Former prime ministers should learn how to put a lid on it
Joseph Muscat must be thanking whatever and whoever he thanks – his wife’s teddy-bears? – that of the three former Labour prime ministers who are still living, at least one has dementia and won’t be hitting the media any time soon with crackpot allegations that will send him cringing for consolation from Ronnie Pellegrini in that office he’s got so close to his.
First we had that nutter Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici on the subject of Libya. Now we have strange Alfred Sant on the subject of….Libya.
He had an article published in the General Workers’ Union’s newspaper, It-Torca, yesterday, claiming that somebody told him that somebody told him that Gaddafi funded the government’s Yes campaign in the referendum on EU membership.
Indeed.
More than eight years down the line and the man is still smarting bitterly and casting about for explanations why The People told him to go to hell and take his Partnership with him, when it was such a jolly good idea and EU membership has been such a great disaster for Malta.
And now he’s sussed it: GADDAFI PAID FOR THE CAMPAIGN WHICH CONNED THE PEOPLE!!!!?????!!!!!
For crying out loud.
I hear there’s a vacant bed at the psychiatric hospital, so perhaps the moment has come to call the men in white coats and set up a ward for former Labour prime ministers. All three can go there, including the one with dementia.
On second thoughts, perhaps they should be kept loose to haunt the current leader, who is entirely Sant’s creature.
The government never even had a Yes campaign. It ran an information campaign, precisely because it would/could not spend money from public coffers to fund only one side of the debate.
Though I know that Labour finds it next to impossible to distinguish between party and government, it was the Nationalist Party, not the government, which ran a Yes campaign.
And when Sant wrote that piece, the Nationalist Party had already said, categorically, that it never asked for or received any money from Gaddafi or Libya. Ever. Never. Not in 42 years.
But still he wrote it. Because that’s Sant for you. That’s Labour.
Sant didn’t even pause to wonder why Gaddafi would have wanted to throw money at making Malta a member of the European Union, when he was dead set against it and kicking up hell because of visas and the rest.
A more likely scenario is that he funded the virulent No campaign run by Labour (Labour’s categoric denial of receiving any such funds only covers Muscat’s tenure as leader).
Lots of us wondered whether Labour was inexplicably dead set against EU membership – the only socialist party in Europe to be that way – because Libya was pulling its strings. There was no other explanation. No, not even Sant’s pig-headedness because all those around him were just as anti.
The Nationalist Party has issued a statement in response to Sant’s piece:
HOGWASH
The Nationalist Party categorically denies that it ever received funds for its EU membership, or for any other electoral, campaign, from the Gaddafi regime, as alleged by former Labour leader Alfred Sant.
In his ‘Torca’ opinion piece, Dr. Sant wrote “jidher li fondi Libjani ġew investiti fil-kampanja enormi li saret f’Malta biex din tidħol membru tal-Unjoni Ewropea” and “Fazzjonijiet importanti fit-tmexxija tal-Libja fi żmien il-Kurunell Muammar Gaddafi appoġġjaw finanzjarjament il-kampanja tal-Partit Nazzjonalista biex Malta tissieħeb fl-Unjoni Ewropea”.
Eight years after his ‘Partnership’ was rejected, and the electorate voted overwhelmingly for EU membership, Alfred Sant is still bitter and comes up with fictitious allegations which are complete hogwash.
The Nationalist Party challenges Alfred Sant to substantiate his allegations with raw facts. He should also explain what financial assistance his party received from the Gaddafi regime.
Should Dr. Sant fail to do so, then the least Labour can do is to disassociate itself from his allegations.
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There is a simple fact that shreds Sant’s argument to pieces.
If Gaddafi was so much in favour of Malta joining the EU, why did his lap dog AKA KMB form CNI and campaign so vociferously against?
Has the PL distanced itself from Sant’s statement yet?
I’m in stitches. After the “power of incumbency”, the “PR” stunt on The Times and a number of other gimmicks, Magician Sant took out of his magic hat (drum roll): funding of the EU campaign by Gaddafi.
Or is Sant afraid that we will sooner or later learn, through some leaked document, that the MLP was being coaxed by Gaddafi to stop Malta’s bid to join the EU lest they (the MLP) lost the money Gaddafi paid to their party and its activities.
Gaddafi wanted Malta to join the EU – principally preposterous, pretty preposterous, preoccupyingly prodigal prose.
For those who’ve forgotten already, Sant’s weekly pieces in The Times for many years began with the letters PR.
What are the old mexxejja on? And whatever prompts them to come out of the woodwork and utter such complete nonsense?
Gaddafi financed the then Labour government with the supply of cheap oil for a very simple reason, because he did not want a naval base on his doorstep. He went as far as threatening the Maltese people, on our own soil, that he would stop the supply of cheap oil if we were to elect a pro-NATO party.
Ex Mexxej Alfred Sant now wants us to believe that Gaddafi also financed the Nationalist Party to join the EU. Is this man for real?
Back into the skip.
Even though I know that I will certainly be looked upon as someone coming from outer space, I feel that we are missquoting Sant and what he actually wrote.
He never said that Gaddafi financed the P.N. or that he favoured Malta’s joining the E.U.
What he said,and I am repeating it in Maltese, was:
“Fazzjonijiet importanti fit-tmexxija tal-Libja appoggjaw………”
Doesn’t that sound a bit different?
We now know how many FAZZJIONIJIET existed in Libya, as they have now come out in the open.
What they wanted was for Libya to move closer to Europe and the rest of the free world, something that thank God, they have now managed to do.
This is f**king unbelievable. No doubt a lot of morons will believe it. Sant is an even bigger w**ker than I thought. Lying bastard!
I was just reading through the comments board beneath the report on timesofmalta.com, and guess what? A load of utterly stupid comments from Laburisti saying that they trust Sant. I give up.
What’s new?
The best defence is to attack. Dr Sant smelled that he was next in line to be exposed by the PN media machine on how the MLP was financed by Gaddafi during his party leadership.
A prostitute’s mother would advise her daughter quarrelling in the street with another woman: “Ghajjara qahba qabel ma’ taghjrek hi”, “ Call her a whore before she does!” – even though the other woman wouldn’t be in her line of profession.
Little Joe and The Dinosaurs – with the Libyan NTC planning a Truth and Reconciliation Committee, Muscat is confused if he wants the lurid truth out before or after the election. As Oscar Wilde said: you need a heart of stone not to laugh
Sant must have completely lost it.
There was Gaddafi, madder than mad, raising hell because Malta was about to join the EU. And then he paid for the Yes campaign?
Labour elves, please explain. Victor Laiviera, don’t bother.
I like how his watch covers his cuff.
Qieshom l-Appartchniks Sovjetici tal-Praesidium ta’ zmien Brezhnev u Gromyko.
That was a quirk made famous by Gianni Agnelli.
And the gold chain bracelet is doing the same office on his right hand cuff.
I met this very weird ‘intellectual’ during my trial, in 1996, when he came to testify against me as prime minister.
After his testimony, he crossed in front of me, we looked into each other’s eyes, and I saw black, blank, expressionless eyes–no emotion, nothing. Very scary.
Seems he’s back on the warpath.
“After his testimony, he crossed in front of me, we looked into each other’s eyes, and I saw black, blank, expressionless eyes–no emotion, nothing. Very scary.”
Actually his eyes are green.
Or perhaps he is able to change colours at whim. Always keeping them emotionless. He’s like a robot.
He’s very scary. Ewww.
I agree, Harry. I saw him a few times and his eyes were dead, he was cold as ice, extremely self-controlled and in an Asperger’s Syndrome way trapped in his own world.
There was no empathy at all. He appeared self-pitying and was unable to smile.
Alfred Sant seems to have joined GaddafiPL in doing a Joe Stalin about their links with Gaddafi’s Libya.
He also wrote a two-part article about the Euro/Eurozone for The Times on the day that Moody’s downgrading was announced.
I am not into conspiracy theories but the timing was spot on. Reminds me of his Economist Intelligence Unit days.
Is he “morally convinced” or is it just wishful imagining?
Man, I love this place……;)))
Jekk ma tafx, iz-Zero ghadu qed iredden fuq it-TV fuq il Libja, u crackpot aktar minnu hu Mario Tabone Vassallo fil programm tar-radju “Bla Kantunieri”.
Dan tal-ahhar fuq il- kwistijoni tal-Libja mhux biss jitkellem qiesu iz-Zero imma it-tinwieh insidjuz tieghu mimli kollu attakki li, fl-opinjoni mizera tieghi, jinstemu sfaccatament anti-Semiti, anti-Amerikani u anti-NATO.
Iehor li qed jibda jirreklama il-programm tieghu Konfini fuq One hu Joe Grima, l eks-ministru Mintoffjan-pinnur li issa sar haga wahda man New New Labour ta’ Joey.
Dan meta jaghmel ir-reklam ghal programmi tieghu qed jistieden lil kull min sofra minn nuqqas ta’ demokrazija li hawn bhalissa f dan il-pajjiz biex jikkuntattjah.
Prosit ghan-New New Labour li jrid “gejjieni ahjar li jixraq lil uliedna”.
Who is the guy who appears with KMB on Smash TV ?
Oh God! There we go again. Will there ever be an end to this?
No. Not until Malta is erased from face of the Earth.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002341073222&sk=wall
Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando
-An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
Mahatma Gandhi
””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
‘
Here is an interesting Gandhi one;
“Whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him/her with love.”
……and not hog The Times’ headlines with statements on how much you are looking forward to divorcing the mother of your children.
“Conquer her with love”? Please, not that.
Dr Deborah has gone off barbequed bangers and burgers.She’s into pasta at 12 euros a head.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/deborahschembri
DR DEBORAH SCHEMBRI – PASTA NIGHT
Saturday, 01 October 2011 at 20:30
The Forum – Topaz Hotel, Bugibba
Adults €12.00 / Children €6.00
Dawn tan-New New Labour hlief jithanzru fil-fast food u jivvumtaw wara fuq il-blogs ma jaghmlux.
Dan malajr nistaw inkunu nafu fejn jaf dan Alfred Sant.
Ejjew lahwa, insaqsu lil ta’ qablu KMB, ghax dak kollox jaf x`ghamel Gaddafi.
Din it-teorija minn fejn gaba, minn xi hanut tax-xorb jew bellahhielu xi hadd wara grokk jew tnejn?
They should have the water pipes at the glass house checked regularly as they might be suffering from acute lead poisoning. They will probably suffer the same fate as the Roman empire.
Give us a break.
News flash on another idiot: ‘Recently released documents indicate Norman Lowell’s grandparents were illegal immigrants’.
So then we are talking about overcompensation or the Denis Catania Syndrome here?
Gew irregolarment bi flying saucer minn Mars, ha inkunu precizi.
It seems there’s a knee-jerk reaction from the anti EU lobby to Joseph’s flirting with the party people.
First George Vella, then Emmanuel Cuschieri, now the man himself.
The Laburisti who say they trust Sant are also saying something else, who they don’t. It has become an audible grumble.
It’s a crossfire, with Sant bypassing Muscat to close the ranks with his one-time arch enemies, isolating those who’ve been hogging the limelight with their glittery liberal lifestyle and Facebook friends.
Anyone seen or heard the others? Of course not.
Is that a bracelet our Joseph is wearing round his right wrist?
What’s this fuss all about?
Dr Sant is well known as a fiction writer. So…
As for his Frankenstein’s monster, he now has dissassociated himself from the dictator. But the latter had to flee Tripoli and had his private jet burned to ashes before the monster decides.
Don’t forget Eddie Fenech Adami! Your headline applies to that old coot as well. Indeed, Malta is plagued by former Prime Ministers, well past their prime. Hopefully, Dr. Gonzi will inaugurate the custom of retiring gracefully.
Kemm ghad trid iddum tittewweb habib………….
Will Alfred Sant deny that the Labour Party headquarters was financed by Gaddafi?
Is the pope Catholic?