Joseph Muscat: A major strategic error
Not so smart, after all, are we?
Franco Debono abstained. Muscat and Tuks Fors must be feeling like proper Charlies. Read my piece in The Malta Independent today.
I think Muscat’s entire strategy in this business is a sorry reflection on his judgement. Even if we gave him the benefit of the doubt over EU membership and his stance against (and we shouldn’t, because he was almost 30 and a grown-up), we can’t avoid the implications of his strategic thinking here.
He should have worked out that the pained dislike that comes from misplaced feelings of rejection – which is what Debono feels for the prime minister – cannot compete in terms of intensity with the three-decades-long competitive contempt he feels for Muscat. It was obvious (to me, at least) which emotion was going to win out.
People looked askance when I suggested that, because Franco is a criminal lawyer, we should consider his precise words when he is asked about how he will vote, and not go on what we think we heard or what we wanted to hear. But it turns out that was correct.
I cannot believe that Muscat hadn’t worked out that Debono hates him as a person more than he dislikes the prime minister for his perceived actions. He is not that stupid.
That is not the poor judgement I am talking about.
Anglu Farrugia, however, is stupid and spectacularly so. He would not have been able to work this out and apply tactics accordingly. When the no-confidence motion was brought before parliament, two things struck me immediately I read the actual papers, two things which were not picked up by timesofmalta.com though they were the very two salient facts which were newsworthy and which should have made the story.
1. The motion was signed by Anglu Farrugia, not Joseph Muscat.
2. It called for a vote of no confidence in the government, not the prime minister.
The only credible explanation for 1. is that Joseph Muscat didn’t sign it because he didn’t want to do it, but was faced with a situation in which Anglu Farrugia disagreed, defied him, and presented the motion himself, which he was free to do because it was a private member’s motion. The Opposition cannot present a motion as the Opposition per se; only the government can do that. Then Muscat had to go along with it so as to present a false united front before the electorate and the media.
In a dramatic situation like this, it is the Leader of the Opposition who should bring a no-confidence motion before parliament, not the party’s deputy leader. The party’s deputy leader has no constitutional role and in parliament is simply an ordinary MP like Silvio Parnis or any other.
The newspapers missed the significance of this, and when they questioned Muscat about it, simply accepted his explanation that he ‘owns’ it. No, he doesn’t. He cannot own it because it is signed by another MP. There are no parties in parliament; there is only the government and the Opposition.
The use of the word ‘government’ instead of ‘prime minister’ in the motion was the most crucial fact and the one the newspapers missed completely. It is the main fact on which I based my assessment of the situation and my conclusion that Debono would abstain. It was, effectively, an escape clause for Debono, who had made it clear from day one that his war was with the prime minister and not with ‘the government’.
This is also why I think that the private member’s motion was conceived and written by somebody of spectacular stupidity acting more or less alone – Anglu Farrugia (with the equally unintelligent whip, Joe Mizzi, to sign it through) – rather than somebody a little bit cunning, like Muscat.
Had Anglu Farrugia made it a vote of no confidence in the prime minister, he would have forced Debono between a rock and a hard place, torn between his hatred for Muscat and his overwrought public declarations against the prime minister, which would have obliged him, if only to save face, to put his money where his mouth is and vote in favour of it.
But like this, he was able to juggle with his conscience and with that legalistic thinking that many lawyers seem to use, and say that he never said anything about having no confidence in the government. He only ever said he has no confidence in the prime minister and a couple of members of the cabinet.
I knew that Debono had been given an escape clause as soon as I read Anglu Farrugia’s motion.
I also knew that Anglu Farrugia would not be aware of it, because precision of thought and language are not his forte. I have never been able to work out how he got through the law course and graduated.
I am stunned, however, that nobody in the Labour Party or the Labour propaganda machine picked this up. Are they really all that slow of mind?
So OK, I’ll admit that I kept this business about the distinction between the prime minister and the government close to my chest (I can play poker too, sometimes) so that I could have fun watching them head for a brick wall.
‘Inti tivvota kontra il-prim ministru?’ they asked him repeatedly.
‘Iva, nivvota kontra,’ he said.
Excitement all round.
He handed it to them on a plate and still they went and wrote their motion against the government, not the prime minister. God, how I laughed. But in private, not on this blog, so that they wouldn’t hear me and go back to the drawing-board.
Idiots. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel.
And this is quite apart from the fact that the whole episode has made Muscat and his cronies look really foolish, with their strategic judgement overcome by their hunger for power and control.
Calling Muscat ‘practically the prime minister’? Come on.
I don’t want to have to be in their position now, dealing with their half-brained supporters who were led up the garden-path with the idea that the government will collapse tonight and Joseph Muscat will be prime minister in a matter of days.
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u il gvern ghadu hemm meta anqas maggoranza biex jghaddi il ligijiet ..ilna nghidu li il parlament ghalxej qieghed ghax jiehdu id decizjonijit bejn il klikka .Al inqas issa nghalquh u nifrankaw id dawl
Half of my work colleagues are so disappointed that Franco did not bring the government down after all. A few hours ago he was their hero, now he’s a bezzih, bahnan, traditur, u gifa.
Add pufta, laghqi, bla bajd, mgherri , skifuz, u imhawwad.
I heard these (and worse) today from various people.
I heard ‘pufta bhal Clinton Paul’ too.
Ok but wouldn’t this mean that if they put forward a vote of no confidence in the PM tomorrow it would go through?
[Daphne – Why would they wish to do that unless they wish to appear even more desperate to destabilise the country with an early election when people are so worried about other matters and don’t want the government to be distracted from dealing with those problems, neither by Franco nor by Joseph?]
I think that whilst you are right in what you are saying I think Debono’s bluff was called or he saw that he was biting his nose to spite his face.
He must have realised that without Gonzi there is no PN in government and hence no place for him to sit on in parliament.
I’m sure he enjoyed his two weeks of fame though.
[Daphne – You know what? I don’t think he did. People like that don’t understand that being in the limelight doesn’t necessarily mean praise. It also comes with truckloads of criticism and mockery. Kitchen, heat and so on.]
Well – Joseph’s already called for an early election regardless, so who knows?
Daphne, how about that casting vote? The expert view was that, constitutionally, there could be no vote by the speaker in such a motion.
[Daphne – Why would they wish to do that unless they wish to appear even more desperate to destabilise the country with an early election when people are so worried about other matters and don’t want the government to be distracted from dealing with those problems, neither by Franco nor by Joseph?]
I think they don’t really care as long as they get to power if they cared they would not have put forward this motion in the first place.
On the other point, believe me he loved it. He might have got more than he bargained for but he loved keeping everyone guessing for a couple of weeks and having his name mentioned everywhere.
When you think about it he has managed steal the limelight from a mysterious double murder that is probably unique in its kind, that’s quite an achievement.
“When you think about it he has managed steal the limelight from a mysterious double murder that is probably unique in its kind, that’s quite an achievement.”
That’s one good thing that came out of this.
Regardless of what I think of you personally, professionally you are very very good. I admire that, solely.
You should have been in Republic Street. Ronnie Pellegrini and Cyrus Engerer consoling each other in front of Cordina Cafe, their faces like Madame Tussaud’s statues.
And then there was Helena Dalli walking along Republic Street talking in a loud voice for everyone to hear. “Issa kollox f’idejn Franco Debono mela.”
I bet they had flags hidden in their pockets just in case Franco voted in favour.
[Daphne – Ronnie Pellegrini! Mohhu biex jaqbad ma’ xi guvni, then off home to the wife. Veru progressiv, jahasra.]
Robert Abela was there too, in front of daddy’s big house, crestfallen.
Another thing Joseph didn’t give due importance, too easily swayed by his ambition, was what the electorate was saying.
Public reaction to Franco’s outburst against the PM was extremely negative, bar talk particularly scathing.
We will wait for the next pantomine. I assume that next time round, Gonzi will only have himself to blame.
A 15 month agony will only benefit the Labour Party.
The look on Joseph’s face as he was leaving parliament was a priceless Mastercad moment.
He seemed to be saying to himself “Waqajt ghan-nejk”.
[Daphne – ‘Mastercad moment’. I love it. It must have been a typo, but it’s fantastic.]
That was not a typo but a pun on the word Mastercard.
[Daphne – Love it.]
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/834/evolve.jpg/
I think you are 100% correct. Your arguments make perfect sense. This was a major strategic mistake. It would be a pity to see Anglu as a Deputy Prime Minister knowing that he has no common sense at all.
Kemm ppreparaw bandieri u wixxlists bil-jopps mal-gvern, bankini godda, tenders, u gliegel ta’ fletts u plotts B’xejn.
Kemm xorbu fil-kazini u qalu li llum ikunu fil-gvern. Kemm sehhtu lil Gonzi u l-shabu. Kemm ppjanaw kif u kemm kienu ha jwegghu nies bhali u bhalek o Sinjura mil-Bidnija.
Insomma, il-lejla iz-Zejza u shabu ha jieklu is-solita minestra u te’ bil-lumi minflokk xi bicca flett tajba u flixkun inbid.
Daphne, I agree with most of all your points, but I disagree with your second point that, “It called for a vote of no confidence in the government, not the prime minister.”
Since initially on the first day of this ordeal, Friday 6th January, Debono clealry stated:
“I have no confidence in the government whatsoever,” Dr Debono said. – [http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120106/local/franco-debono-calls-for-gonzi-s-resignation.401257]
It could be that he said that statement as he was angry at that particular point in time and when he calmed down he changed his position to not having confidence in the prime minister.
In fact, as from that day he only called for the PM’s resignation and never directly mentioned that the whole government was at fault.
[Daphne – That’s not the source. That’s the reporter quoting him in translation. In Maltese, the government is ‘he’ just like the prime minister. In English, it is ‘they’ or ‘it’. Many Maltese say ‘he’ when speaking about the government in English and it is always unclear whether they are talking about the prime minister or the government. This creates a great deal of confusion. This would be a typical statement: “The government is doing X well. He should XYZ.” Are they thinking of the government, or are they thinking of the prime minister, or are the two conflated in the Maltese mind? I would say the latter, but not in Franco Debono’s mind.]
On the Sunday after the reshuffle, Joseph Muscat basically said he won’t lodge a no confidence motion in the interests of stability.
Something happened after that and he in fact lodged such a motion.
This whole saga shows us much about Muscat’s botched strategy and thinking – providential a few months before he expects us to vote him into the Auberge de Castile.
Muscat and the PL lost yet another golden opportunity to win the next elections by an overwhelming majority of votes.
All Muscat had to do was say that (in the interest of national stability) all Labour MPs would back the government if the PM requested a vote of confidence on the Debono problem and vote IN FAVOUR of the government so it could last for it’s full term.
He would not have looked like such a shallow opportunist and would have gained the votes of many disgruntled Nationalists who were considering voting Labour.
As it turned out I think he has achieved the opposite and has actually made the PN stronger by his actions.
Ok. We have a Prime Minister supported by 49 per cent of the electorate, and by 34 MPs out of 69. A minority government. But of course, who cares? At least this result will give enough time to the PN to mend things here and there, take care of its supporters, then go for elections in spring or autumn. Stability? Tell me another…
Funny how you lot keep forgetting that the only party called on to demonstrate a majority yesterday was the MLP, and in fact it failed.
You also keep forgetting that whatever the PN’s electoral support at the last count, it is greater that that of the MLP, and that the PN was elected to implement a 5 year electoral programme following would it will be judged on performance, as well as have its new programme compared to the MLP’s next one.
One hopes that in the intervening five years, the MLP will have found someone capable of using a word processor and a spell checker, if not writing properly structured sentences to put forward coherent explanations of their policies.
Also, you seem to have this bizarre idea that an abstention in a vote is a joker in a card game and that joker belongs exclusively to the MLP which can use it as it sees fit, as a no vote in the EU referendum, and a yes vote in yesterday’s no confidence motion.
That is why the MLP continues to demonstrate that it is unelectable, because its leaders, officials, candidates and supporters have a very tenous understanding of democracy, if at all.
What Debono did was simply to get media attention to boost his ego and also to promote his legal practice.
Irrespective of his dislike of Gonzi, Muscat or whoever, he never intended to force an early election.
It is remarkable what people would do to be in the limelight. What Debono did not foresee, however, was the amount of criticism that he would get.
I watched the short video in The Times today where Franco Debono left parliament and was escorted by David Agius. The way I see it, it was the first time that Franco Debono had to actually face a crowd of angry PN supporters, instead of having his protective bunker in a television studios as he comfortably had in the past weeks.
It was ever so evident that the lion in him had now shrunk to a mouse-size figure. He kept his eyes pointed towards the ground as he walked away to his waiting car.
I am happy that this child of a man actually abstained, and gave our Prime Minister some time to get a hold of the situation, and more importantly keeping Joseph and his merry band of wishfull thinkers sidelined and looking like rather power-hungry fools.
This will also give time to the Maltese population to think again about the situation we are in, and what we may have led ourselves into if Franco had actually voted in favour of the motion of no confidence.
You see, the LP’s shortsightedness and ‘management by crisis’ style was so evident in the whole motion of no confidence debacle.
This is a sure reflection as to how Joseph Muscat’s goverment would carry out a day-by-day administration, by crisis management, and even when the crisis finally hits them in the face, they still manage to dig deeper into the hole.
One may wonder as to why many of us feel, understand and know that the Labour Party cannot ever match the NP with regards to governance, financial planning, strategy, image, protocol, and style.
For once I will refer to Dr. Mangion’s ever famous declaration…….the difference is in the DNA.
“One may wonder as to why many of us feel, understand and know that the Labour Party cannot ever match the NP with regards to governance, financial planning, strategy, image, protocol, and style.”
Now that’s a very valid issue to wonder about, I have to say, because I feel exactly in that same way. Labour Party cannot ever match PN with regards to governance, financial planning, strategy, image, protocol, style and vision. It cannot but I’m not saying this because I’m a nationalist. No, I’m a nationalist because that’s exactly the way things are.
Even from the opposition benches, the PL look crass, out of their depth, for all their posturing and all their wannabe-attitude, they do not have half a brain between them. It pains me to say these things because I, for one, would be all the happier and merrier had this not been the case. In all probability I wouldn’t give two hoots about the election if the opposition were lead by some other leader and made up of fewer nitwits and bird-brains. I would vote, but I would certainly lose no sleep over it.
Fact is, the leader counts. Gonzi counts. Muscat counts. If we compare the two, the choice because not only obvious but insanely easy. Not only because Gonzi is a gifted orator whilst Muscat treats us all like mindless twits, but also (and above all) because you can see that Gonzi has a vision, an intelligence and he has style. He would not attack Franco Debono with his own sms’s. No. He goes to Parliament and lists his government’s (well, our government’s really) achievements and acts on his instincts (I’m sure) that Franco will not really vote in favour of the motion. He does not just tackle the Libyan crisis (just to name one of the feathers in his cap). No. He excels. He makes sure that Malta excels. How Joseph Muscat would have acted under the circumstances is anybody’s guess but I don’t think he would have kept his calm with two fighter jets on his runway and an Airmalta flight on Ghaddafi’s.
Joseph Muscat and his merry men act exactly as the proverbial rhino in a china shop would act: charging their way to their own (temporary) “oblivion” (I accede to the fact that it is a big word). Just have a look around you: they will reduce tariffs (charging where they know they can garner support), they took that ridiculous VAT case to court, now they presented this vote of no confidence. And this is whilst they have virtually no power. Certainly not constitutional. Even the video which Daphne has posted on her blog, the behind-the-scenes video, is in its own way very very telling of the level of crassness of the PL.
Even the mere fact that they have accepted Cyrus Engerer. I wouldn’t want somebody who would just drop his party like that to be in my ranks. Even their grouping up the LGBT, the women, the Muslims (or was it Chinese?). It’s highly politically incorrect and, above all, crass, without any style.
Well, the Italians do say it, after all: la classe non e’ acqua.
But it’s not only a question of style: it’s a question of who performs better. And, quite frankly, the PN have always out-performed the PL against all odds and against all “enemies” as it were.
Indeed, it’s, above all, a question of substance.
Mr Meilak rest assured that the boos and the litany of obscene remarks for Dr Debono were from PL supporters not NP ones. I don’t know how from the short video on timesofmalta.com you came to the conclusion that they were PN supporters. I know because I was there.
Oh this is interesting…Franco Debono had to face a crowd of “angry Nationalist supporters”. So what would have happened outside Parliament had he voted against? Is there some other factor which might have, perhaps, influenced Dr Debono to only go half way?
He has been repeatedly saying that those who have made a mess have to resign, and that does not indicate the Prime Minster alone. Today he had the chance to bring this about. But there were “angry Nationalist supporters” outside the building. Oh dear…
[Daphne – How ridiculous you are, Albert.]
And we can use this to refresh our memory:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120106/local/franco-debono-calls-for-gonzi-s-resignation.401257
In this article Dr Debono is quoted as saying “I have no confidence in the government whatsoever”. What made him change his mind since the 6th of January?
[Daphne – That is how he was quoted. It is not necessarily what he said. Debono would have spoken to the reporter in Maltese. In the process of translation/writing/reportage, three things often get in the way: the reporter’s wishful thinking, what the reporter thinks he heard, and glitches in translation. Don’t forget that in Maltese, the government is spoken of in the third person (masculine), which is why when Maltese people speak English, they call the government ‘he’ rather than ‘they’.]
It’s a shame Franco Debono’s parents didn’t abstain, then we wouldn’t be having this problem.
Star comment of the week.
It’s a star comment for the rest of the legislature.
Daphne, can you get us a facebook-type “Like” functionality on your posts and comments? I’ve got nothing to say here other that what “Like” would have said. Great comment, Lilla.
As they say: every cloud a silver lining. Although this motion showed Muscat’s poor judgement, lets hope it brought out a much needed shake up in the PN. The cabinet urgently must address issues that is annoying people, like bad management of ARMS Ltd, Arriva’s routes and the overcrowding the emergency room at the hospital.
Immediately, the PM and Dr. Said must lay out a comprehensive plan to revise the law courts. At the present court judgements are taking literally years to see an end, People are tired of all these unjust delays. The legal reforms that Debono wants to see cannot be ignored as after all the people wants them..
I have no doubt that Joseph Muscat will never trust Joe Mizzi and Anglu Farrugia ever again. They manipulated him. They let him down. They made him look weak and desperate for power. They may have even cost him the next election.
Muscat must get a personal adviser that will counter Anglu’s bad judgements.
Muscat’s biggest mistake was allowing the no confidence motion to come from the opposition benches in the first place. It made him look opportunistic and power hungry. He could have just sat back and watched the PM being hung by his own rope. Muscat had nothing to gain by getting into this, but a lot to lose. Bad call.
However, Debono’s abstention may now turn the tables on the PM. The longer it takes for the PM to call an election, the more it will look like clinging onto power for power’s sake.
Debono has bought himself another 15 minutes of fame and I am convinced that he will use it.
Entertaining? Yes. Helpful? No. The farce continues.
According to the Times, the speaker cast his casting vote. I read that Dr Austin Bencini said that in this matter there was no place for a casting vote by the speaker.
Do you think you can explain this, at least to me, contradiction? Thanks.
[Daphne – Yes, that was the first thing I noticed. I’m ringing around to find out.]
On this point I think that although he did not need to do it, he still did it to show how the government will be moving on in the next few months.
I have first-hand information that tal-Lejber were going to organise a car-cade this evening. What a setback.
I think what Dr Austin Bencini meant was that for the “no confidence” motion to pass, minimum of 35 (34 + 1) “No” votes were needed; once there were only 34 No votes, motion not approved, notwithstanding Speaker’s vote.
Good one! “Ringing around to find out!” Ringing who? Castille?
[Daphne – It’s a shame my patient tone can’t come across in writing. No, Albert. Ringing around to find out the facts, from people who know about Constitutional law and parliamentary procedure. Whenever I need information on such things, to transmit in turn to my readers, I consult the experts, rather than hazarding a guess. Or I ask them to write a guest post. Unfortunately, I have been so busy with my new Mintoffiani readers that I haven’t got down to doing it yet. Never mind.]
The government needed to spin this as a “clear defeat for Joseph Muscat”. So it needed the speaker’s meaningless vote to give this spin to the proceedings. Letting the thing suspended at 34-34-1 would not have allowed the Prime Minister to assert that it was a “clear vote”. But honestly, how totally stupid do some think we are?
[Daphne – ‘How totally stupid do some think we are?’ Oh, Albert, you have no idea. I mean, what sort of person actually VOTES for Mintoff, KMB, Sant and now Joseph? Or against EU membership? Crackers.]
Apparently in this case, the speaker is considered a full member of the house, and a majority of 35+34+1 would mean 36 ayes to carry the vote.
Dunno.
The Speaker did explain his vote. He quoted Article 71 of the Constitution, but he also mentioned a previous case in the Maltese Parliament and the Erskine May.
Article 71:
“(1) Save as otherwise provided in this Constitution, all
questions proposed for decision in the House of Representatives shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the members thereof present and voting.
(2) The Speaker shall not vote unless on any question the votes are equally divided, in which case he shall have and exercise a casting vote. ”
I am no Constitutional expert, but I note that although Article 76(5) states that a vote of no confidence must be supported by the majority of all the members of the House, Article 71(2) seems to still impose on the Speaker an obligation to cast his vote “on any question” where the votes are equally divided.
Article 76(5):
“In the exercise of his powers under this article the President shall act in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister:
Provided that –
(a) if the House of Representatives passes a resolution, supported by the votes of a majority of all the members thereof, that it has no confidence in the Government, and the Prime Minister does not within three days either resign from his office or advise a dissolution, the President may dissolve Parliament;”
Joseph must be feeling a right tit now.
Are you sure it’s not Muscat who’s known as Joey iz-Zejza?
Excuse me Daphne, but there could have been another reason.
What if Muscat was cunning enough to realize that Debono would never support a motion signed by his old school chum, and forced Anglu to do the dirty work?
And the fact that Labour tried everything to have the goverment call the motion itself gives weight to this theory.
Don’t forget that as you had written in another blog, JM is clever enough to know what buttons to press with Debono, vide the billboards saga.
I find it interesting how the PL has changed its branding over time.
1. MLP to PL (similar to PN).
2. Throwing away the fire red, and switching to the lilac ‘new beginning’ slogans.
3. Changing the emblem after a major ‘competition’, then never using it.
4. Now using blue for backdrops and everywhere else.
5. Liberal use of EU and Malta flags.
It’s like a PN knock-off made in a Bangladeshi sweatshop.
But you must be heppi Daphny that Franco did not vote for the motion. Your government will stay in power.
Brilliant, Daphne, simply brilliant!
But I ask. Had the motion of no confidence been directed at the Prime Minister and it passed, still, it would not have brought the government down, no? I suppose the PM would have been obliged to resign as PM and let the Parliamentary group elect someone else. Dr Gonzi would then have retained his seat as an MP, maintaining the one seat majority. Maybe I am totally off base but the same measure could be used as in Debono’s case where many called for his resignation and you correctly pointed out that not even his own Party has the right or means of making him resign his seat because it is his and his alone. So why would not the same measure apply had the PM been made to resign due to a no-confidence vote, passing?
With regard to the casting vote, I too find it odd that the Speaker cast his vote since it was unnecessary. For the LP motion to succeed it needed 35 votes which it didn’t get so even without the Speaker’s vote, the motion would have died.
I think that this was a tactical strategy by the government (and Speaker) in order to show that with or without Debono, the government still garnered 35 votes.
David Agius said on TVAM this morning that the Speaker was obliged to cast his vote. Seems he was right.
why my comment is still waiting moderation ?
I may be wrong but my take on this is that if a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister were to got through it would only force the Prime Minister to resign his post and be replaced by another MP of the same party, whereas a vote of no confidence in the government would force early elections, which is what the PL was hoping for.
I don’t think even the PL is stupid enough to allow Anglu Farrugia to make such decisions and I am pretty sure it was not his idea. The only reasons I believe he put it forward rather than Joseph Muscat are twofold, one because because JM would not like to be associated with it if/when it fails and secondly because it would make it impossible for Franco Debono to vote in favour of it.
The political life of Franco Debono is extended but he is not appeased. He clearly wants to continue running havoc in parliament protracting the saga.
What is certain though is that the Prime Minister knows Debono’s limitation now and may call his bluff.
Very informative, especially aboutthe difference between the goverment and the prime minister. Thank you and PROSIT.
I also think the way events have gone may be beneficial to the PN for another reason: for the emotional catharsis the motion of no confidence represents for those normally PN supporters who may have been annoyed or disaffected with the PM (or the PN et al.).
Now, the electorate does not have to wait for an election to give vent normally to their feelings and emotions. Franco Debono has provided an emotional release, that also now allows for the PN to rally around the PN again.
Taken from the official Malta Parliament website:
(http://www.parlament.mt/ruling11_440)
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Ruling: Seduta 440 – 26 ta’ Jannar, 2012
Deċiżjoni tas-Sedja dwar casting vote mogħti fis-Seduta Nru 440 – Il-Ħamis, 26 ta’ Jannar 2012
Peress li wara li ttieħdet votazzjoni mill-membri ma kienx hemm maġġoranza minnhom favur u lanqas kontra, għall-mozzjoni nru 286 imressqa mill-Onor Anġlu Farrugia t-Tnejn, 23 ta’ Jannar 2012 minħabba li r-riżultat tal-votazzjoni kien ta’ 34 favur u 34 kontra u astensjoni 1 u f’każ bħal dan ta’ vot indaqs fil-Kamra s-Sedja għandha obbligu li teżerċita vot deċiżiv kif tesiġi l-Kostituzzjoni ta’ Malta f’artikolu 71, paragrafu 2 kif ukoll l-Ordni Permanenti Nru 21;
Peress li l-prinċipji stabbiliti biex jirregolaw sitwazzjoni bħal din jirriżultaw minn preċedenti f’każijiet simili f’din il-Kamra tad-Deputati konfortata minn prattika kif imfissra fl-Erskine May, Parliamentary Practice Edizzjoni 23, ċioè li vot deċiż tal-iSpeaker għandu jiġi eżerċitat b’mod li safejn hu possibbli jitħalla lok għal aktar diskussjoni u li fejn mhux possibbli aktar diskussjoni d-deċiżjoni m’għandhiex tittieħed jekk mhux b’maġġoranza;
Għalhekk is-Sedja fl-eżerċizzju tal-vot deċiżiv, casting vote, tagħha tapplika dawn il-prinċipji kif elenkati billi tivvota kontra l-mozzjoni.
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Thanks for this
Already posted similar view in the past. I would argue that you are over analysing the situation on both sides.
FD only cares about himself, and this is all about staying as long as he possibly can in the limelight.
He now has two options: continue with this brinkmanship until PM pulls the plug, or do a “prodigal son” similar to the JPO act last election, and get elected on first count.
With regards to PL, apart from the “what’s in the interest of the country” spin from both sides, they adopted the strategy anyone in their position would have, that is continue to pile as much pressure as possible on the Government and the PN. They will not lose any votes for doing this, and that is the only calculation political parties make.
On the casting vote, Dr Bencini was intrepreting the Constitution, but since there are no standing orders on this, it would be up to the speaker to decide on parliamentary procedure. He decided to treat this as any other vote and play safe.
Posted on this blog around two weeks ago, even before the motion was tabled:-
Two crucial statements have been made by Franco.
This week, Debono also said that if Labour presents a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister, he would “definitely vote with the Opposition”.
In comments to MaltaToday, Franco Debono said he would not be supporting the government in any votes, including a prospective money bill – the Budget Measures Implementation Bill.
As you rightly stated in one of your posts, Franco is a lawyer and every word he blurts out counts. So the implication is clear, his aim is Gonzi and not the government”.
The writing was clearly on the wall for those who wanted to see, but then Anglu – the lawyer – does not understand how fellow lawyers think or speak.
I can’t understand why they keep going out of their way to confirm the stereotype about MLP supporters swallowing everything all the time even if it contradicts what they were told to swallow the day before. Imma… il-ħuta minn rasha tinten.
AND they keep insisting the PN has no majority in parliament. The PN was not called upon to demonstrate a parliamentary majority today. It is the MLP which claimed it could do so and put forward a motion (or at least one of its members did) to try and show that. If one thing was established today, it is the fact that it is the MLP that cannot muster a majority in parliament.
The test for the PN will be the money bill related to the budget which was supposed to be voted on last week and will now be voted on this coming week or the one after that, having been shunted aside by Inspector Gadget’s motion of no confidence.
Which begs the question, why put forward this no confidence motion in the first place? It was just a waste of time since there already was a make-or-break vote scheduled.
Just realised I answered my own question. Waste of time. And space. Describes most of the MLP parliamentary group.
Imsomma, at least they can console themselves with the pastini they ordered for the party…. Mustn’t let them go to waste.
Body language: Compare and contrast.
http://www.collapseboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/cartman-angry.jpg
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/body-language.png
In constitutional terms though, what would a successful no-confidence motion in the PM lead to? Would it bring down the government?
[Daphne – Technically, no; it would force his resignation but not that of his government. But in practical terms, it would mean an election.]
Daphne, I had noticed what you say about the fact that the motion mentions the government and not the Prime Minister, and had thought that it sounded unusual, because Franco had always expressed his no confidence in the PM, which he even relaxed in the last few days.
However, I have quoted Article 76(5) of the Constitution above, and I notice that it specifically states “…a resolution …no confidence in the Government…”
I think that Labour was just being guided by the Constitution. They are usually short of original ideas.
The fact that their resolution was in line with the Constitution means that they must now accept the result of the vote in terms of what the Constitution says: there is no basis for dissolution of Parliament, and the Prime Minister continues.
[Daphne – Any MP can bring a motion of no confidence in any cabinet minister. We saw that a couple of months ago and even before. The prime minister is a cabinet minister.]
Jiena nafa illi jekk Franco Debono telaq mill-kamra l-iSpeaker ma jsejjahx ghal votazzjoni ghax ikunu 34 u 34 allura ma rebah hadt. Imma la Franco Debono jibqa fil-kamra allura l-ispeaker irrid jitfa il-vot tieghu minhabba li ikun hemm 34 u 34 u 1 u allura jigu 34 35 u 1. Izda meta jkun hemm money bill l-iSpeaker ma jistax jitfa il-casting vote.
I have no words to describe the wave of relief that I felt when the motion was defeated.
I was already living in fear even before elections were called.
For those who find my fear irrational, it is anything but because I have a memory unlike half of the population who support the MLP (I refuse to use PL because the party is the same as it always was).