Kevin Cutajar Becomes Malta’s First Blind MP In Huge Turn Of Events For Nationalist Party
The Nationalist Party has approved the co-option of Kevin Cutajar to Parliament, making the Gozitan corporate lawyer Malta’s first ever blind MP.
Cutajar, who is also a Xagħra councillor, will take up the seat vacated last month by fellow Gozitan David Stellini in a co-option that marks a dramatic turn of events. Cutajar had initially lost out on Stellini’s seat to the PN’s political coordinator Jean Pierre Debono by 42 votes to 40, but former PN Executive President Mark Anthony Sammut then accused Debono of allowing two ineligible voters to take part in the vote.
Debono decided not to take up his parliamentary seat, paving the way for the co-option of Cutajar.
In an article in 2014, Cutajar recounted his experience as a blind politician.
“People’s reactions to the fact that the candidate is blind vary, but common factors in many are often sympathy and admiration,” he wrote. “Although such sentiments can be of great encouragement, the blind candidate must keep in mind that such sentiments are more often than not roused by his personal situation and that at the end of the day he will still need to convince people to vote for him like any other candidate.”
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