With such an ending, I’m also presuming that Franco Debono defended him.

JP, saying what you want in parliament is one thing but voting with the opposition and criticising the government, on One TV and other media, is were free speech crosses the line.

While I agree that an elected member of a specific party should vote and support his party in voting in parliament, I think there should be exceptions when someone feels that an issue is going to be detrimental to the country.

[Daphne – Exactly how was Richard Cachia Caruana detrimental to the country? Or Carm Mifsud Bonnici, for that matter?]

I really don’t believe that it is a full democracy where a person is forced to vote what the party believes, democracy is meant to give power to the people not shame them if they fall out of line. We can see the problem with this that once you have one rogue MP the government is in a state turmoil, or at least that is what some would like you to believe

But this is besides the point, Franco and co. knew how the Maltese government works and knew what they are getting themselves into which makes them nothing but traitors to the party who chose to have them represent the party and to the very people who voted for them.

Well said … unfortunately! Surely this was not a good decision at this point in time.

Jaqaw skappa mid-delegazzjoni li kien tellghu il-Prim biex imur jixtri flokk?

I am a very liberal person and a floating voter but please do consider that declarations being made by Gonzi on parliament are not of a democratic state. Debono (being right or wrong) has every right to do what he feels right. Party loyalty can never become higher than Parliament. If such declarations are made by PL, they will be compared to dictatorship. I think that PN did a wonderful job on the international scene and on the economical level but a very lousy job when coming to national matters that effect people and this is where Franco is right. Cannot understand how situation got so out of hand.

[Daphne – ‘Guy’, in a parliamentary democracy like ours and Britain’s, if you are elected on a party ticket, you vote with the whip or pay the price. And Britain’s is the oldest and greatest democracy of them all. Literalament m’hemmx fejn tasal izjed. In Italy, they MPs what they please. But Italy is one of the least democratic countries in Europe. A free-for-all among MPs is a sign of a weak democracy, not a strong one.]