Comments on: More paranoia from Lejber

By: Peter Muscat

Peter Muscat — Thu, 29 May 2008 10:03:46 +0000

Lejber paranioa has turned itself in lejber mania here! Lol

By: Stilettos bojod

Stilettos bojod — Wed, 28 May 2008 21:27:29 +0000

@T. Pace (“Now give Marie Benoit’s column a read. If it was not so pathetic it would be hilarious.
Min fejn iggibhom ?”)

Ahjar ma’ nghidlekx minn fejn, ghax ir-risposta tkun daqxejn pastaza biex tidher hawnekk! (Bilhaqq, kemm inti “fan” kbir ta’ dik il-Benoit, hux, indunajt.) U ghadhekk qatt ma’ rajta liebsa bl-istilettos bojod – u fix-xitwa! Ta’ sittin sena’ l-fuq, ukoll! Diq zgur tad-dahk, biex ma’ nghidlekx kellm’ohra.

By: Albert Farrugia

Albert Farrugia — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:19:50 +0000

@Moderator
You misinterpret the point I am trying to make. Yes, I believe that if an agreement between political parties (if this is what happened in this case)leads to a law being abused, ignored or twistes, I as an ordinary citizen feel that my rights are being abused.
Still the question remains. WHY was this hour added? Queues? The law excludes that as a reason very clearly. Then what? During the day all the stations were telling us that “l-andament sejjer tajjeb”, “l-andament hu kontinwu”, “l-andament” this and “l-andament” that. No floods. No electricity cuts. Which might have been “reasons beyond the Commission’s control” and which would have justified the extra hour.
Then what was it?

[Moderator – Maybe it was a Jewish conspiracy.]

By: Joemark

Joemark — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:57:44 +0000

It is truer by the day that at the Mile End ma jikbrux fjuri…but in Maghtab yes! It seems that Labour does not learn from past mistakes. Does anyone believe that things will change with a new leader? I seriously doubt. With Joe as Mexxej, Labour will invest thousands of Euros in cosmeting itself up…but the people will remain who they are. In maltese we have the proverb…”Hanzir taqtghalu dembu hanzir jibqa”. Daphne you are right to doubt and comment.

By: Albert Farrugia

Albert Farrugia — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:26:28 +0000

I insist on the point that the one hour extension smacks of irregularity. The Elections Act lays down specifically in Art. 65(2) that “Voting…shall start at 7AM and shall close at 10PM.” It then states that every voter “who at the close of time of voting is present in a polling place (…) shall be entitled (…) to vote”. Regarding extension of voting time, the Commission may grant this if it is “satisfied that the time allowed for voting has been, or will be, for reasons beyong their control, reduced at all or in any one or more of the (voting)places…” In this case the Commission may “extend the time fixed for the poll at such polling place or places…”
Nowhere does the law mention queues as a reason for extending voting time, for the simple reason that anyone in a queue will be allowed to vote, however long this might take. And no-one mentioned any other reason that the voting time was extended, apart from queues.
The law only allows the Commision to extend voting time if for some reason voting in a polling place cannot be kept open for 15 hours (7AM till 10PM). And this, for reasons BEYOND ITS CONTROL, which presumably excludes administrative shortcomings. And notice also that the Commission has to be SATISFIED that a problem exists. Which means that it will be reacting to demands by interested parties, who have to give it sound arguments.
Therefore one might even raise the argument that the extension was illegal. The situation is not any better, indeed much more worying, had it to transpire that the political parties agreed to this. And were the other parties consulted? Apart from the two main ones? If this is allowed to be forgotten then really rule of law in this country is really a farce. This is not a “small matter”. And it has nothing to do with who won the elections or lost them. Civil liberties are eroded in very small, almost unnoticeable steps. And if this happened by agreement between the political parties, it is a sad situation indeed. In any case, how was agreement reached? What did the parties agree on? These are question which would be asked strongly in other democracies.
And only those who are brainwashed, dear M@, or those who have an interest in the status quo, do not see this.

[Moderator – I feel as though I am entering a parallel universe where allowing more people to vote is considered an erosion of civil liberties.]

By: Robert A

Robert A — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:29:42 +0000

@Albert Farrugia

If you think you deserve to be in power because the polling booths in some districts could not cope with the volume of voters – and I know people who had already spent an hour queuing up in Valletta but had given up and went back in the evening – then you really are a very pathetic and sad lot!!!

People like you will never understand why people like us (and yes we probably DO have different DNA) want to throw up every time you use the word democracy.

To you democracy is just another convenient term that impresses. Like so much about the MLP it is all about gloss and never about substance!

By: Mark M

Mark M — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:28:57 +0000

If the 5 contestants believe in freedom of speech and expression they should all agree to appear on Xarabank and show us and the delegates what they are worth – no matter what – the commission wont disqualify all 5 from the contest.

By: Daphne Caruana Galizia

Daphne Caruana Galizia — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:19:44 +0000

@Albert Farrugia – terrible comparison, as M pointed out. The doors were open to all, and not just to the chosen few. As for comparing voting in an election with a test of abilities or a tender offer….

By: Robert A

Robert A — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:19:05 +0000

@Albert Farrugia; @Uncle Fester

You just don’t get it do you? The PN is the only party that was democratically elected to govern our country for the next five years? The reason – more people wanted the PN to govern Malta than the MLP. Simple! Getit?

Learn to live with it and try to get someone who will win you an election not someone in the same mould as those that lost you the election.

The chip gets bigger not smaller!

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:30:54 +0000

@Robert A – This was the first time that we had a National Election and the LC elections at the same time (the previous time it was the LC and European Elections – a much easier voting document).

On another note – DOCTOR Joseph Muscat has just canceled (sic) the endorsement of other MEPs for his candidature. What a joke – it is as if one says publicly that one have received the best marks but that one does not want to make this known publicly.

LOL LOL