Guest post: An Independent-Nationalist, not a ‘coalition’
This is a guest post, which means that somebody more competent than I am in this particular subject wrote it by invitation.
We haven’t had a coalition government in Malta for 60 years, so some journalists have been telling us that we now have a PN JPO coalition, revealing an utter lack of understanding of the word.
A coalition is made up of two or more political parties which contest an election on separate and possibly divergent electoral manifestos, with separate lists of candidates.
They then enter into coalition talks agreeing on a coalition programme, which would certainly not be a copy of any one party’s electoral manifesto. They implement the joint coalition programme in a government that draws ministers from all parties in the coalition.
This is what is happening now in Britain and what happens in Germany and Italy almost all of the time. And this is what happened in Malta from 1951 to 1954, when Borg Olivier’s Nationalist Party and Paul Boffa’s Malta Workers’ Party (MWP) governed in coalition.
In the 1951-53 coalition cabinet, the MWP supplied three ministers out of eight and in the 1953-54 cabinet it supplied two – Paul Boffa and John Cole featuring in both, with Ġuże’ Cassar being a minister in the first one.
What we have now is altogether different.
Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando is not a separate party with a separate programme. He is a member of parliament elected on the Nationalist Party ticket and the Nationalist Party programme. He has made it quite clear he still supports that electoral programme and there certainly is no separate coalition programme. Nor can there be in these circumstances.
Pullicino Orlando’s situation now is that of an Independent-Nationalist. This same situation occurs often enough in Britain where, say, a Conservative MP might resign the party whip, or have the party whip withdrawn as a measure of discipline, perhaps after he has been deselected (precisely what happened to Pullicino Orlando) but still supports the party programme in the House of Commons.
He would thus be termed an Independent-Conservative.
So, please, let’s use political terms properly and correctly. ‘Cohabitation’ has also been floating around on the internet. But that only happens in France – and the United States, without the term being used as such – when a president with executive powers does not enjoy the support of the majority in the National Assembly, or in the case of the United Staes, of Congress.
However much we might agree or disagree with what Pullicino Orlando has done, he has made it quite clear that he supports the governing party’s programme and will keep working for its implementation despite resigning the Nationalist Party whip.
That makes Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando a quintessential Independent-Nationalist.
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This would have been worth writing if we had an intelligent majority in this country. Which we do not.
So, this will fall, mainly, on moronic ears and that includes most of our journalists.
Very well writ but not worth the trouble.
If Joey says we have a coalition government then it must be a coalition which the people did not vote for.
Ghax Joey Doktor Lejburist u jaf x’qed jghid.
It is a pathetic town with two parishes we live in, whether we like to admit it or not.
Franco must be already writing a letter to The Times, trying to find something wrong with the well-written piece above.
Sad really that neither the Leader of the Opposition nor his advisors have the language skills to describe what actually happened.
Your competent correspondent, very clearly trying to further the PN spin of “business as usual” – that there is nothing so dramatic in the situation – is perhaps unaware of the term “minority government”.
This is the term which exactly describes the way Malta is now governed. We have a minority government.
The government is formed by the PN. The PN has only 34 members in the House, out of 65. Which means it is in a minority, since obviously 35 members, the majority, do not belong to it.
Until the moment the Prime Minister plucks enough courage and face a confidence vote in the House, the PN can only assume that has the support of the one independent MP which however it doesn’t control. As your expert said, this is no coalition.
There is no contract between JPO and the Leader of the PN. For this is a minority government.
Better a minority government than a kwazi prim ministru.
To Albert Farrugia
Your comment a clear example of Il-hmar taqtaghlu denbu hmar jibqa. U kemm hawn minnhom madwarna.
“Until the moment the Prime Minister plucks enough courage and face a confidence vote in the House”…
Perhaps the Leader of the Opposition can return from his wine-tasting holiday in the Bel Paese to lodge a motion of no confidence as he did on Friday the 13th, January 2012.
Ah but we can’t have any of that, commitment, for heaven’s sake.
And your comments, Mr Farrugia are evidence that not even a well written article in plain English, a Form IIc student can understand with no difficulty, has eluded you completely.
Exactlly – it is a minority government which can only maintain its legislative mandate through support from the cross benches – in this case one cross bench MP – JPO.
I beg to ask humbly about the credibility, and about the practical political signifance, of a now “quintessential Independent-Nationalist”.
I couldn’t care less if he’s an Independent-Nationalist, an Independent-Conservative or an Independent-Plonker. The fact of the matter is that he’s untrustworthy.
His claim that he still supports the government programme is worth jack shit. Ample proof of it has been given since the beginning of the legislature. He’s an amoral man who’s work requires a high moral character. The scum of the earth.
I think you have hit the public sentiment, right on its head.
The electorate did wrong to vote for him. They should have voted in another PN candidate. But unfortunately his crocodile tears made him look like a victim of Alfred Sant.
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120723/local/jpo-calls-on-the-speaker.429841
Ta’ min jinnotta kif JPOS ghamel siegha ipparla fuq is-Super 1, u ma sabx minuta wahda biex issemmi il-kuntratt tal- Mistra. Veru kas kurjuz.
The dentist disagrees:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120723/local/jpo-calls-on-the-speaker.429841
I hope it’s not going to be another case of words and double meaning. He did assure Lawrence Gonzi of his support for the PN’s electoral programme but he said nothing of the sort to the Speaker of the House. He simply said that he considers Dr. Gonzi as the prime minister.
Maybe it is not in the Speaker’s remit to be assured.
“I still consider (Lawrence Gonzi) to be the Prime Minister of Malta… I intend to continue serving out my term in the House of Representatives as an independent member.”
– Jeffrey Pullicino Orland in his letter to the Speaker.
His letter is spot on, the coalition thing an addition that needs two parties to agree to it, not just Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.
I think it’s about time for JPO to decide.
Are you fowl or fish?
Dear JPO, you just can’t have it buttered on both sides.
Please let us enjoy our summer. I”m sure I don’t have many left.
He’s foul.
fish or fowl- maybe just foul
Dont forget the coalition government between 1947-50, Boffa + Gozo Party
And The Times still fails to understand what ‘coalition’ actually means.
Priceless:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=341219222625577&set=a.233349896745844.58868.154671951280306&type=1&theater
Enough of the fancy names. To the people who voted for him, he’s a double-crossin’ motherf**ker. Period.
What is your email address?
[Daphne – [email protected]]
Is it not time that the Speaker (Laurentii gratia), Dr. Michael Frendo, explains to the electorate and to the public, what fact is?
Pseudo-coalition, minority government tolerated by a single independent member of parliament, parliamentary stalemate or parliamentary chaos?
Let’s be honest:
Don’t we all miss the days when traitors were put up against the wall and sent to meet their makers?
I have voted PN without ever expecting this unilateral and perverse modification of my choice. Representatives should have the decency not to abuse the mandate and the honesty to resign. Holding on is a breach of the mandate.