The Golden Years of Mintoff and Karmenu Vella: Id-Dejma
Fresh, young and new faces including Karmenu Vella at the progressive party's annual general conference last week
“Biex ma nhallux lil dan il-fjur ta’ pajjiz jintilef se nergghu nifthu korp iehor, differenti minn ta’ qabel.
“Se jidhlu fih dawk ta’ bejn it-18 u l-25 sena. Ghal erbatax il-xahar biss, biex wara jsibu fl-industrija u jidhlu ohrajn flokhom. Din il-forza se jkun jisimha ‘id-Dejma’, ghax irridu nfakru fl-antik.
“Fl-antik il-Maltin kienu ffurmaw id-dejma li kienu johorgu bil-lejl biex iharsu u jiddefendu lil-pajjizna. Kull sena se nibdew indahhlu forza biex nidefendu lil Malta.”– Dom Mintoff addresses a meeting in Birkirkara, 31 May 1981, when Karmenu Vella, who worships him and who is writing Labour’s electoral programme for 2013 to 2018, was a prominent cabinet minister.
I was 16 at the time, and Mintoff and Karmenu Vella told me that this was all I had to look forward to – Id-Dejma.
Fortunately, I could go off and earn my minimum wage elsewhere, but others were not so lucky. Thousands of people my age had to join the Dejma.
Now ask me again why I think Karmenu Vella is good for nothing more than loading his own boat and smiling at suckers with two brain cells who are taken in, because like all fools they make the equation: ‘nice’ man = capable man.
And please bear in mind that at the Labour Party’s general conference last week, Karmenu Vella made a point of saying – or rather, shouting – that he is as proud as hell of those years and of having been part of them.
Well, all he’s going to get from me for having been part of all that is a giant reverse salute. I’ll leave the ‘Oh Karmenu is so sweet and such a nice friend of Louis’ votes to the sort of women who left school at 15 and whose development was somehow arrested at that point.
The irony is that ‘nice Karmenu’ knows exactly which sort of women I mean, which is why he is so busy preying on them now – not sexually, of course, but for votes: Sliema types with perhaps five brain cells between them.
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http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110201/local/vella-aims-for-consistency-in-new-pl-programme
The 60-year-old politician is a veteran, having been elected to Parliament since 1976. He also served as minister in the 1980s. Mr Vella said it was an advantage for him to have been part of the Labour government of the 1980s, when asked whether this could be a handicap.
“It is all about ideas and experience,” Mr Vella said, insisting he was part of a bigger team
From the Times 21st July 1987 – in which the current deputy leader of the Labour Party, Anglu Farrugia, admits to illegal arrest.
“Supt. Pace then went on to state that Mr Grech Orr had been arrested at 8.00pm and released at midnight, while Mr (Victor) Aquilina had been arrested by police Inspector Angelo Farrugia at 9.30pm and released at 9.00am the following day.
…
The witness (Anglu Farrugia) stated that he had carried out his duties as a police officer and that he did not have any ulterior motives in carrying out his investigations.
Inspector Farrugia said that he went to arrest Mr Victor Aquilina, the Deputy Editor of the Times on February 25 at 10.30pm and that he had kept him detained at the Depot all night and he was released on the morning of the following day. The witness declared that he felt the time of the arrest was opportune, that he had acted of his own accord and that he had not received any superior orders.”
The 10 fresh faces in the front row, who will form the government in 24 months, add up to 600 years between them. That’s an average age of 60. Those who are not yet pensioners will definitely be pensioners soon.
Yes dear John, so your admitting already defeat and seing the blues. Dr. Joseph Muscat Prim Ministru ta Malta soon. Is it that painful to digest. And by d way, Dr. Muscat might be the President of EU when its MALTA term. Ex Pn
U jekk takwista xoghol ma’ tad-Dejma tmur taghti rigal lill-Ministru jew lil xi bazuzlu daqs kemm kien hawn xoghol.
AKTAR FACLI TAKWISTA XOGHOL GHAWDEX. BLA RIGAL SERRAH MOHHOK. SAQSI GHAWDEX KIF TAWISTA XI JOB MAL GOZO CHANNEL PER EZEMPJU ETC. JEW IL FREEPORT, JEW TKUN CLEANER L AIRPORT U FDAQQA IL HINN ISSIR UFFICJAL. HALLINA RIYA 20 SENA TA GVERN TAHT ID DITATTUR GONZI U LAFFARIJIET MARRU GHAL GHAR. TAL MISTHIJA. FTAKAR XI 6 BILJUNI DEJN HA JHALLI FIL KAXXA TA MALTA. JIEN TLIFT IL FIDUCJA KOLLHA FIL PN & CO. U KUN GHAF LI MINIEX WAHDI. NAF XJIEN NGHID. EX PN
I remember quite clearly (there must even be a photo in some newspaper of the time) the long queues waiting by the door of the then minister Wistin Abela for a job, television, telephone, a bank loan, insomma tbazwir l’hawn jew l’hemm.
There were some who got loans for their engagement, wedding and even for their children’s baptism and first holy communion.
The phone call would be made from his desk to Dr. J. Buttigieg, Bank of Valletta chairman, who then had to resign because of the great amount of unsecured loans which were never redeemed.
Many a time the queue would be long enough to go round the corner (some sixty metres) into the next street, which is called Triq Santu Wistin, as it happens.
We used to joke that the street should be renamed Triq Sant u Wistin.
***********************
I believe his brother Michael Buttigieg was given a cushy job with Air Malta where I think he is still employed.
Michael’s son (Ivan I think) was a candidate in the last elections.
Ivvota lejber u tiehu gopp b’xejn bhala kliner.
The ante-rooms of ministers’ offices used to be full of people looking for work.
Dependence on ministerial whim became so ingrained in the collective mind that, after 1987, PN ministers and MPs were inundated with requests for work, housing, telephones, building permits, admittance to old peoples’ homes, etc.
It took time for people to realise that they no longer needed ministerial approval for all these things.
It is a pity that this government is helping the PL to be elected soon.
Can they not please be more careful….who is their PR officer? I was at a quandary what to do comes the election but after seeing the shadow cabinet I shudder.
Does the democratic Nationalist Party really mean that if the divorce bill does not get through in parliament there will be no referendum and if it does there will be?
So this is not a level playing field and we citizens are being trodden upon.
This apart from my point of view that divorce should be introduced FOR THOSE WHO WANT/NEED it without anybody imposing his/her beliefs.
You are such a good convincing writer, Daphne – please write a good article on the Independent about it ..you are a liberal and I know that you agree.
Mr Farrugia I share your views. The PN is still in time to save Malta from this hair-raising crop of PL delegates; but they need to grab the bull by the horns and make ruthless changes.
Perhaps Gonzi will have to exit along with Austin Gatt, Tonio Borg, Tonio Fenech and a few other ‘bright sparks’ who have achieved the unachievabe in turning loyal supporters against them.
Zmien tad-deheb – zmien tal biki. I just cannot understand how people can still bear the stink (for a harsher word) of these thick-skinned would-be rulers of this sweet island.
I thank God that I am old and that I would not be here to see such scum going up the stairs of Castile.
A nice picture of a geriatric night out at Has-Serh.
Entertainment was provided by the Re Xemx and his band Empire Station.
The warm-up act spoke about the old days and minestra tan-nanna while dear leader was in the make-up room getting his curls all spruced up.
It is a pity Mintoff went to the wrong hospital.
From The Times, Thursday 27th December 1984
Libya Delegation’s Christmas visit
Bilaterial relations and topics relevant to the situation in the Mediterranean were discussed in a meeting between Prime Minister Dr Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici and a high-powered Libyan delegation.
Government’s information division, Castille, said this was the first time that high level delegations from the two countries had met following the signing of the treaty of friendship and cooperation by Malta and Libya last November.
The Libyan delegation which arrived on Christmas Day and left yesterday evening was headed by the General Secretary of the People’s General Congress, Dr Muftah Usta Omar, and included the Secretary of the People’s Committee for Economic Affairs and Light Industry, Mr Musa Abu Freiwa, and Mr Ahmed Shahati, member of the People’s committee in the Foreign Liaison Bureau.
Also attending the meeting with the Prime Minister were Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Alex Sciberras Trigona, Health Minister Dr Vincent Moran, Industry Minister Mr Karmenu Vella and Mr Joe Debono Grech, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Later the Libya delegation paid a courtesy visit on president Miss Barbara at the Palace in Valletta, and then had a courtesy meeting with Mr Dom Mintoff at the Ambassador’s room in Castille.
And what was that friendship treaty about?
http://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/01/world/malta-and-libya-sign-military-training-pact.html?scp=45&sq=malta&st=cse
Malta and Libya Sign Military-Training Pact
UPI
Published: December 1, 1984
VALLETTA, Malta, Nov. 30— The Libyan military will train the Maltese armed forces under a mutual friendship and cooperation agreement signed earlier this month.
The Government of Prime Minister Dom Mintoff said the training would take place either on this Mediterranean island or in Libya.
Mr. Mintoff and Col. Muammar el- Qaddafi, the Libyan leader, have long maintained cordial relations.
Libya also has agreed to study the possibility of providing Malta with military arms and materiel, the agreement said.
The five-year accord was announced by Mr. Mintoff’s Government Nov. 19 at the end of a three-day official visit Colonel Qaddafi made to the island but no details were released at the time.
-ends-
“…se nergghu nifthu korp iehor, differenti minn ta’ qabel.
“Se jidhlu fih dawk ta’ bejn it-18 u l-25 sena. Ghal erbatax il-xahar biss, biex wara jsibu fl-industrija u jidhlu ohrajn flokhom. Din il-forza se jkun jisimha ‘id-Dejma’, ghax irridu nfakru fl-antik…”
Kos, kif ghal grazzja t’Alla inbidel iz-zmien!
Illum dawk ta bejn it-18 u l-25 sena mhux qed ihaffru l-gandotti xemx u xita imma qed jistudjaw gewwa l-MCAST jew l-universita u mhux hekk biss izda jithallsu biex jedukaw ruhhom ahjar u jikkumpetu ma l-ahjar imhuh fid-dinja tax-xoghol professjonali.
U l-ahjar vizjoni li Mintoff u shabu kellhom kienet li jibaghtu z-zaghzagh ihaffru l-hofor b’paga minima u wara erbatax il-xahar fid-Dejma jintbaghtu l-barra biex ifendu ghal rashom, meta ma kienx hawn loqma xoghol!
U jahasra, Karmenu Vella (the golden boy from the golden years) se jikteb il-programm elettorali tal-Lejber biex igib l-Malta l-quddiem!
Vera partit mibni bic-cwiec, nies skaduti, bla principji u bla valuri.
And what was that Mintoff had said when asked about the welfare of employees when he set out to destroy the National Bank of Malta?
“X’nitnejjek. Jidhlu fil-pijunieri.”
…and id-Dejma is John Charles Ellul’s alma mater….
Ray Spiteri
‘HALLINA RIYA 20 SENA TA GVERN TAHT ID DITATTUR GONZI U LAFFARIJIET MARRU GHAL GHAR’.
Ray, Anke biex igib it-telephone kont trid tkellem lill-ministru u thallas il-flus. 20 sena taht Gonzi id-dittatur? Ghandek zball ghax Gonzi ftit ilu hemm. Qabel kellna lill- kbir Eddie li qaleb lill-Malta ta’ taht fuq ghax konna qisna pajjiz bhal l-Iraq.