island was governed by a communist regime headed by Dom Mintoff.
They joined the British Residents’ Association who put them in the picture regarding local politics.
The question was how could that island, with its close traditional links with the UK, be governed by a communist? The simple answer was the proportional representation voting system used at their General Election.
After the Maltese voted in the early 1980s, the result was 47 per cent voted for each the left and right wing parties, five per cent voted communist and one per cent abstained, despite being fined as voting was compulsory in Malta.
Dom Mintoff’s terms for supporting either of the two leading groups was that he became Prime Minister.
The right would not entertain a communist, but the left wing got in to bed with him. Mintoff then took charge and selected communists for the senior ministry jobs, the Malta Labour Party made do with the minor jobs.
This is a classic example of why we should avoid the PR voting system, as glorified by the Lib Dems. The tail wagging the dog.
Alan Chapman, Beck Lane, Bingley
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article