The government and the Opposition are separate. The Opposition does not work for the government.
The prime minister has worked out a new way to undermine democracy, carve out the road to his one-party state, and muddy the Constitutional (and democratically essential) separation of government and Opposition.
When he met outgoing Speaker of the House, Michael Frendo, at the Auberge de Castille this morning, he said that his government has made preliminary overtures to “Opposition MPs” to see in which sectors they could “contribute”, including in “government entities”.
Note the significance of this: he did not say that the government approached the Opposition (or the Nationalist Party) or even the Opposition leader. He said that the government approached individual MPs.
In other words, he is carrying on in government what he started so successfully in Opposition: go for the weaker ones, the egomaniacs, the ones who feel their myriad and shining talents are not sufficiently recognised, and then divide to rule.
Let’s not bother taking bets on who he has approached, because I think most of us can work that one out already.
Fortunately, the PN is now in Opposition and does not have to kowtow to the surviving Trojan horses and fifth columnists in its midst, including the one who can’t see that his election was yet another form of protest vote against the PN by the very same town that chose to ‘teach the PN lesson’ by not voting, voting AD, switching to Labour, or voting for this particular PN candidate.
The time for putting up with insufferable quislings is long over. The 43% of the electorate who voted PN deserve better than another five years of scenes by egomaniacs on a mission to have their personal great worth recognised.
I’m of the view that if any Opposition MP continues what he started before the shift to the Opposition benches, then he should have the party whip withdrawn immediately. In Opposition, it makes no difference to voting and it will send out a clear message to those who have any bright ideas of doing the same and also to the PN electorate that is thoroughly fed up of these individuals, to say nothing of those who switched to Labour because they came to see the PN as too weak in dealing with the ferrets undermining it from within while parading their egos about.
Yes, I know it wasn’t logical for people to switch to the party that enabled this situation by collaborating with people like Jeffrey and Franco and John Dalli, but there you go. Logic rarely enters the equation.
It doesn’t take much to work out which Nationalist MP is going to blow up first and float about town on his overinflated ego. Whoever wins the leadership election is going to have to law down the law immediately, and you don’t do that by being nice.
As for those government appointments for Opposition MPs – forget it. Any Opposition MP who takes one is to be frowned upon immediately as suspect. The Constitutional roles of the Opposition and the government are entirely separate. They have to be, because the role of the Opposition is to scrutinise the government.
And you can’t do that if you’re working for it, or if you have been bought with a position that makes you feel really important in this Piccolo Mondo di Don Camillo.
This island is just unbelievable. How can a prime minister say that he’s going to get Opposition MPs to work for him while the press (and the bleeding Opposition, literally) just stand by and not react?
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Yes, where is the press? Everyone is running scared.
What press?
14 of them are employed with the ministers.
Those at The Times are having a reorientation course in survival.
Malta Today thinks that Gonzi still is PM and therefore their target.
Which leaves only The Malta Independent, this website, and hopefully the PN media, after a new Leader gets chosen and they get their act together.
And a few weeks ago a DIY clock was making headline news and the forced resignation of the chairman of a bank listed on the stock exchange, and his replacement with a political appointee, goes by without a comment.
Where the f**k is Gonzi?
Very disappointed by his absence.
An unequivocal collective statement from the entire PN parliamentary group (now that all MPs are elected) telling the Malta Labour Party a big ‘NO THANKS’ is warranted. This is becoming more than dangerous.
A big “Thanks but no thanks” is more appropriate in this case.
“NO” to executive role for opposition – Simon Busuttil (see link)
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130404/local/busuttil-outlines-his-programme-for-a-people-s-party.464103
And the bleeding Opposition, literally.
I don’t know how many times I felt like picking up the phone and doing an Astrid.
As for Muscat, he’s keeping all his options open. Must be claustrophobic at Mile End.
He’s starting to come across as even more fragile than Frankie. How scared is he of failure and dissent?
“picking up the phone and doing an Astrid”?
Shouldn’t that be “picking up the megaphone and doing an Astrid”? But then, do you have the voice?
A few whiffs of helium should do the trick.
Well, Marlene Farrugia certainly crumbled quickly under criticism – I wouldn’t be surprised if Muscat himself told her to back down when he realised her ‘unofficial promotion’ was getting too much bad coverage.
I have this moral conviction that Marlene resigned after differences with Muscat.
I suspect that Muscat must have given the Ministry of Health to the couple, trusting that they will sort out between them who will be the Minister. It is possible that they came up with this idea of a Minister and a voluntary aide, which, when made public, met with strong disapproval.
Then a call from Castille “Marlene, wot the hack? I’m not taking any of this sh*t. If you do not understand this, unlike the European Parliament, I can provide you with simultaneous translation to Maltese.”
I meant Pieta’, Antoine.
Zzzzz.
Joseph Muscat has been busy delegating everything in sight, falsely assuming that by so doing he is ridding himself of responsibility for the inevitable collapse looming on the horizon.
Not long now before those chickens come home to roost.
First one up is that figures and projections in the November budget set to be approved next week are six months out of date, and so are irrelevant to current economic realities.
Factor in the evident ineptitude of most ministers, the visible drop in public trust in PL government, the now demoralised civil service, and the resultant hesitation in business investment, and Malta will be joining the EU dole queue behind Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, and France before the year is out.
How on earth is Joseph Muscat going to manage all these bits and pieces?
23 members of cabinet, their 23 volunteer spouses and other relatives, 23 Special Advisors, 16 (this 39 Labour MPs less 23 members of cabinet) Special Assistants, Chairpersons, Commissioners, the entire newroom of Super One – the list is endless and, gasp, it leaves me breathless…
Jozef, do it? A recurrent gut feeling shouldn’t be ignored.
True, there is no way of gauging the impact right now but as in the joke: in order to win a lottery you need to go half way and buy a ticket.
Individual small actions are invaluable and help pick up momentum.
Seclusion and retreat have cocooning benefits but contact, even one-way at the moment, cannot but help in the prodding.
I had this feeling recently too and did it – the spirit: constructive.
Communication would be facilitated if the NP appointed contact points specifically for this purpose.
My suggestion at this moment: Carm, Beppe and Jason working together on efficient processing and absorption of incoming communications.
I fully with you here, Daphne.
Opposition MPs should not accept any executive roles to serve the government. They are the OPPOSITION not the government.
Opposition MPs should not be subservient to the Prime Minister and his cabinet. They are the OPPOSITION, not his backbenchers.
The Opposition must fulfill its constitutional role within the framework of the separation of powers and maintain its independence from the government to scrutinise and challenge every important act of the government.
This is the service to the country that the electorate demands from them, and this service is surely going to be invaluable during this legislature of the Malta Taghna Biss government.
May I add that the Opposition has a duty to defend the interest of the minority who voted for it to represent them?
It not only has a negative duty to scrutinise the Government by remaining objective and separate, but a positive duty towards its voters.
OK he will put the thin end of the wedge by trying to appoint Robert Arrigo as CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority instead of Formosa Gauci.
And PN will then be well rid of ‘slow puncture’ Arrigo.
No it should not get rid of Arrigo.
Arrigo was elected on the PN ticket and should refuse to work for Labour. He has been elected to be the watchdog and if for example Muscat removes Formosa Gauci to put Robert , that would also be a political appointment.
Consulting Robert Arrigo on Tourism is another different kettle of fish altogether. If he is consulted on tourism, I would say “Why not? That’s not a hot seat where decissions are taken.”
Preferably he can criticise government on the subject from the opposition benches where he would show his expertise on the subject to the electorate.
Yeah but even non-turn coats voted Arrigo after all.
Why doesen’t Arrigo settle for consistent continued criticism of government instead?
He vouched for Gonzi during the campaign, given that ‘notwithstanding, he was the better leader of the better party’.
Not to be sarcastic, but can he criticise government.
Labour supporters and switchers will be quick to describe this move as showing that josephmuscatdotcom is ready to work with anybody but it is, in fact, a dangerous and populist attempt to silence the Opposition by rendering them collaborators and accomplices to whatever the Government does.
A totalitarian state can be created either by persecuting all opposition, which is what Mintoff tried to do, or by making the opposition part of the governing clique.
Yep. This would also put the front benchers of the Opposition look ridiculous when they criticise the behaviour of and within entities headed by PN backbenchers.
The head of a nation who comes out with the idea of inviting the opposition members to do the job for the party in government. Is the wisdom of a fool.This is only his start. Just wait and see. And yet, he will continue to get records with the number of seats in parliament. With the full trust from the happy go lucky Maltese people.
The PN really can’t afford to withdraw the party whip to any of its MPs as you are suggesting here. It only needs three of its MPs to vote with Labour for Muscat to have the 66% majority of seats he needs to do whatever he wants with the Constitution.
Talking about this now very real possibilty feels surreal.
[Daphne – Count those two-thirds (not 66%) again.]
There’s a court case which the PN is bound to win where the parliamentary majority gap will narrow to seven seats.
You’re right. It’s 6! But I’m still not comfortable with that number, particularly if we elect a softie to lead the party.
two-thirds is 66.6666666666666%
Two-thirds seems to be the Number of the Beast, concatenated. God help us all.
Let’s hope the new PN leader and Party whip will come down like a ton of bricks on any PN MP who is even thinking about not immediately repelling any approach from the PM.
The usual suspects – I have in mind primarily one who was elected on Sliema/Swieqi districts and who was too near the JPO/Debono/Mugliett cabal.
The PN is too much taken by the nominations for the party’s leadership race.
Even its portal, Maltarightnow, is really being too diplomatic in its approach to all this Muscat’s meddling with positions.
Beppe was right yesterday: he came out hard on the PL and that is what the PN should be doing.
Stop the moaning and the why-we-lost-the-election and get cracking. Do what you do best and criticise this PM who thinks that he can attract all and sundry to his dangerous skip movement.
The PN is now the official defender of the electorate that voted for it and for the Maltese people in general. Start by doing an effective protest in Parliament for the choice of speaker. Do not give in to the Muscatian “taghna lkoll” shit and accept the post of Deputy Speaker.
The reason why they lost the election is the same reason why Muscat is neutering any opposition: because people are afraid of Muscat or bought out by Muscat.
Muscat is playing the tried and trusted Divide and Rule tactic.
I only hope that the Nationalists wise up to it immediately. The sooner the leadership position is sorted, the better.
PN need to get sorted quickly and put this artificial and smug Prime Minister and his cronies on the backfoot.
One such egomaniac was elected on two districts. People seem to love a drama.
Just another drama-queen who wants to make a scene because he was not given “responsibility” by the previous Administration. It would have been better for him to remain the Sliema Mayor. Parliament is too big for his shoes.
I think that by writing certain thoughts about some MPs is not right at the moment because I haven’t heard any one accepting any positions with PL. Don’t run into certain decisions before they are made although I can understand you. BUT no good can be obtained by accusing before actions are taken. I hope I’m understood.
The opposition should fight and oppose the government at all costs as it is duty bound to do by the same mandate it has from its voters.
Should any of its members opt not to, then they should be fully aware of the significance of their behaviour, and how it will be read by those who voted for them.
It is very clear that Muscat is even more vicious than Mintoff was. He is trying to lure enough opposition members to secure a two-thirds majority to be able to change the Constitution.
Well it is partly because the press is not free anymore, or rather it is owned by the wrong people.
I have already abandoned the most widely-read daily as a result. Malta is a basket-case. I never feel safe when I am there.
The Police will also just become the political enforcers soon. Fortunately, the economic calamity which is about to hit Malta like a runaway train will affect the outcome of the 2018 election.
Malta is the next Cyprus and the changes at the helm of Bank of Valletta, coupled with all of the instability and amateurish (bordering on dictatorial) tendencies that are beginning to show through in this new ‘love all, include all, silence all’ government will not help build confidence in the markets.
Daphne, this is my rather calamitous prediction. Financial meltdown, followed by increased unemployment ranging between 10-15% and social unrest. This will in turn lead to a further loss of citizens’ rights which will then galvanise the ‘rimonta’ or resurgence of the PN.
Outrageous prediction? I’m not too sure.
BEGINNING to show through? Joseph Muscat is 39.
Careful what you wish for.
Mr. Dingli, I do not for a minute wish for this to happen. My wish would be that Malta does not regress and that the government shows itself as the most meritocratic, pluralist, liberal democratic, capable and forward-thinking that the world has ever seen.
However, the three weeks that we have had to endure of this unfolding quagmire has been enough for me to make a logical deduction.
Divide and rule is the game played by his strategist, beware.
sky blue, you are reading him well.
Should the nationalist MPs accept any roles that Joseph Muscat is trying to give them, that will be a great blow to the PN party. True Nationalists should be on the watchout for every single move the Prime Minister makes.
The Opposition has a great opportunity on its hand.
It should tell Muscat that if he wishes that members of the opposition work with him on a government programme, then he can form a coalition government with a coalition agreement, and that on this basis, they would seriously consider his offer.
We all know how he will react to that.
This is right out of a Harry Potter book. It’s like Voldermort is back and gathering his allies.
Everyone who was relieved to have the PN in power and not have to worry about Labour are now showing what true cowards they are by falling back into their past ways out of fear of that party.
Muscat taking more steps to turn Malta into a one-party state, and everyone is too scared to stop him.
The great majority of people voted for Malta taghna lkoll. This includes the opposition. Besides In the US and France, members of the opposition were given executive roles. Even in the preceding legislature, there was an opposition member on the MEPA board. A former PN MP is going to be retained as commissioner for children. Should not pre-electoral promises be implemented?
[Daphne – David, what are you on? “The great majority of people voted for Malta taghna lkoll. This includes the opposition.” The Opposition’s representative on the MEPA board is mandatory. It is a scrutinising role, not a ‘serve the government’ role.]
Oh good heavens David, get yourself a political science tutor. France and the US do not have an Opposition. That’s opposition with a capital O. The clue is in the shape of their parliament chambers – or the equivalent.
I fail to undestand what the shape of Parliament has to do with an Opposition.
[Daphne – Forgive me, David, but: SIGH. Government. Opposition. Two sides of the House. Oppositional politics. London. Valletta. Various other parliaments. In parliaments where there is no Oppositon, there aren’t two sides of the House. There is a sort of Greek theatre effect or variations on the same theme.]
What I said on “Malta taghna lkoll” means that this slogan was explained that persons of all political hues will collaborate with the new government. Now this does should not mean a grand coalition of sorts, without an opposition but that eg on state boards, no person should be excluded beacuse of his political views.
[Daphne – David, that no person should be excluded (or included, for that matter) because of his/her political views is exactly what we are saying here. But Opposition MPs are a different kettle of fish. It is not their political views which ‘exclude’ them, but their role in the Opposition, as distinct from their party membership.]
Actually, London and Valletta are the only two non-hemispherical parliaments in Europe. Let’s keep it that way.
There may be others outside Europe, but I’m no expert.
Hemispherical…bah, I meant semi-circular.
When two parties in parliament always agree, one of them is unnecessary.
No Government can long be secure without a formidable Opposition.
In a different context, Mintoff tried to do the same after the 1981 election. The PN boycotted parliament and Mintoff wanted to negotiate directly with the PN MPs behind the PN and Eddie Fenech Adami’s back. One such MP was Josie Muscat, who accepted to betray the team spirit and loyalty was immediately reprimanded by Fenech Adami and sidelined. I am not sure whether the whip was withdrawn at the time, but his political career finished there. In fact, he did not contest the subsequent general election.
Although Josie Muscat was a veteran MP and extremely popular in the 3rd district (I believe), Fenech Adami, who was fairly new as a leader at the time, tackled him heads on. Eddie won the admiration of many, and respect towards him grew exponentially form there onwards.
I strongly belive that one of the reasons Gonzi lost the last election (although it was definitely not the only reason) is that the fact that he was perceived as a weak leader, even though he was a good Prime Minister. People mistook his patience and endurance as a sort of weakness, whereas his appeasement towards the traitors was actually the worst action that Gonzi could take.
As much as I would like Simon Busuttil to become the new leader, certain of his recent actions could also be perceived as a sign of weakness, such as his approach towards JPO or Franco Debono before the election (if these rumours were true), and his meeting with Ivan Camilleri. If he becomes leader, I hope he draws a red line for the behavior of all PN executives and PN MPs. Accepting an executive role with the MLP government is a big no-no.
Apart from the obvious tactic of trying to divide the PN, those PN MPs who accept any executive roles will be the first scapegoats when things start to go bad on a national level (and things will start to go bad). The government will tactfully shift the blame to the PN by association with these executives.
Robert Arrigo, I’m looking at you. If you feel better with Labour, please feel free to switch sides and join Joseph’s skip. There is no place for you within the Opposition. You will not be missed.
Let us hope that the new PN leadership will be a strong opposition and not play some game that may have the looks of gentlemanly behaviour. I sincerely hope they will be protesting heavily on many outrageous decisions that this new Government has taken.
This is new
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-04-04/news/anti-pn-anti-islam-right-wing-party-launched-1322680326/
I wonder who the “founders” of the so-called-right-wing Party are
Muscat is imitating Mintoff but trying to outdo him on a much grander scale.
Mintoff induced the GWU to submit to a shotgun marriage of convenience so as to deprive the union of the right to raise a dissenting voice in its proper role as a defender of the workers.
Muscat is trying to outdo Mintoff by neutering the parliamentary opposition itself thus paving the way to a one-party state.
Here and now, the Nationalist Party, even before it selects a new leader, must make it clear that it won’t connive at the creation of a mock democracy with a one-party parliament.
A separate issue.
By any chance, are James Alexander Tyrrell and Eddy Privitera obsessed with you?
[Daphne – Yes, fixatedly so. Beneath my every column in The Malta Independent, there’s invariably a comment or five from them. They pounce, literally. Msieken.]
I imagine them waking up early on Thursday and Sunday mornings to be the first ones to post negative comments, whatever the subject of your column.
I cannot help but note that while Eddy Privitera is the epitome of all that represents Mintoffianism, his middle-aged children are anything but that. Being quite well off, they mix with the AB class crowd, speak English, drive flashy cars, and avoid displaying any MLP traits that their father endlessly pontifcates about on the internet.
I wonder whether he is locked up in his house, writing comments from dawn till dusk.
I sometimes wonder the same thing, the internet warrior.
Joseph Muscat is trying to create a dictatorship.
Opposition members of parliament who work for the government should be expelled from the Nationalist party.