Franco Debono: “Take that, Carm”
Immediately after Franco Debono voted with the Opposition, he turned to Carm Mifsud Bonnici and said “Hekk. Biex tkun taf x’jigifieri taghmilli hsara mal-Prim Mhallef.”
One of the members of parliament who was right there, watching and listening, and who told me about it, said that he was taken aback at the venomous tone with which Debono said this, and the look of poisonous hatred on his face.
I think it just figures. Consider the man’s social background and his unfortunate upbringing by that ghastly woman who appeared on Xarabank to tell us all about it. He is bound to have that ‘inwahhalulek’ mentality that is so typical of a certain sort of Maltese person.
Now these words of advice are addressed to Franco’s eternal girlfriend. My dear, in the highly unlikely event that this man proposes marriage, do not on any account accept, for you will be condemning yourself to a lifetime of misery and bullying. Even if you divorce him, you will not shake him off, for he will stalk you with his obsessions and his hurt and suffering pride for the remainder of your days. He will never let go until he has got his revenge.
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Oh, OK – so now it’s no longer the PM’s fault.
Knowing Carm, I seriously doubt whether he would be capable of doing harm to a ‘colleague’ in the legal profession.
It’s more likely that Franco blamed him for some comment he heard from the Chief Justice or he just believed the intentional rumours that are doing the rounds in Court at the moment.
What is certain is that during his speech on Tuesday he had attacked both Carm and the Chief Justice for having shared the same office in the past.
Did he really say that out loud? My goodness, this “man”really does suffer from arrested emotional development. What a total retard. He is right there next to that other detestable one, Mintoff, in my view now.
And all this, just because a Mifsud Bonnici had the temerity of doing his job as a good and impartial university examiner faced with a half baked and obviously not up to standard thesis?
He is a real bully taking against the mos gentlemanly, quiet spoken, member of parliament on the government side.
Can you tell us what the story with the Prim Imhallef was?
[Daphne -I have no idea. Nobody has any idea.]
Let’s take a guess. Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici didn’t order the Prim Imhallef to be kind to Franco because he’s suffering. Instead, they put him on the naughty chair and he hurt his knee.
If this were true, his actions are deplorable. He may have aced his religion exams but he’s failed most miserably in taking home the most important Jesuit lesson of all: “boys, model your life on honour and respect for yourself and others”. His actions bring nothing but shame to what being an Aloysian truly means.
Daphne, is this man worth any more of your time and ink?
[Daphne – “If this were true…”. I’ve just said it’s true, AJS. The MP in question rang me as soon as he left parliament. There were other MPs present.]
I didn’t put your report of the matter in doubt, Daphne. I merely questioned the ultimate source.
[Daphne – The ultimate source is one of the most sober and serious MPs on the PN benches.]
Anyway, that’s besides the point: the man (and I use the term loosely) has no shame and while with one hand he flaunts his religious knowledge with the other he shamelessly destroys a man’s political career.
The only one with a destroyed political career is Franco himself. Carmelo will contest the next election and will be elected with more votes than ever before.
Franco on the other hand, stands no chance.
AJS, rest assured that it is all true. No ifs and buts.
I was not in the Chamber when Debono said what he said but I was told the same thing by other MPs and have absolutely no reason to doubt them.
Debono was in such a frenzy after having voted with Labour that he simply ran away from Parliament.
“Debono was in such a frenzy after having voted with Labour that he simply ran away from Parliament”.
If I’m not mistaken Judas Iscariot ran away after throwing away the coins he was paid for the betrayal of his leader.
This seems to be how people react after doing something terribly wrong.
@ John:
There’s always 2 sides of a story. The Gospel of Judas (which does not make part of the canonical gospels), tells a totally different story.
Well done, Psycho.
You have abused Parliament to settle a personal score. Keep digging, you sick son of a b***h.
If this is true, wouldn’t there be grounds to charge Franco Debono for black mail or gross misconduct?
I agree 100% with you.
But the damage has already been done. and the PL will not rest until they are in government.
I can’t stand the fact that there is a possibility that they might succeed.
Kurt m’hemmx ghalfejn ikun hemm ‘grounds to charge’ ghax kullhadd jaf li dan l-agir kien b’vendikazzjoni lejn Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici u naqta rasi li kienet b’konfoffa mal PL. Forsi issa kuntent imma l-kbir ghadu gej meta jirrealizza li tilef il-hajja politika tieghu ghax hadd ma jafdah izjed.
Naħseb il-karriera politika ilhu li ħaraqha, jekk xejn minn Jannar li għadda.
Fuq jekk hux veru li qal dan waqt il-vot ta’ nhar l-Erbgħa li għadda, malajr ħa nkunu nafhu. Is-silenzju tiegħu dwar dan il-blog ikun risposta.
Bniedem ahdar.
“Like”
Vera vendicazziv. Scuzawni, imma l-Malti tieghi daqsxejn imkisser.
Is there a recording of this? I would love to stuff it in the faces of those deluded idiots who still can’t see through Franco Debono.
[Daphne – How can there be a recording? It wasn’t said to microphone. But it was said in the presence and within earshot of all the MPs sitting around Carm Mifsud Bonnici and Franco Debono.]
In football this week, a comment that was similar in nature – between footballer and journalist – provoked much comment re ethics, manners and values. The team in question were told and warned diplomatically, but firmly, that such behaviour would not be tolerated.
Is there no ethical standard even amongst the one party, if not one to encompass the both sides? Everyone knows HOW to be rude, it’s just a personal choice whether the situation and context, or one’s morals, permit it or not.
Carm Mifsud Bonnici is the direct issue of generations of good breeding and wisdom, even if there was a marked aberration in the line. He is far from dead and buried.
The respect barometer must have reported a very sunny period ahead. Can one say the same for Franco Debono? Isn’t there a term which says: Hamallu kien, Hamallu baqa’?
Is there also a grudge on that sort of intelligence, seeing that it’s in short supply in Maltese politics?
One will hardly get anywhere disputing Richard Cachia Caruana’s. He’s miles ahead.
Who’s the next victim in line of attack?
I’ve been reading Psalms 52 – 59. This sort of thing must obviously have happened throughout the ages: the ravenous wicked out to devour, and with feeble short-term vision, create a stack of victims to then – with miserable failure – attempt to proceed with their desperate social- climbing on the backs of.
How far is far.. in the general global and historical picture? Who is the one with the furthest vision? Where is he hiding?
The behind the scenes picture is more telling.
The sad thing is that the majority of those who come to learn of this spoken phrase of Franco’s will not understand the true significance of it.
The nation has become so immune to snakes like Franco that double-crossing and betrayal for personal gain have become the order of the day and such behaviour is considered normal and even acceptable.
It’s no wonder we have to learn of it from your commentary, Daphne.
Mainstream media are nothing but reporters with no sensitivity for undercurrents. Either that, or they deliberately choose not to report it. Which is worse.
I’m shocked. Is there a cure for allergies caused by Debono as I’m in desperate need of one?
So much for being a man of principle who believes in meritocracy. It turns out that Franco Debono is just another petty, spiteful little bitch.
And an incompetent one, to boot.
It had to be something personal if he showed so much hate. Sorry for the guy to be so short-sighted and throw away his political career. He is intelligent though – he got all the 34 PL parliamenterians wrapped around his finger and did his dirty job for him – may be it is quite easy to get them dance to your tune – could they be so stupid and power hungry?
[Daphne – Why do people so often mistake stupidity for intelligence? A really intelligent person would either have let the problem go or kept it in perspective or, if he really needed his revenge, would have been subtle and truly clever about it. This man is actually quite stupid, like Mintoff and Marlene Mizzi, but loud and dominant, so people don’t realise he is.]
You can see what a gentleman Carm Mifsud Bonnici is in the fact that he has never shown the slightest sign of aggression or resentment towards Franco Debono even under this immense hostility and provocation.
Franco Debono should know that what goes around (eventually) comes around.
In spite of all Franco Debono’s public protestations about the self-proclaimed noble inspirations behind his crusade, it was pretty obvious to any careful observer that he was driven by personal ambition fuelled by hatred towards anyone who stood in his way.
We now have this confirmation from the gloating person himself.
I firmly believe that a person’s background is very important and it reflects in the way people behave. Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici comes from a very respected family of real gentlemen. And Franco? I saw his mother on Xarabank and that was enough to excuse Franco’s behaviour. He stands no chance in this life.
Did you just insult his mother, call him low-class and make insinuations about his suitability as a husband? Is this really what passes for highbrow political commentary?
Then again, politics is already at rock bottom if ministers are rushing to the phone after parliament to plant stories with gossip columnists like they don’t have a country to run.
[Daphne – Pop a pill, Franco, and get out of here. I don’t want you in my space. And don’t come back as Jacky Mifsud again, either.]
Immaginaw lilu ‘Ministru tal-Gutizzja’ b’din l-atitudni.
I’ve just read this comment. I am extremely shocked and saddened that in this day and age a member of parliament would act like a prima donna bitch for whatever reason.
This is pathetic and disgusting. Nobody believed that Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici deserved this except the vultures who are dying to be in power.
They should enter the competition to be prime minister for a day, and hope to win.
You bet that none of the opposition members heard Franco Debono saying those words.
If this story is true, it was wrong on Debono’s part. But what also is wrong is involving his mother in this story. There are many who came from humble beginnings, yet rose to great heights.
What happened to the famous words by the late President Emeritus Guido De Marco, “I’m not shouting at you, I’m shouting at the point!”?
Rejoice to know that now the oh so necessary reforms in the Justice Department stand a half real chance of being implemented!
Those of you who lament the PN losing their Justice Minister are narrowing your concerns to partisan issues. Who cares?
You`re missing the point altogether: We are lamenting an ignoble and utterly vicious and personal attack on one of the finest gentlemen in parliament. Carm Mifsud Bonnici is upright, integral, humane and benign.
Franco Debono lanqas ma joqghod hdejn saqajh.
FRANCO DEBONO, SEI UN STRONZO.
I don’t think so. Franco Debono is unruly but that doesn’t make him the rogue element.
Now we stand a chance of getting in line with other civilised countries in the EU and the Western World by reforming some fundamental rights which every civilian ought to have, but to date doesn’t!
[Daphne – Cecil, do you know what you are actually talking about here? Do you really believe that this was all about reform and that Carm Mifsud Bonnici was standing in the way of reform? And unruly is not a word I would use to describe a middle-aged man. It’s best kept for toddlers and teenagers.]
Daphne I do really believe that this was all about reform….but not only.
One might ask, reform of which type? Granted Franco Debono did feel somewhat outcast, and that his worth was not being considered for its true value and potential, and it is also true that behind the scenes the realities are far from what they seem.
But there is one question in the end that should concern us all, “Is the customer satisfied?” “Is s/he getting his/her money’s worth?”
Ultimately Franco Debono played the only card he could….and the customer will get what s/he is paying for.
Carm Mifsud Bonnici is (still) a good man and a worthy MP, but his Ministerial Portfolio needed a more daring, dashing Minister. Perhaps he was being held back?
[Daphne – Really? It’s odd that you think that way, when the cabinet’s sole “daring and dashing” minister is the object of such vilification and hatred. Also, I think you are charmingly naive to believe that this was all about reform, despite the massive file of evidence to the contrary. The prime minister is not going to be allowed to appoint another minister of home affairs – and then you’ll see that it wasn’t about reform.]
Franco Debono jumped the gun, that’s all. If only there were more people like him at MEPA for instance, City Gate’s Parliament wouldn’t have stood a chance!
[Daphne – And that’s a good thing, is it.]
Isn’t it?
I cringe when I look at the corrupted entrance to a once magnificent City. The PL buried St John’s Cavalier on one side, and now the PN have buried St James Cavalier on the other. Both parties should be made to pay!
By your reasoning we should demolish every building in Valletta erected after 1800.
The opposing steps will attenuate the effect you mention, allowing one to walk up to both cavaliers from the entrance itself. The geometry is there and in the case of St.James, it’s locus can be felt as soon as you walk across the entrance. It’s the assymetry and the separated levels which caused it.
As for Franco Debono, if one had to decipher his arguments, all he wants, is to increase a supremative power to parliament cutting it off from the rest of the country. His obsession with technical checks and balances would require a different role for the presidency, the necessity of a senate and continuous concerted effort amongst all three.
It works theoretically if we had at least five parties in parliament, or a federal autonomous system, not with a dual party system. Just look where Obama is today, unable to pass one simple piece of legislation.
Malta is simply too small economically to exercise such prolonged procedures, a money bill would become impossible to enact. It would result in our losing one of the advantages we’ve had with the present system, the ability to respond fast to outside forces.
I don’t think you’d want Franco to decide in his emasculated parliament, what Daphne should write, how judges should decide or how fundamental human rights are regulated, either.
Have you noticed how he never shows his feeling towards the spirit of a law, only the pragmatic implications? He lacks the necessary spirit and trust in the public’s discernment.
He thinks abstract form of democracy, taken to an extreme in purity should suffice to impose rights top down. It’s an ideal scenario for politici like him to render themselves indispensable.
@ Jozef…’By your reasoning we should demolish every building in Valletta erected after 1800.’ unquote
Actually yes. I support a full cover restoration of Valletta. Indoors is another matter, one that would obviously call for leniency. I believe that if anyone wishes to keep up with modernity they should try to do so within the walls of the buildings themselves, and not impose architecturally the exterior. As for major institutional buildings like the Law Courts, the cover can be stripped and rebuilt to ‘Knights’ specifications.
Re FD, your observations are noted, and in regard to his attitude, hmm, hadn’t quite seen him in that light. But then I have never had the chance to get to know or at least taste the man’s platter of anthropological and/or art interests….if any there are. There must be.
As to the powerplay, I have no aversion to their being a multi party system in our parliament. Therefore, if Franco’s propositions will coerce the present two party system to a seizure and promulgate a multi party situation as a solution, then the end will justify the means.
ps: ‘Malta is too small economically….’ Its funny that we should all agree with this, but rebut all notion of the Maltese being too small economically.
Our ability to respond to international pressure and/or situations in a fast manner depends not on a political system but on an inherent attitude that maximises coherence, and judgements, something that is forever sorely lacking in both our government contenders, PN & PL.
The Justice Minister is still in place. It is the Home Affairs minister who has resigned.
The lamentation is not so much for the loss of the Home Affairs Minister as much as for the fact that it happened at the hands of a mediocre person with no real talent.
You mean the Justice Ministry is in place, as is the Home Affairs Ministry.
You are half right in lamenting the loss of a talented man like Carm Mifsud Bonnici at the hands of a mediocre person with no real talent like Franco Debono. The half wrong is the part where you fail to realise that history repeats itself. David did bring down Goliath!
[Daphne – David wasn’t mediocre, Cecil. Nor was Carm Mifsud Bonnici Goliath. And in this situation, Debono was the one with all the power. So your comparison is a little off the mark.]
Daphne, Franco Debono had the power and he used it, unfortunately to force a Minister out of office, and unfortunately to embarrass the Government. However, fortunately we the people stand only to gain.
[Daphne – How? Details, please.]
ps I take back the ‘mediocre’ comment in confront to Franco Debono, much as this will draw your negative remarks. Walking the walk in FD’s shoes is not a mediocre thing to do, nor does it take a mediocre person to see it through.
[Daphne – On the contrary, I agree with you. He’s not mediocre. If he were, that would by definition mean that most people are like him, and fortunately, he’s an exception.]
The PN need to connect with the same PN that campaigned the election in 1987, because since then it has been ploughed and pillaged, and abused in no uncertain way. Lawrence Gonzi owes too much to his peers to see how his party has transformed itself into a self-gloating tyrannical society who uses the Courts of Justice and the Police to manipulate outcomes.
How? In my opinion the PN and the PM must follow the reforms FD’s been howling about, because if not they will not survive the barrage of motions being suggested by the PL from now until the General Election. Franco simply won’t have it, even if he has already demonstrated that his is not a desire to bring the Gov down.
[Daphne – Marry him, Cecil. Nobody else will. It’s not a choice between Franco’s reforms and Franco’s tantrums, but between a general election and Franco’s tantrums. And once that happens, it’s bye-bye Franco, reforms and all. And in any case, there are no ‘Franco’s reforms’. The man didn’t invent any wheel.]
I wouldn’t conclude Franco’s demise at the hands of the next electorate. Remember how JPO thrived after his Mistra land permit scandal?
[Daphne – Oh for heaven’s sake, Cecil. People didn’t know he was lying at the time, and that’s why we voted for him. He hasn’t a chance in hell now, not that he’d want it, given that everyone in his immediate family is now rooting for Labour. Franco’s situation is very different.]
As to the reforms he’s been up in arms about, I do hope he will continue to champion them, otherwise…….. as you said.
Personally I have neither love nor obligation for either party, though I did love the PN in the past, when I was charmingly naive. Whatever the outcome of the next election, will probably be a sad one for Malta.
I’m not referring to the result but the aftermath, when the country starts to be run. But that is of course another issue, for another blog.
The exact words he used were “Hekk, hu go fik. Talli tmur tghamilli l hsara mal Prim Imhallef.” I have it from someone who was sitting two seats away.
But still I cannot understand. If he said these words, why did he criticize the Chief Justice (I understand he’s referring to VdG)?
He twice criticized him. Once by saying that under his reign there were human rights violations. Second time, when he said that the Chief Justice and the AG were like lovers.
I cannot understand. Why criticize the Chief Justice and then pay CMB back for someting which has to do with the Chief Justice?
It just doesn’t follow, does it?
Carm should have resigned before taking the vote if he really is the gentlemen and saint he is being described as, saving this whole embarrassment for the whole party.
Other people when they were attacked they resigned out of their free will so as not to do any harm to the party till things and investigations are done.
[Daphne – Names? Come on. No, he should not have resigned before the vote. Why give in to a jerk?]
This is really just a cry for help. If he brings down the government, he knows that Joe Cassar will be available to see patients again. He just can’t decide between losing his soap box and getting himself a good doctor.
Norman Hamilton interviewed Franco (again…) on Super One today.
Debono was hysterical and anxiouis (again…) and totally lacking in control of his emotions.