Oh good, we’ve begun to grow a pair at last
How about he reforms himself before trying to reform the Constitution – because that’s what we really need, isn’t it, a Constitution written by a nutjob for a country full of crazies.
The Malta Independent reports:
PN officials reaffirm stand against Debono appointment
Franco Debono’s appointment as commissioner of law may be one gamble too far for Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his hopes for a second Republic, at least where the Nationalist Party is concerned, PN officials have confirmed.
Dr Debono has been given responsibility for coordinating the constitutional convention, which needs a two-thirds majority in the House to go through.
The Labour party steam-rolled over the Nationalist’s in the polls earlier this month, but they did not secure a two-thirds majority in parliament. And so the PL needs the PN to see changes to the Constitution being implemented.
The PN’s statement this weekend saying that constitutional reform requires political unity was not an inane after-thought, but a clear drawing of the battle lines. It means the PN will not accept changes proposed by Dr Debono.
For Dr Muscat’s constitutional reform to have any chance of achieving the two-thirds majority required in parliament, bi-partisan cooperation has to be achieved, something which appears to be unlikely given what the PN is saying.
Contacted by The Malta Independent online Monday, PN deputy leader Simon Busuttil and MP Mario de Marco both refused to comment further on the matter, toeing the PN’s line that the appointment is “partisan and an insult to the opposition.”
PN MP Jason Azzopardi said that “common sense would have dictated better” when it came to appointing Dr Debono as commissioner of law. Questioned on whether this will potentially impact on the government’s planned constitution reforms, Mr Azzopardi said that it is “early days yet.”
It may be early days, but the PN is already making it clear that it will take a stand against any reform, and perhaps any idea that comes from Dr Debono.
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http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-03-25/news/pn-officials-reaffirm-stand-against-debono-appointment-1254621184/
http://www.francodebono.com/2013/03/24/messaggi-lil-dr-gonzi-email-12-ta-dicembru-2009/
Il-genju jikteb email lill-Prim Ministru u jsejjahlu “prim”. Qisna l-kazin.
Apparti li ma jafx jispelli. Dan avukat jew imbecilli?
Kemmhu bravu, miskin, m’hawnx bhalu.
“president tar-repubblika ikun mahtur permezz ta zewg terzi tal-membri tal-kamra tad-deputati,
b’dan illi,
jekk ebda persuna ma tigi hekk mahtura, jittiehed vot iehor fi zmien gimgha, fejn ikun sufficjenti maggoranza assoluta tal-kamra tad-deputati (dan sabiex tigi evitata l-possibilita ta constitutional deadlock).”
Ovvja li l-gvern li jridha tghaddi tieghu semplicement ma jivvutawx ghal qbiel u jaghzel president b’maggjoranza semplici.
Attent, Joseph.
Eh, imma studja x’isir fil-parlament “tedesk” it-top studjent taghna. Kemm hu bravu, marelli. Mohhu mifrux qisu sigra tal-almond blossoms.
“Eh, imma studja x’isir fil-parlament “tedesk” it-top studjent taghna.”
He must know how to elect a Fuhrer, then.
Ejja ciccio, B +ve. If Kevin Drake can do it, so can you.
And this is Franco’s post following the one linked by you:
http://www.francodebono.com/2013/03/25/messaggi-lil-dr-gonzi-email-20-ta-lulju-2009-nissuggerixxi-t-tieni-repubblika/
Now we know where Joey got his Second Republic from. Can’t he ever come up with an original idea of his own?
Finally! about bloody time the PN wakes up and draws the line (albeit too far in already).
This should have been the reaction from day one, to FD’s whining. Appeasement never works with the likes of people like that. Unfortunately the bargaining power lay in his hands for 5 years.
Now that the roles are reversed a cool “sod off mate” would do just fine.
“You get nowhere being reasonable with shite”
This is where we are heading for. Hungary just got a taste of a new-democratic-dictator. Kif nghidu bil-Malti, daz-z*bb ta’ movimenti!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21740743
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16593827
Yup. The EU won’t protect any country against its own folly.
The independence of the central bank is a sacrosant principle. Although the law became effective on January 1, the changes have been in the pipeline around more than a year ago.
Serbia has been going through similar changes and interference from the government – but the EU cannot intervene, unless Serbia applies to join to EU.
“It may be early days, but the PN is already making it clear that it will take a stand against any reform, and perhaps any idea that comes from Dr Debono.”
And so they should.
Good.
The PN cannot be taken to have some extended family operating outside its quarters anymore. Step 1, define the party.
Toeing the party line eh? Since when is identifying with loyalty a sign of weakness?
The PN is, at this point in time, the party of reference to check the gooey mess called JosephMuscat.PL.
It will be up to Labour to sate these ‘true’, ex, disgruntled, whatevers.
It will also be up to Labour to explain why, if it has such a wide pool of talent, it still chose to dilute itself of meaning.
The bipartisan approach requires dialectics, not tactics. Anything else is plain cowardice and transformism.
Perhaps the movement cannot afford the ‘reforms’ especially when something as sacred as neutrality, could be on the cards.
Red bouquets and hushed solemn tones in Birgu on Friday afternoon, plot its demolition on Saturday night.
When the lunatic will rant against the PN in its raison d’etre, which he will, Muscat will be shown for the scheming twerp he is.
Hands off the PN you dork. Surely you’ve got your movement, aren’t you even fond, let alone proud of your own?
The buck stops with you, Muscat. As it will. Always.
Good to know Muscat depends on Debono to implement ‘his’ vision.
Did he really expect the PN to come forward, ignore its electorate, and lend a hand?
He can’t be seen doing otherwise, what prime minister refuses to engage the adversary with that majority?
Bit of a weak position that.
Franco – you messed with the wrong party.
The PN will make sure you stay safe in your padded cell.
The MLP may have won the battle – BUT NOT THE WAR.
Let’s not speak too soon. This is the Western Front, November 1918. The trenches have hardly moved an inch in five years, the footsoldiers are willing to go on, but the leadership has capitulated.
In any case, it bears repeating: NO APPEASEMENT. NO SURRENDER.
More like 1916.
Why 1916?
The Great War: 1914-1918
1916 was the year of the crucial – and perhaps the bloodiest – campaign of WW I, the battle of Verdun. Both sides suffered vast losses – with very little to feel triumphant about, however.
Just knew it – mention the word battle or war and Baxxter goes ballistic.
I DID mean 1914-1917, look it up.
It’s just that wars tend to weed out the idiots very fast. “Il-gwerra malajr taqtaghlek in-nejk”, as they say. And the sharpest brains and most upright people I’ve ever worked with were all Services men and women.
What have you done for the war effort, Troy, besides creaming it off?
28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918
The first Somme….1916.
OK then, scratch that metaphor.
This is Indochina, 1954.
This is one way of setting the cat among the pigeons. This move will grate on a lot of people who gambled for a breath of fresh air.
The peace-loving reconciliation-mongers have no hesitation in playing games with poor old Franco who falls for it every time.
Debono’s appointment is Muscat’s clearest indication so far of how far off his radar any non-Labour voter is.
We’re supposed to believe that, by appointing Debono, Muscat is fulfilling his pre-electoral promise to work with members of the opposition.
But the oppostion does not include Franco Debono, and that’s not only because, despite Debono’s claims of being ‘Nationalist iktar minn haddiehor’, he voted Labour.
The Opposition is not made up of people who style themselves as ‘Nationalist’. It is made up of people who were voted into parliament to represent those who did not vote for the party in government. Debono is not among them.
In appointing Debono, Muscat has not chosen to work “ma dawk li ma jaqblux maghna”, as he repeatedly claims. He has chosen someone who is made in the Labour Party’s image: an unprincipled small-minded, self-serving power-seeker interested in high office only because of the sense of prestige and self-importance it confers.
No wonder they couldn’t stand each others’ guts in Form IIC. They’re cut from the same poisonous cloth.
Joseph has opened his door to a crazy cat.
Franco still has some squaring up to do with Joseph.
Will Franco be Joseph’s nemesis?
Franco’s appointment is for one year. By then Joseph Muscat will have discharged his obligations. Franco will then be dumped in favour of some PL or GWU stooge acting a Joseph Muscat’s puppet.
Meantime, any stand that PN may take, however valid and legitimate, against any proposed change in the Constitution will be marketed by the PL media as nothing but personal piqué by the PN against Franco.
There’s a carrot for Franco; his contract is renewable yearly after revising the work output.
There is nothing new there. The PL always market the PN as the evil one and it blames the PN for Debono’s ills. One thing is clear from all of this: Debono had, in some way or another, made a deal before December, with Muscat. Both sides, Muscat and Diva Debono, have not denied this yet.
They did it in parliament last year when they had a long chat on the opposition(?) benches in front of everyone. It was reported on The Times.
Whichever way PN’s position will be ‘marketed’ by the PL media, any possible suggestions by that irrelevant non-entity from Ghaxaq must never be – still less be seen as – accepted by the representative of 132,000 voters in Parliament. Period.
Very convenient to forget that the Nationalists are not those 17000-odd people who decided to vote Labour instead of PN this time, but the 131000 who actually did vote PN.
To quote Franco, he must accept criticism with humility and apologise where deemed fit.
Franco, you are a good for nothing who should be apologising to the 131,000 Maltese who are disgusted with you behaviour over the last 4 months.
You have lost any credibility that you might have had, and we are not going to trust any suggestion that you might make in terms of changes to the constitution.
We know you are a liar and any change you suggest is only going to be made because it is in your interest and not in the interest of the Nation.
Do not expect any support from the PN because our mandate when we voted Nationalist was to ensure as far as possible that continue to be irrelevant, something that in our eyes will never change.
You are as irrelevant to us 131,000 now as you were on the 9th March, and nothing short of hara kiri on your part is going to change that.
Message to Muscat. PN might have started learning their lesson. Treating you with respect was the biggest mistake they made. Hopefully they will now start treating you with what you deserve. Disdain and distrust. Two weeks into government and you have already created a klikka like no other.
If your appointment were based on merit, god help us, a bigger group of inappropriate people I have yet to come across
With apologies… no direspect meant.
It’s Easter! The Angel has risen.
The bloody bastards.
One must be nothing but a bloody bastard to appoint this moron as commissioner of law to the detriment of the country and the few decent people who are left in it just because he helped them win an election.
Have they no shame?
No, dear TinaB, they have not!
You are wrong! Debono is being paid for “work done”. Incidentally, we will be reading of more 30 pieces of silver this week.
I really hope that the PN will wake up, stop their stupid in-fighting, get together and under no circumstances accept anything (even if positive if this is possible) coming from the chap Franco Debono.
I sincerely hope that the PN will not be duped this time.
Who will get out of the room first, Vanni Bonello or Franco Debono?
Henceforth, I shall refer to Frankie Tabone as Fluffer.
I am happy if all do likewise.
I have commented a number of times on this blog in favour of PN…. the election results and the heading of this page beg this comment …. It would have been better if the pair were used to control comments from a certain minister in the tune of …. PN have another twenty years in government and ghamilna pee pee
He had nothing to lose.
He was also one of the more effective ministers, despite his PERCEIVED arrogance.
His arrogance was anyting but perceived, but he was indeed effective. Unfortunately people sometimes see the character rather than his capacities when it suits them and/or their agenda.
Franco can spend his 24000 euro annual reward on how many branded T-Shirts he likes, but he will not get an inch of cooperation from PN. It`s 24,0000 down the drain, Dr Owen Bonnici.
OK, so Joseph appeased Franco for services rendered, knowing that whatever will be proposed will not pass through parliament, as the Opposition will vote against it and then he will have the excuse/reason to say that the PN are obstructing the government from implementing what “he” promised. And the “fools” will believe him.
They should have reiterated all the points you made in your article about this.
Labour have found a way to keep the pressure on the PN even whilst in power.
Do you not think that the above reaction is exactly the one they were hoping for?
Maybe Joseph will not have his reform but he will sure have a field day explaining to the people exactly how good the reforms would have been and how evil the PN is for letting pride come before the good of the nation.
I shudder to think of the talk shows.
I have no solutions to this but the Franco Debono battle was lost with the image of the prime minister turning up at Franco’s mum’s home at night, trying to reason with him.
Stronger words should have been used in that PN statement.
http://maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/No-love-lost-between-Debono-and-Busuttil-during-Valletta-row-20130326
No constitutional amendments should ever be endorsed if Debono is involved.