Luke Said thanks supporters after parliamentary hopes come to an end

Nationalist Party candidate Luke Said has thanked supporters, fellow candidates and PN leader Alex Borg after his hopes of entering Parliament came to an end following Borg’s decision to retain his Gozo seat, meaning no casual election will take place on the island.

Borg’s decision effectively closed off the route through which Said could have entered Parliament.

Had the PN leader relinquished his Gozo seat, a casual election would have been held on the district. Instead, casual elections will take place on the 12th District, bringing Said’s chances of becoming an MP in the current legislature to an end.

Said, a 22-year-old student and activist, penned his thoughts on this past election campaign to his followers on Facebook on Sunday.

He said that, as an admitted introvert, the decision to contest this past general election was a very difficult one, though he took it head on as it was something he genuinely wanted to do.

As a result, he ran “a totally opposite campaign to that of an introvert” and met many Gozitans in residences, festivals, at exhibitions, villages, and during cultural activities.

Said said that the campaign has increased his awareness of the environment he lives in, which includes the society around him and the people close to him. He said that he will appreciate all these aspects in his continued journey as an activist.

Said said that while many know him as an environmental activist, he made sure to be vocal about environmental issues and other matters impacting Gozo throughout his so-called “adventure-campaign.”

Among the subjects he discussed throughout May were the environment, Fort Chambray, Ġgantija, Calypso Cave, and everyday matters like parking in Mġarr, connectivity, and giving Gozitan youths opportunities in Gozo itself.

He also spoke about Gozo’s autonomy, regionality, and sense, labelling it as “an island bubbling with its own potential.”

Said expressed his gratitude towards the Nationalist Party for entrusting him to contest this election on its ballot, noting that “there are many valid people in the PN whom I salute for all the values they taught me that go beyond politics.”

Said congratulated his fellow Gozitan PN candidates Frank Anthony Tabone, Norma Camilleri, and Beppe Galea and thanked them for being part of his political journey.

While Galea earned one of Gozo’s five parliamentary seats outright, Tabone was elected via the proportionality mechanism, and Camilleri will be elected to Parliament through the gender quota.

He also thanked his friends, colleagues, the Gozitan youth who helped give a political voice that went beyond political colours, as well as those who shared their ideas to help come up with electoral pledges, videos, and articles that reflected what Gozitan youths desired for the good of the island.

Said gave special thanks to PN leader Alex Borg and his team “for supporting the work and values that I believe in for the good of Gozo as a whole.”

Said highlighted Gozo’s uniqueness and the fact that Gozo has its own specific needs to be given holistic value, and “needs to be represented as much as possible.”

Said said that such things are needed for Gozo to become a better home for Gozitans.

He concluded that “public service does not begin or end with the result of an election” and said that he will be ready to contribute in any way he can if the PN needs him, his values, or his opinions.

Since his election hopes fizzled out, Said has returned to his voluntary work that he said has always been a part of who he is.

RSS Feed Source: Independent Malta Luke Said thanks supporters after parliamentary hopes come to an end