Topsy-turvy thinking
Everyone seems to be thrilled because the Labour Party’s election commission has ruled that anyone who is a paid-up party member can contest the leadership elections. Until then, there had been rumours that only delegates would be allowed to contest, and George Abela is famously not a party delegate.
But George Abela is a lawyer, and a pretty sharp one at that. So when deciding whether to go for it or not, he didn’t wait for a ruling from the electoral commission. He read the Labour Party’s statute. “It was clear to me from the outset that I am eligible, because the party statute says so,” he told this newspaper.
Those who propose and second the nominations for the leadership (as in all such situations, you have to be proposed and seconded) need also be no more than paid-up members, and not necessarily delegates. Yes, but here’s the thing. In all elections that I can think of (I am sure some of you will put me straight if I’m wrong on this one), those who are eligible to contest come from the ranks of those who are eligible to vote. In other words, if you can vote, then you can also contest – hence, shareholders voting to elect their representatives on the board of directors (who must also be shareholders) and at the level we are all familiar with – any Maltese citizen can be a candidate in a general election, and any Maltese citizen above the age of 18 can vote.
If any Labour Party member can stand for election to the leadership, then it follows that any Labour Party member should be able to vote, and not just the delegates. With its strange and silly ruling that only delegates may vote, Labour’s electoral commission has reduced the party leadership election to an odd animal that is neither here nor there.
Given that the people involved will be choosing the man or woman who will make the party or break it further, and who might end up making or breaking Malta, this is a serious business and the rules, which have failed the party so miserably in the past – most evidently in 2003 – just have to be changed to reflect normal practice.
Dr Joseph Muscat DBA looked incongruous being interviewed by Reno Bugeja on TVM’s Dissett the night before last. He came across as a jumped-up kid (at 34 he should be deeper and more mature) with pretensions and more ambition than talent, sitting for a job interview with the human resources manager of a financial services company, and failing. You could see the interviewer thinking, “I hope the next interviewee is better, because I’m about to despair.”
But of course, the next candidate, Michael Falzon, was even worse, for different reasons. Without the MGM cartouche around his neck and the excitement of yodelling to a crowd of tens of thousands, he seems to have morphed into an exponent of one of these ‘we live in Christ’ movements, all quiet voices and restrained thinking and measured tones and do unto others as you wish to be done by. Oh, come off it. We admired him in the counting-hall when skin-deep Jason ditched him to keep the boss company and then got a police escort to drive them home to bed, but there are limits. My memory isn’t that short and I can still remember Michael Falzon raging and shouting in the election campaign and never allowing the slightest glimmer of a smile to reach his lips. Jason smiled all the time, even where not appropriate, and the others never smiled at all. What a bunch.
I got so bored with Falzon’s prating that I wandered off for a glass of wine, came back, did some work at my computer with the television on low volume in the background, and ended up turning it off completely. Magnetic, I must say – really enthralling.
I watched Muscat all the way through, on the other hand, because he makes for compelling viewing in the same way as one of those widget figures in the Southpark cartoons. They grate and squeak, but still you have to watch. Three minutes into the show, I felt I was watching Alfred Sant in 1996. He used to smile then, and just as artificially. Muscat’s verbal and non-verbal tics and communication are modelled entirely on Sant. He mirrors him. That’s part of what I mean about his being a follower, not a leader. A real leader would have a forma mentis and mode of expression all his own. It was almost creepy.
The difference is that Muscat’s personality is better-adjusted, which means that he knows, at least in theory, the proper way to respond to certain questions. So when Reno Bugeja asked about the referendum result, Muscat didn’t say, like his boss did, that this is water under the bridge and for the historians to judge. He said, “If it’s a question of whether partnership won or lost, then given what happened in the general election that followed, membership won.”
Yet this is still double-speak and I don’t know why people are getting over-excited about it and why The Times ran a story headlined ‘Muscat admits Yes vote won in referendum.” Muscat did no such thing. Like his boss and every other party spokesperson before him, he factored in the general election result. A referendum result is a stand-alone. You do not wait to see the result of a general election that comes afterwards to interpret a referendum, nor do you allow five whole years and another general election defeat to go by before you can rip the words from your lips – and still you can’t do so without saying “given the general election result”.
You see, that’s another trick Muscat has learned from his boss: how to appear to be telling people what they want to hear, without actually doing so, like promising to remove VAT without continuing the sentence and saying “but I’ll replace it with something else”. With this kind of person, you have to be on your guard and with your wits about you all the time, and that’s why I’ve been saying that I don’t trust him. Like his boss, he’s not straightforward, but strikes me as somebody for whom it’s all grist to the mill as long as it gets him what he wants.
In that piece in The Times, he was described as “a high-ranking MLP official”. I’m sorry to have to be a nit-picker here, but since when is an ordinary MEP a high-ranking party official? Or is high-ranking being confused with ‘important to the king’, in the same way that the king’s mistress or ‘widna’ used to be considered important in 16th century courts?
Even Muscat’s comments on divorce were an echo of Sant’s comments on the same subject: “We’ll start a discussion…free vote…yada…yada…yada…”. Yes, and pigs, chickens, peacocks and lions will fly – I don’t think. Well, peacocks do fly but Jason’s staying put.
The same process was at work when Muscat was asked to comment about Jason’s pooh-poohing of George Abela on Xarabank. “I don’t agree with that,” Muscat said, bang on cue and flashing that relentless smirk that is beginning to come across as some kind of symptom of a nervous disorder. Ah, but here’s the question that needs to be asked: does he not agree with Jason’s opinion, or does he not agree with Jason expressing that opinion in public in a way that damages the Labour Party (and Jason, but who cares about that, eh?). And then, bang on cue again, he more or less clears up this mystery for me by saying, “The process not only has to be transparent but should also be seen to be as transparent as possible.”
Coming from the candidate who has made his name as Sant’s poodle, and who is being widely touted as the anointed one, that’s a bit rich.
Roll on, 5 June, because this is beginning to seem like the dance of the seven veils.
This article is published in The Malta Independent today.
80 Comments Comment
Leave a Comment
Now that the news is splashed on todays’s Times that Marlene Mizzi is currently reading for her Ph.D ,(pg 36) she fully qualifies to be the next leader of the Labour Party. I am quite sure she is a paid up member. Our dear Marlene was on One TV a few days before the election, harping that people must vote labour otherwise this country will become a Nationalist party dictatorship.
Mrs Mizzi is perhaps another one of those “die hard” socialist/labourites who supports Labour , because of a grudge , rather than conviction !
If I may, I would like to point out that even on the PN side, up till now, it’s only delegates that vote a new leader. So, for justice, one must say that both MLP and PN should change their statutes to allow a broader-based decision.
Speaking of topsy turvy thinking, did anyone read this gem of political journalism by Michael Falzon? http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=67455
The goodies include these excerpts:
“It is not every day that one has, before him, the difficult decision of whether or not to contest for the leadership of a party with such a glorious history, as has the Labour Party.”
Glorious history???!!!
“The result of last month’s general election was, however, what it was. Our political system is what it is.”
????????
But the winner is:
“I am proud to belong to this party. I am proud that Labour had raised Malta from a small island colony to a significant State, building its institutions and giving prosperity and esteem to its people.A party that has never stopped in its efforts to fight mediocrity, and to move Malta and the Maltese mentality forward, ensuring that it also shares in the values that have made other countries strong democracies.”
Am I dazed and confused this morning or is this pure and simple a an attempt to rewrite history? Giving esteem to its people my foot. Does anyone here remember the Madrid conference, the Foreign Interference Act, the Act that barred the use of the words Malta and Nazzjon, the paltry sum you could take with you when going abroad and recently the freezing of Malta’s EU application, Partnership Rebah, Gvern illegittimu after the 1998 election (PN won with 13000 majority) with Sant writing to all the accredited ambassadors asking them to tell their governments to treat ours as illegitimat!
Tridux thalluna.
[Moderator – How patronising: ‘…giving prosperity and esteem to its people.’ I think most Maltese people are empowered despite the Labour Party, not because of it.]
Daphne, just to clear a point you are mistaken when you say
“Given that the people involved will be choosing the man or woman who will make the party or break it further, and who might end up making or breaking Malta, this is a serious business and the rules, which have failed the party so miserably in the past – most evidently in 2003 – just have to be changed to reflect normal practice.”
It just isn’t true that it is normal practice for all party members to vote in a leadership election. Like it or not it is always a select few that have a right to vote. This happens in all parties all over Europe including Labour and the Tories in the UK and surprise surprise the PN in Malta also.
It also happens in Australia, Canada and all countries where you have a prime ministerial type goverment.
So, no you cannot say that it is NORMAL practice for all party members in a political party to vote.
Daphne, AS got his smile back during the last campaign. I remember looking at that smile, painted across his face, even when it was inappropriate to smile. But evidently that smile didn’t have the desired effect….again!
Why should the Labour Party’s voting rules be different from the Nationalist Party’s? Only PN councillors voted in the election that annointed Lawrence Gonzi as leader of the party. Even though there were three candidates, everyone knew Gonzi was going to win hands down. Joseph Muscat happens to be the favourite for the MLP leadership post according to rumour, hearsay and popular opinion. I can’t understand what is so obnoxious in that.
@Romegas
Easy. Just change one word in Michael’s last quote and it would make a hell of a lot of sense:
“I am proud to belong to this party. I am proud that PN had raised Malta from a small island colony to a significant State, building its institutions and giving prosperity and esteem to its people.A party that has never stopped in its efforts to fight mediocrity, and to move Malta and the Maltese mentality forward, ensuring that it also shares in the values that have made other countries strong democracies.”
Q.E.D.!!!
@Gerald et al,
Do we all agree that BOTH parties should make changes so that the Party Leader is elected by all ‘tesserati’?
[Moderator – Now, that is the question.]
@ Gerald Fenech
You didn’t comment on the Kumbinazzjoni which happened last Tueday while Joseph Muscat was appearing on PBS.
You do have experience in TV and maybe you can comment on this divine intervention (sic)! You know what happened hux?
Exactly as Joseph Muscat was appearing on TVM Dissett, the popular drama ‘Giselle’ stopped. (mentioning something about having some troubles) Exactly as soon as Joseph Muscat was out and Michael Falzon was interviewed instead, ‘Giselle’ continued. wowwwwwwwwwwwwww……
Do you think it was a big KUMBINAZZJONI or a divine intervention to show us the bravu Joseph? Or was it just another stint by the top elenchons of the MLP?
Your journalistic assets are kindly solicited!!!
I have no problem with that of course and its a very valid suggestion. But in this case, the PN is like the pot calling the kettle black.
@amrio
Yes, the broader the base the better. Everyone should shoulder the responsibility. What is done in other parties/countries has nothing to do with our reality.
Alexander the not so Great. To be perfectly honest with you, I was watching the Liverpool-Arsenal game and only watched the first 15 minutes of Dissett. I’ll be perfectly frank (although some people might say I’m making a U-turn) but I haved to agree that the ‘twegiba ghas-sejha’ was slightly too much and sounded very pie in the sky. Otherwise JM was ok, nothing spectacular but not bad either. And let’s keep in mind that he’s only 34. I would have answered the questions put to me differently but then again, I’m not contesting for the leadership!
[Moderator – ‘…let’s keep in mind that he’s only 34.’ You see, that’s another problem.]
And may I PLEASE point out, that I am no longer a journalist.
That my dear ”Alexander not so great”, is what you call blatant favouritism of the worst kind. The MLP try to be subtle but they even fail on that count. as I always say ”Halluna tridu”
re Marlene Mizzi imissa ddur dawra ma dwara and then she can be ”the judge” of her reputation !! CAPEESH ??
@ David and Gerald,
It is true that the norm is that the few, close to the party, select the leader. But it has also become the norm that MLP loses the general elections. Therefore, I believe that there is a need to think out of the norm (outside the box, a much-loved MLP phrase) to turn the situation upside-down, MLP needs to be innovative and be a step before PN to stand a chance. It is useless whining that because PN does it, everyone should. If MLP would be the first party to introduce this new system it will definitely score points and people like me, who until now never had an option for who to vote, will start to really believe that things might be changing.
Consistency is the partner of change. One cannot say that s/s/he only eats bread when bread is not available or is not given the substinance required.
@Alex
“It is true that the norm is that the few, close to the party, select the leader. But it has also become the norm that MLP loses the general elections”
Well first of all I don’t think that changing a statutory clause will have any effect on whether the next election be it in 3 years time (as was suggested by Ranier Fsadni this morning) or 5 years time is won or lost.
Second take the British labour party for instance…they spent more than 20 years in opposition and only 3 years in govt from the early 1970’s till 1997. The party leader was still statutorily chosen by the councilors and they still won. And I can bring a hundred other examples like that.
And I find it particularly amusing when people say that labour lost because of this and lost because of that and say that if labour do this or that they will vote for them. Get real…. you have to have a correct mix of things to win or lose. True the party leader is a a huge component of the overall machine but the way he is chosen will not influence this mix.
The most suspicious thing some people are conveniently pushing forward this issue after it was first mentioned by Abela…. It is true that Abela has more chance of winning if the members vote but is it because the members don’t have avested interests and the delegatesm are so damn stupid and biased? Or is because it easier for the media who want Abela as leader to influence the thousands of members than the delegates that are closer to the party…
@ David
I picture the delegates as those die-hards fanatics that the only mission in their life is their party and how to get it into power, very loyal but not very wise. They swallow whatever comes from the top and obey and repeat ‘for King and country’ what they are told. From both sides don’t get me wrong
In my opinion the MLP delegates got it wrong time and time again and it has been proven beyond any doubt that the way these delegates decide do not appeal to the ‘floaters’. That is why I truly believe that giving a chance to all paid members will send a signal that, “hey we are really trying to revolutionize over here…”
Regarding the media, I already told you in another message. I believe that the PN media is promoting George Abela because they know that by doing so the delegates will never choose him. It is the I know that you know that I know game… I bet you that if all members would be allowed to vote, the PN media will stop promoting George Abela.
Wrong David. The proposal for a wider franchise started being promoted by Frank Zammit (now President of the M’Scala labour party branch) two years ago. Last week Alfred Grixti even claimed that he came out with the idea way back in 1987. I don’t know if there is recorded evidence of the latter, but there certainly is a record of the former. Your suspicions are unfounded David.
@ Alex
If I were to give a judgemenet I would say that even if the PN media didn’t even mention Abela once, he would still not be voted in by the delegates. Thats because Abela hasn’t exaclty been active in the party in the last 10 years and he has never been in parliament, is 60 years old and in effect defied the party when he decided to leave 10 yrs ago.
The continuos promotion of Abela by the PN and its media accolytes is in fact aimed at putting political pressure on MLP rather then getting Abela at the helm – which they know is impossible. So lets say only the delegates vote. There will be a popular outcry that there was internal manoevering to eliminate Abela. Then lets say the members vote and Abela gets a great number of votes or even wins (Party members are more susceptable to media influence than delegates that are more invovled internally). The PN media will then push forward the thesis that the party is divided and that Abela was sabotaged in his aim.
So in the end of the day regardless of what the ambitions of all those involved are, the PN will still use the Abela affair as a political weapon, and the MLP can do nothing about it
@ David Borg
Yes i know they were already thinking about it but it was suddenly pushed forward with great urgency after Abela mentioned it the first time. The important thing is that it came on the agenda at that point…
@David
Well those provocations are constant and come from both sides. I guess, it is what fuels fixation to a party! The thing is how the party being attacked comes out of the situation.
I personally, only see positive outcomes in letting all paid members to vote for their leader, the only real negative issue is that most probably delegates feel less important and maybe will not have the motivation to contribute as much to their party.
No Alex, George Abela is not 60 years old; he and Lawrence Gonzi are contemporaries. The nationalist party will continue praising George Abela because they know that Labourites will do the just the opposite of what the PN “want” them to do. Hence they criticised destructively Alfred Sant and labour held on to him; they are criticising Joseph Muscat and thus his popularity with Labourites is growing exponientally. The logical conclusion? The nationalists will continue praising George Abela because it is in their interest that he doesn’t become leader of the labour party.
@ David Borg.
Yep thats precisely the way it works with Labour delegates. They will not support the one the PN praises. Quite the opposite happened with the PN delegates. Labour trashed Dalli and elected Gonzi leader !
@david borg – darn it, you’ve twigged it! Labour delegates are so stupid that they will vote against anyone who is praised by the PN. And there I was thinking they were smart enough to spot the good candidate. You obviously know them better than I do.
I know that I am repeating but I am positive that Abela did not need the PN media machine to be unpopular with Labourites. I can guarantee that if Abela just threw in his name without the media frenzy that followed he would still not be chosen. Which leaves only one reason why he is propped up by the PN…
And as regards JM he was already popular among labourites….his showing in the MEP elections already proves this…. Apart from him I dont think any of the others are seen as credible alternatives by labourites…
Bartolo is well known but not that popular. Coleiro Preca is OK but I think labourites don’t see her in a leadership context. Falzon on the other hand is too flat, placid and unexciting.
The usual tribal warfare reasoning prevails.
@ IM BECK
Excuse my stupidity (although I am not a delegate or a member) but could you illuminate me with your wisdom on what particular attributes Abela has that makes him so trustworthy?
@David Borg
You said: “The nationalists will continue praising George Abela because it is in their interest that he doesn’t become leader of the labour party.”
That is exactly what I was saying, and also Lino Spiteri commented on that. Yet, most of the MLP followers and most probably the delegates are thinking the opposite. The PN wants George Abela becuase he is weak, soft and a PN-ally…
@david zammit
You say:
“It just isn’t true that it is normal practice for all party members to vote in a leadership election. Like it or not it is always a select few that have a right to vote. This happens in all parties all over Europe including Labour and the Tories in the UK and surprise surprise the PN in Malta also.”
The internet is a wonderful thing. It allows you to check the facts, assuming you find a reliable source like the BBC. Your facts are wrong, certainly about the UK.
In the case of labour, nominees are put forward and need to get past a certain level of support amongst MP’s. Then all paid-up party members and all paid-up members of affiliated trade unions get to vote. With the tories the nomination process is similar but not the same, and then, again, all party members vote.
See the links for more details:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/5177180.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/uk_news/politics/c-d/81998.stm
I’m not sure I agree that limiting the initial selection process to standing MP’s is fair, (both JM and GA would be excluded) but the systems both seem to involve a much wider body of electors than our parties, so in principle I think it is fairer.
Of course then there is the primaries system in the states, but the election rules vary tremendously from state to state. In fact, in some states, republican voters can vote in democratic primaries and vice-versa – imagine that happening here :)
Also, I believe the main left wing coalition in Italy (the names keep changing) also has a primaries system, certainly for Prodi’s election as leader, not sure about Veltroni in the current election. Again, things keep changing there :)
Trasparenza, Kontabilita, and what was the third one?
http://www.maltarightnow.com/?module=news&t=a&aid=31535&cid=19
Dear fellow bloggers,
What would you say to this prophecy by one of Malta’s most successful politicians: topsy turvy thinking or a people’s leader in the making?
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2006/08/06/t1.html
@MikeC
You’re right about the members voting but as you can see from the link you need 12.5% of all Labour MPs – in the UK this is about 70 I think so there is already quite a heavy amount of filtering. Of course that number would be 4 Labour MPs in Malta but lets replace the MPs with delegates….
We would still end up with a large amount of filtering from the delegates and we would still have the candidates the delegates want being promoted to the next round – the member voting.
And it remains to be seen if all leadership contenders in malta will get over 12% or 20% of the total vote especially if 1 or 2 of them take the bulk of the votes. So we would end up with the same situation – a filtering out by the party core.
Of course that would be totally different if a single candidate simply has to obtain a confirmation from the MPs (or delegates) or whether there is mutual exclusivity between the choices – it doesnt say there
Considering that we are trying to square the circle. Is it possible to make a ballot for MLP members asking THEM if the rules should be changed to let THEM vote for the new leader?
@ David Zammit – I wasn’t talking to you, but what the heck… George Abela is mature, has integrity, respects the same attributes in others, is no-one’s yes-man, has experience and has a brain. His only gaffe so far is in saying that his order of priorities is his wife (no dispute there) the GWU and then the MLP. I suspect his leaving out the country (between wife and GWU) was a lapsus. This is not to say that I would vote for the MLP led by him, but at least the prospect of him as PM wouldn’t fill me with a feeling of impending doom.
@David Zammit
Right about the nomination process. Its not completely fair, and in the MLP I can see them nominating JM and the office budgie which would rather skew the process in favour of JM :)
But ultimately in the UK labour party, according to the link in question its around 1,000,000 people voting for the leader, which would translate to around 7000 in Malta, roughly 10 times the amount in the current system. Its a little bit more inclusive, don’t you think?
@ABC
You mentioned GA leaving out his country and suggesting it was a lapsus. I don’t think so. The only time I have actually sat through a broadcast of most of an MLP general conference was the 1998 one where they decided (thankfully) to commit hara-kiri. But the thing that struck me most was that one by one, each speaker got up, delivered his spiel, and declared his undying loyalty to the party and the country, in that order. I haven’t watched a PN conference, so I can’t declare with hand on heart that the attitude is any different, but whatever, its not a lapsus, and as a citizen I don’t like it in the least.
@ Mike C
On the paper its more inclusive but in effect you have the same result – instead of choosing the leader themselves they filter out the candidates they want you to choose. So they may as well choose him themselves! it has the same end result as the MLP and PN system in malta – so yes the normal practice abroad is for the leader to be chosen directly or indirectly by the core. Like it or hate it, thats the way it is.
@ ABC
The attributes you seem to sustain that GA has are not supported by factual examples for the simple fact that our dear GA did a vanishing act 10 yrs ago and came out of obscurity wanting the top job. Putting it simply he hasnt done anything in the last years to deserve being leader. Of course in most Nationalists’ eyes he’s all hunky dory since he’s been used in their propoganda for the last 10 years. Thats why they like him..he’s a weapon they have used against MLP.
[Moderator – I don’t think a lot of the people here are weapon-brandishing tribesmen. Reasonable people don’t maintain allegiances for the sake of it.]
So I was right all along; George Abela is the “least worst option”, and still an unknown quantity on matters of national policy.
@ ABC
I don’t think that his was a mistake at all. GA was born and will die a trade unionist. If he had all of a sudden put party BEFORE union, it would be logical for most to ask why.
Actually I consider his priorities a positive, rather than a negative, as it shows his character and integrity. Some other pretenders would do themselves no harm if they were to heed his example!!
[Moderator – e.g. Toni we-don’t-care-that-workers-die-on-the-job Zarb and George allahares-jghollew-il-pagi Vella.]
The powers that be within the MLP, or rather those who are eager to hang on to their cushy and well paid jobs are trying to picture George Abela as a traitor for leaving the party 10 years ago. George Abela can be describe as a courageous man who stood up to be counted and did the right thing when it really mattered. He puts the spineless minows who are now yelping that they could forsee what was about to happen to shame. That is why they are doing their utmost to paint a bad picture of him.
As far as I am concerned I don’t really give a hoot who they appoint as leader but for Malta’s sake I do hope that he will be a decent and capable man fit to run our country as Prime Minister.
wow …congratulations..
a real nice blog page set up
@MikeC
I went to my first PN mass meeting at around 1980’ish. And although I was still quite young the time, I remember very vividly the difference between how the PN deputy leader used to start his address (” NAZZJONALISTI!!!!!!”) and on the other hand, Eddie’s start of his address (“Huti Maltin u Ghawdxin”).
…. and if I recall correctly, Lawrence Gonzi’s 1st words when sworn as PM 4 years ago where something to the effect that he loves his country and his country comes first.
So there, there is some difference.
@Vanni
Oh please putting the Union first – positive!
I think you all recall what happened the last time someone said that…
@Bercsényi
Yes Abela is an unknown quantity except to the many PNers who can vouch for his messianic virtues. Maybe they’d care to jot down one or two examples from the past of how they came to these conclusions….
@ David Zammit
Yes it is positive, as at least he shows his honesty. If he wanted to curry favour with the delegates, he would have said MLP. The fact that he said the truth, whilst unpopular to the target, shows that he is not any pinnur, but a person who is not afraid to show what he is, and to stand up for his beliefs. How many candidates in his shoes would have had the courage to say that, David? None methinks.
Sorry David, but forgot this last part.
And his honesty is what makes him an interesting candidate. He seems to “think outside the box”, is not afraid to be unpopular, and is no “laqi”. His oratory is well delivered, softly and without any silly smiles. And whilst as the saying goes, “Ma nahlef ghal hadt” I can’t imagine him ever plagiarizing. He doesn’t have to.
You know who he reminds me of? Gonzi!
@David Zammit
Your point is not one in favour of restricting the voting body, or retaining a restricted voting body, but of widening the nominations process AS WELL as the voting body. I was also going to say that the political culture in the UK would in anycase NOT produce the ‘JM and the canary’ effect, but then I remembered that Gordon Brown’s competitor was a complete unknown. Interesting how similar labour parties are in their methods :)
Of course there’s a lot more substance in Gordon Brown than there is in JM :)
@amrio
I know, I attended my first one just after the times was burned down and EFA’s house was smashed or the attempted (and successful) closure of the blue sisters hospital, whichever came first, can’t remember now, and it had impressed me too. But a meeting and a party conference are not the same thing. Also, the differences between the two parties are rather larger than that. For instance the PN has never tried to create a police state, unlike the MLP.
But look what you’ve gone and done. Elsewhere on this blog I’ve been accused of being a fundamentalist and told to go and live in Tehran by a suldat tal-azzar. I’d decided to wear my moderate hat, take deep breaths etc etc today, but you’ve made me drop my hat…. :)
It’s not necessarily better to widen the leadership electoral college.
In Britain, the Conservatives used to elect their leader with a vote by their MPs, but then in 1998 they widened to all party members (which are actually proportionate to our party delegates).
However, the Conservatives soon found out that the restricted electoral college of the MPs was more sophisticated and usually chose a leader who would appeal to middle-of-the-road voters. When they widened to all party members, the choice became more extreme right (William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith).
@Daphne
I was shocked as much as you are watching Dissett, The two main conatenders, so far, for Labour leadership are absolute non starters.
Joe Muscat hotch potched a 15 year plan for Labour in the last few days and then he said he has long been thinking about it. Clearly he does not know the difference between having a plan and having a vision.
Michael Falzon said he does not believe in long term plans becasue things change so quickly these days. He does not appreciate the difference between a strategic plan which is by necessity long term and not subject to frequent changes and tactical plan which is short term and subject to regular adaptation.
Yet no one has left me with any idea of what their actual vision is for the MLP. I was left with the distinct impression that they will just instant cook one along the way depending where the wind blows.
They should have read the recent interview by Alfred Mifsud in Malta Today to see what a vision for Labour could be. If he were a bit less arrogant and change the name of the Friday Wisdom column in the Independent Mifsud could have been the ideal leader for Labour.
@Vanni
Not a pinnur – first being in favour of Svizzera fil mediterran and then conveniently becoming pro-eu after 98?
Oh yes….you must call that a U-turn bilhaqq:P
@john
In fact there was a movement to change it in the next leadership election (THEY changed their leader every time they lost an election) but it fell slightly short of having the necessary support.
The same system was used to elect David Cameron, who could hardly be accused of being part of the extreme right. He was elected with 134,000 votes, on 198,000 out of a potential 250,000.see:
http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/conleader05.htm
So the suggestion is to widen the vote to the party members. And now all of a sudden Alfred Mifsud is a viable leadership candidate. Most of you forget his manouvering at Mid Med Bank just before the 1998 election. Then it was convenient to thrash him. What a load of hypocrites.
And if you say that George Abela is similar to Lawrence Gonzi than thats another good reason for not wanting him to lead the Labour Party. I would rather die than see that smirking, Azzjoni Kattolika hypocrite and minority PM leading the party.
[Moderator – Gerald, most of the world’s prime ministers are minority prime ministers.]
@David Zammit
It is the sign of consistency to change your mind in the face of changing circumstances!
That was A;fred Sant downfall. He stuck to his opinion no matter what. He even wanted to half the surchage even if the price of oil reached $1500 per barrel. Lino Spiteri said that not even a bahnan could believe that.
@ David Zammit
Am I right in assuming that you favour Joseph Muscat? Can you tell us your reasons?
Joe Muscat is constantly bragging about his achievements for the country during his term as an MEP. Can anyone enlighten me on these successes? Is it his battle to reduce Malta’s registration tax on cars? He makes it sound like he has delivered us from an injustice of the oppressive Maltese Government. He’s as nauseating as AS boasting about the Bugibba project. In any case is the reduced registration tax an achievement for Malta? Is his vision as the leader of ‘forzi progressivi u moderati’ one which will see more carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide on our traffic congested islands? Is this the 15 year future he wants for Soleil, Etoille and the rest of us … more car fumes?
On a lighter note – I don’t know if anyone noticed but yeterday while I was flicking around the stations I came across that master of all spin Charlon Gouder:P
And yo and behold I couldn’t believe my eyes. he had the same tie as Michael Falzon had the day before on Dissett!!!
It was that St Aloysius style red and white striped tie – i think michael and charlon are tie buddies! (although none of them went to St Aloysius)
I must go and get my old one from inside the cupboard – its full of last-day-signatures but I would just love to have to wear the same tie as these legends of our day :P
PR, what do you suggest? stop importing cars? or else maybe that will sound a bit Mintoffian. But now we’ve got a task force (the PN’s favourite word for doing zilch) to examine the issue of pollution set up by our favourite Green Minister, George ‘Maghtab’ Pullicino. Let’s see what they can achieve.
@Alex
Well lets say I’m keeping an ear open to listen what everyone has to say first….
I look forward to listen what the other candidates who haven’t been interviewed have to say also…
I’m a bit suspicious regarding the reason why Abela hasn’t launched his candidacy officially yet….I have no idea why he hasn’t. Maybe he’ll do so in his Mintoff style corner meeting at Birgu on Sunday
@Gerald
“Most of you forget his manouvering at Mid Med Bank just before the 1998 election.”
Can you enlighten and remind us please? I was working at Mid-Med during that time, and to be absolutely fair, I have worked under three different Mid-Med chairmen, and he was the best of the lot.
It is common knowledge that the work practices he had started to introduce in Mid-Med helped its workers a great deal to make the ‘jump’ to HSBC practices.
U ajma! Ha, araw, mhux veru li Gizel waqqfuh apposta tas-Suwper Wan!
http://www.maltastar.com/pages/msrv/msfullart.asp?an=20245
Nemmen li kienet problema genwina, mhux ghax qal hekk is-sur Vella Haber ta’, imma ghax anki Karlo is-Sabih qal hekk!
L-ewwel darba li immur nixtri blumer minn ghandu nghidlu prosit talli qatghalna il-kurzita!!!
I am a floating voter (in that i “float” between AD and PN , depending on how big my fear of MLP is) , last election I voted AD (phone picture to prove it), I would like to add my two cents to this debate.
Personally, Joseph Muscat is growing on me, his performance on Dissett was his best yet, he seemed well prepared, even for the hardest questions (well done to the interviewer who was excellant).
Although I still find Joseph Muscat a bit “pruzuntuz” I felt he was compelling and intesting to watch, he has radical ideas that he believes strongly in , on the other hand Michael Falzon seemed to be digging deeper and deeper holes for himself in his interview, some of his answers seemed condascending, especially when referring himself in the third party. Instead of giving straight answers he was saying things like “I’m not saying that Alfred Sant made mistakes, that would be unfair”, instead of being more assertive and being straight with the viewer. I found this offputting.
I guess what I want to say is that with Joseph Muscat as leader of MLP I may vote AD again next time, but with Michael Falzon as leader of MLP I would most likely vote PN since I dont see him as having any clear vision and frankly I find him boring and irritating, its like the interviewer had to shake him to get some answers off him.
Finally and unfortunately, George Abela, my favourite, will never get near to getting elected if its just the delegates to vote, and unfortunately ML Coleiro, the most intelligent of the lot in my opinion, has too much baggage and will therefore never gain the trust of floating voters.
@ David Zammit.
You said GA is a pinnur, mela what about JM? He not only conveniently became pro-EU,but went as far as presenting himself as a candidate for the MEP elections. What is he mela, a weathervane?
http://www.westcoastweathervanes.com/Domestic-Animal-weathervane-individual-pages/Dog-Vane-Pages/Dog-Weathervane-Poodle-Dog-Running.htm
Yes, this guy’s 15 year master-plan is such that he is already scared of divorce. Divorce is the terror of all Maltese politicians who all lack the guts to give to Maltese citizens what is theirs by right. What a spineless lot! Not only debate, but a referndum to boot so that the voters will only have themselves to blame for the unmentionable calamities inherent in this diabolical institution! We need to intiate debate… yes, it takes debate to invent the wheel when the wheel has been rolling in all the world except us and a third world country, the Philippines, for decades or centuries.
JM, in aping his handler, has already lost any faith which I could have remotely had in my dreams in his regard.
Ghax ma tmurx issaqqi, Guz! Jekk tippretendi li navdawk ghax zghazugh, allura ghax ma tipprojettax ideat ta’ zaghzugh u mhux l-ghanqbut bit-trab li ilu jzomm lil Malta kalzrata fil-medjuevu ghal mijiet ta’ snin bil-komplicita’ ta’ gvernijiet kolonjali jew Maltin u tal-Knisja kattolika li trid tikkontrolla x’naghmlu bejn il-lozor tal-friex?
Some people unfortunately don’t seem, or want, to get it. Gerald and John, MLP has to conquer the middle ground and not the diehards. The diehards are a dying breed (BTW this holds true to those on BOTH sides.)
Mintoff and his bocci, Karmenu and his aristokrazija, Sant and his CET, did not make the grade. Now there is a choice, one may choose a nice looking muppet, who looks good, but is nothing but an empty shell, or you may choose a person who oozes confidence, and has the guts to stand for what he believes in.
To take it on another plane, one looks like as sincere as a used car salesman, trying to flog you a car that looks as if it was last working when wheels were made of wood, whilst the other says “This is what I am, and this is what you get”. He doesn’t have to make compromises. He does not need to nick famous speeches. And he does not create plans (15yrs ones at that) on the back of an envelope whilst traveling to Malta from “Allahares nidhlu Brussels”.
Gerald I said he reminds me of Gonzi. Coming from a “snobby” PN supporter (OK sort of supporter, and not very snobbish :)) that is the best compliment that a candidate aiming to reach the middle class can get. GA comes across as one of us, as a trusted family lawyer or doctor, a person that the middle ground person will listen to, and if not follow, will at least respect. JM comes across as trying too hard to please. He is the waiter with the practised plastic smile, fobbing you off with an inane excuse at the poor quality of the fare.
@Eve
Lets say he’s not a pinnur and as P Portelli said “It is the sign of consistency to change your mind in the face of changing circumstances!”
But then how can one say that JM is a pinnur when the situation is exactly the same. Its two weights and two measures simply because of the fact that Nationalists are sympathetic to Abela and loathe Muscat for reasons that I have already mentioned in this blog…
@gerald
Stop throwing gratitious ephitets about. Maghtab was there long before George Pullicino (possibly opened by a labour administration) turned up on the scene, was filled over the years mainly with construction waste coming from an industry which provides the financial backing for both parties and finally closed under his watch, like it or not, his merit or not.
And the MLP wanted to keep it open for a few more years.
And they wanted to keep out of the organisation which is giving us most of the funds to clean it up.
And they still had no idea it had been closed for almost four years.
If anything, its Maghtab Labour Party, not George ‘Maghtab’ Pullicino. I’m sure you can think of lots of other more factual ephitets for him…… :)
@amrio. check up the news just before the 1998 election. From what I can remember it was something to do with employing people just before the election date.
At least today’s Malta Independent editorial had the guts to criticize GonziPN for not taking questions after the MEPA visit. If this attitude is a sign of things to come then it really shows what a two faced hypocrite is currently in Castille.
Or maybe the powers that be should have sent good old JPO to ask questions about MEPA to his PM. I’m sure he’s very well versed on the subject, particularly which board members to call when you need an ODZ permit in a green area. And he also has a press card.
I have followed this blog since the begining. My, my how some bloggers are all burnt up since the election result.
@Gerald
“Most of you forget his manouvering at Mid Med Bank just before the 1998 election.”
Now that you made an accusation you have to back it up. Don’t send amrio to check the news before the 1998 elections.
Tell me what manouvering and I will reply point for point.
ALFRED MIFSUD
Dear Alfred Mifsud
I recall that the Nationalist press had come up with a few stories about your chairmanship at Mid Med just before the 1998 election. However these were only allegations and I didn’t mean to imply that they were true or that something untoward happened during your tenure at the bank.
All I’m saying is that all of a sudden, the PN camp is touting you for the leadership when they seemed to have adifferent view of you all those years ago.
……did I read somewhere that Gerald Fenech has reminded us blog followers that he is no longer a journalist? Did he have to remind us? I think its blinking obvious……..
Good to know that David Zammit keeps his ties in cupboards. Does he keep his jackets in the oven? Or maybe his plates in the wardrobe? glad i’m not his dad!
Mr Philip ‘Queen’s English’ Micallef
The term cupboard is often used interchangibly with wardrobe and does not refer exclusively to lets say a kitchen cupboard. I have in fact often heared english relatives of mine use the same term for their bedroom cupboards.
However I guess you’re right that the accurate term would be wardrobe.
Gerald Fenech Thursday, 10 April 1150hrs
“And may I PLEASE point out, that I am no longer a journalist.”
Don’t you do the paper analysis on Smash? Isnt that journalism? Furthermore, are you trying to convince us that you voted PN at the time when you were hosting light entertainment on afternoon shows on super one tv featuring young pre-adolescent girls after you had spent a while at AZAD whilst writing fiction of a classic nature for the Times ?
Let them have their Woofer as party leader if they like. It will keep the opinion writers busy and us plebs amused. Let us all be honest. Who wants a sober, cautious , serious, stable, tight-lipped, “village type” lawyer as future MLP leader and possible PM as Michael Falzon when one can have instead, a flamboyant,red-haired, self-promoting, big-mouthed, shrill, pushy,egomanic prima-donna ? The woofer has got panache,style and verve.But on the other hand, so did Liberace and Elton John. No doubt further generations will be able to watch the skies at night and in reverent whispers point out ” There goes the newly discovered Woofer Constellation with its minor stars and suns”
@ Pinkerton
LOL!
your description of JM’s thatch as flamboyant and red brought to mind it-Torca tal-Lejber. Oh I wish I have photoshop! Mod ejja use your technical wizardry and regale us with such a pix
@ Mod
re my last request regarding photoshopping JM’s redhair with it-Torca tal-Lejber…we could ask amrio to provide us with a deep, erudite, scholarly analysis of this happy twinning (oops lapsus)…Taf int, to lift this blog from the depths of shallowness…
[Moderator – Something like this?]
@ Mod
I was thinking more in the likes of putting the torca flame atop the Poodle’s head… The New Symbol of A New (again) Lejber
Like so, Mod
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PDuqk_DSMw
David Zammit,
Just because your relatives are English does not mean they automatically speak English correctly!