I understand it only too well Daphne. Although maybe my height and lack of intelligence may have restricted me somewhat in getting the message across. There is no legal or constitutional requirement for the (unelected or elected) leader of the Opposition to attend an official farewell for an outgoing President. It’s all about convention. [Daphne – It would also be convention, and not a legal or constitutional requirement, for you to attend your wife’s funeral should any woman ever consent to marry you. But you would still have to go, and God help you if you didn’t. Interpretations of your character would be correct.]

If I am wrong on this one – please enlighten me and provide me with the source and not just your opinion. [Daphne – I have provided you with an example that a person of your level of intelligence and chippiness might be able to grasp. I am beginning to understand why Dom Mintoff spoke in parables. Clearly, people like you cannot understand abstract notions.]

I will only accept your opinion on such a matter if in fact you were constitutional lawyer – which you are not. [Daphne – What does the Constitution have to do with it? Anybody would think you came from the sort of social background Muscat does. I really have no patience for your sort of person who plays the inverted snobbery trick. For a start, it’s way outdated: it died with Jimi Hendrix.]

The subtle difference between governments and political parties who run the governments is a problem across many democracies and many grey areas still exist in many democracies on this very issue. Incumbent governments know this only too well and use it to the full extent possible in all democracies. Also, the fact that the Maltese constitution allows a leader of a political party to hold that office whether he or she has been elected or not is not the office holders fault – but a flaw within the constitution. [Daphne – I hate to remind you of this, all Nationalist prime ministers were elected by direct suffrage. Or don’t you know how the electoral system works? On the other hand, there was one Labour prime minister who wasn’t – Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici – and there is now one leader of the opposition who wasn’t elected either, Joseph Muscat. The Labour Party really has a big chip about the fact that its leader is unelected.]

This would create a huge disadvantage to most leaders of the opposition in most democracies but has not had had the same effect in Malta and reflects the still immature nature of the Maltese electorate. Contrary to your other comment I feel no bitterness towards the Nationalist Party at all – in fact I doubt if I could get myself to vote Labour if I had the opportunity. It is highly likely that I would probably vote green. [Daphne – Jesus, what a surprise. You know what I call AD, don’t you? The halfway shelter for tal-pepe people who really just want to vote Labour but can’t bring themselves to be associated with such unbelievably naff people, whom they consider their social inferiors.]

What you and your ilk will never understand is the right and acceptance to give and receive criticism from within and without – hence your insulting and totally unintelligible riposte. And Cikki – please enlighten me on the rules – there are no rules in this context – just conventions which change and evolve over time – Your inability to change and or evolve over time is also reflected in your response.

[Daphne – Stick to Australian culture and mores, Raphael. Do yourself a favour.]

Let’s not be shy – the saying, which is most apt, is “min qatt ma libes qalziet hara fih”.

They are not ‘the rules according to DCG’, but according to every civilised country in the world, so don’t show your ignorance.

[Daphne – You know, Raphael, I’m beginning to think that it’s true what’s said about minuscule men, and how absolute lack of height warps their psychology. But maybe you’re just not particularly bright. Have fun in Melbourne with all the other Maltin tal-Awstralja, or wherever you are now. I guess you’re never going to understand the ritual, legal and constitutional difference between the prime minister and his political party, the president and his former political party, and the leader of the opposition (non-elected, I must add) and his political party. That’s why you feel at home in Australia, and like a fish out of water in Europe. Shame that all the bitterness you feel towards the Nationalist Party, which leads to admiration by default for whichever jackass the Labour chooses to lead it, is useless to that jackass. Or does Air Malta lay on cheap flights for emigrants to the other side of the world, every five years?]

While the Nationalist Party might not be perfect there is one thing which it does have and that is excellent leaders. The Times’ editorial could not have put it better in describing Eddie Fenech Adami as a great man who has made us proud and who was always on the right side when it mattered. Dr. Gonzi is also making this nation proud. The underlying difference is the way in which the party leaders look at Malta and its people. Dom Mintoff inculcated in the Labour Party a culture of ignorance, rudeness, lack of respect and a general levelling down of intellect to meet that of the so-called man in the street. The Nationalist Party and its leaders have always worked for a levelling up where the so-called man in the street is given the education, the tools and the resources to better himself and work his way up. This is the gulf that separates the two parties and unfortunately the new leader has no idea he is fitting within the same old mould.

It is clear that Dr. Muscat’s excuse was no excuse at all. He was in Sicily, for pete’s sake, not Jamaica. I’m sure that a decent Labourite with a decent speed-boat could have brought him down for the meal and taken him back in record time but he was probably scared to be mistaken for one of these “boat people”. But a flight is surely not impossible all the way from Sicily? Or is the MLP so broke it can’t even afford it? Conclusion: Dr. Muscat had no intention of being at this dinner and this to spite President Fenech Adami who I’m sure spent many sleepless nights thinking about it.

I expected that this type of pettiness would emerge. What I did not expect is that this would happen so soon and just after Dr. Gonzi offered the presidency to Dr. Abela. I had a feeling that no good would come of this appointment and that Dr. Gonzi was being too good in making such a move.

In Maltese there is a rather vulgar expression which describes this situation fully. It goes something like this: if you give an idiot a nice pair of trousers he will end up soiling them.

Daphne, I follow your articles regularly and although I do not always agree with you I think you make an excellent job of challenging ideas. Malta needs a vociferous person like you. Keep up the sterling work.

All others: great comments – some of you have a great sense of humour and razor-sharp wit. I really had a good laugh although when you think of it these are truly not so funny!

Maybe Chrysander Agius wrote his speech and got the calculations wrong :)

“Dan waqt li l-Partit Laburista kattar l-attivitajiet tiegħu, fost­hom bil-kapolavur “Ġensna”, li filwaqt li 30 sena ilu kienet f’forma ta’ ‘rock opera’, din id-darba saret, u għadha għaddejja, f’forma ta’ kunċert, bl-istess lirika ta’ 30 sena ilu.

Kull min attenda għaliha s’issa, seta’ faċil­ment jinnota l-importanza li ngħa­tat lil Jum l-Indipendenza u lill-eks-Prim Ministru Nazzjo­na­lista n-Nu­tar George Borg Olivier, li taħt it-tmexxija tiegħu Malta ngħa­tat l-Indipendenza, fil-21 ta’ Set­tembru, 1964.

L-ewwel rappreżentazzjoni ta’ “Ġensna in concert” saret nhar il-Ġimgħa li għadda waqt ‘gala night’. Skont rapport ippubblikat fil-ħarġa tal-bieraħ tal-ġurnal Illum, għal din ir-rappreżentazzjoni kien mis­tie­den il-President tar-Repub­b­lika, Eddie Fenech Adami, li madankollu m’attendiex.

Skont l-istess ġurnal in-nuq­qas ta’ attendenza kien do­vut għall-fatt li għal nhar il-Ġimgħa, f’dak il-ħin, il-President kellu attività oħra. Skont l-iskeda uf­fiċ­jali ta’ appuntamenti li kellu l-President tar-Repubblika għal nhar il-Ġimgħa, ma jirri­żul­tax li kel­­lu appuntamenti fil-ħin tar-rap­pre­żentazzjoni, dejjem jekk ma kellux xi ħaġa privata.

Jason Micallef, Segretarju Ġe­ne­rali tal-Partit Laburista, ik­kon­ferma lil l-orizzont li kie­net inħarġet stedina lill-President tar-Repubblika għar-rap­pre­żentazzjoni tal-Ġimgħa.

Madankollu, osservaturi po­li­­­­ti­ċi jikkunsidraw in-nuq­qas ta’ attendenza min-naħa tal-Presi­dent tar-Repubblika bħala stram­ba, aktar u aktar meta mbagħad attenda l-Avukat Geor­­ge Abela, li fi tmiem il-ġim­­għa li qegħdin fiha jin­ħa­tar Pre­si­dent tar-Repubblika.”