Comments on: Jo Said/Andre Galizia gets in touch again

By: Amanda Mallia

Amanda Mallia — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 21:07:03 +0000

Stephen – You said “As to my status and reasons for commenting now, with all due respect, that is my business.”

Aha! I think that the moderator should add the words “with all due respect” and “that is my business” to the elve (sic) comment generator, seeing that (although maybe not officially an elve (sic, yet again), you certainly seem to think like one, at least by the language you use …

As for your other comment “they need a charismatic leader, which they have lacked since Mintoff..though one may consider MIntoff to have had a “negative” charisma”, well, what else can I say? Those words sound very familiar, and it certainly wasn’t a Stephen who said them! :) I suggest you use your real name, but then, you wouldn’t want Daphne to know that you DO follow her blog, would you?

By: maria aquilina

maria aquilina — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:35:34 +0000

Daphne Now that the eletion is over please give us and youself a rest. You very much deserve it. Go continue taking care of your family and show that you are a christian.

[Moderator – Daphne’s youngest son is an adult and her husband is not senile, so I’m sure they’re doing a perfectly good job of taking care of themselves.]

By: Daphne Caruana Galizia

Daphne Caruana Galizia — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:53:51 +0000

@ Stephen – I don’t think Alfred Sant deserves any respect at all. Remember that this is the man who ignored the vote of 98% of the Maltese electorate in the referendum, who clung to his role at party leader despite losing that referendum and two general elections, and who reduced every single electoral campaign he fought – 1996, 1998, 2003 and 2008 – into a giant mud-bath.

By: Corinne Vella

Corinne Vella — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:22:36 +0000

Stephen: Of course the MLP will elect its own leader. That doesn’t stop the matter being anyone else’s business, nor does it deprive anyone of the right to comment on the content and process of the MLP’s choice.

The MLP could hardly wish to elect a leader who is not prime ministerial material so the party should look positively on public discussion of the party’s potential leaders.

As for university students walking out on Alfred Sant, why do you imagine that is less offensive than being booed? People in the audience did boo Alfred Sant, but they also listened to what he had to say. If they’d walked out, he’d have spoken to several rows of empty seats.

By: stephen

stephen — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 08:03:34 +0000

whether Alfred Sant retains his MLP seat or not, I believe that, as with all politicians (and persons) he deserves a minimum of respect. there are many who disagree with his positions, inside and outside the MLP, but one should respect. After all, this is the stance which the PM has taken, which shows his statesmanship. One needs to acknowledge that AS managed to improve the MLP from the 80s. However, that job over, the party has remained at a standstill.

Re Uni students, I think that had they walked out it would have been “nicer” than booing. However, everyone has the right to protest as s/he wishes, that is merely my opinion.

As to whether Alfred Sant will try to exercise his influence on his successor, I think he has every right to do so, and there is nothing “suspect” about it – though I think his position is now weaker.

Whilst i agree with Corinne that MLP is not a band club, I still think it is up to them to elect whoever they want – and to the electorate to decide whether in the light of their package (incl. leader), it should give way to their “pretensions to power” by voting for them.

Therefore, the MLP people (delegates or members, whoever will vote) need realise that they need a charismatic leader, which they have lacked since Mintoff..though one may consider MIntoff to have had a “negative” charisma! Personally, I think the only man on the MLP side capable of squaring up to Gonzi is George Abela.

As to my status and reasons for commenting now, with all due respect, that is my business.

By: Eve

Eve — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 09:19:51 +0000

AS’ shadow shall remain looming in the background of Maltese politics…..Reminds me of Voldemort!

By: Chilly

Chilly — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 23:55:48 +0000

Speaking of ex-MLP leaders…….the other two I know besides AS were still very much involved after they ‘departed’. Salvatur-cum Traditur even managed to bring his own party down from government. The other, namely KMB, led the most vociferous bunch of anti-EU mob that wasn’t even content with the ‘tame’ stand taken by the MLP.
Who can then blame DCG if she suspects that even AS will not really completely disappear from the face of Malta politics? After all he made one last condition before he went away – that of holding on to his parliamentary seat depending on who would be running the party.

By: Amanda Mallia

Amanda Mallia — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:15:31 +0000

Stephen – Why crawl out of the woodwork now? It’s not Christmas for at least another 9 months ;)

Were you waiting for a fews cases to accumulate before you could just post one comment to tell Daphne you don’t agree with her? Have you suddenly “retired” from a prominent post and now have more time on your hands? Hmmmm……

By: Amanda Mallia

Amanda Mallia — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:22:35 +0000

Maybe the Afghan(field) is looking for the poodle …

By: Corinne Vella

Corinne Vella — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:15:42 +0000

Stephen:
1. Alfred Sant has not retired. He still holds a seat in parliament. He is simply not the leader of the MLP. Writing that he will control his successor is hypothetical but, contrary to Sant himself, many people believe that hypotheses about the future are not only worth discussing, but should be discussed and analysed. And no, the leadership of the MLP is not the MLP’s business. The MLP is not a bandclub. It is a political party with pretensions to power. Who runs the show is everybody’s business.

2. The 4 leaders’ debate was open to the public and had been advertised as such by the organisers themselves. The students behaviour could have been better, I agree – they could have walked out on the man who tried his damnedest to keep Malta out of Europe and endorsed a policy of keeping people out of university. Students who don’t like a politician are not a problem. A politician who does not like students doesn’t deserve any respect.