We’re so liberal and progressive that we don’t even permit demonstrations by civilised young people in suits
About an hour ago, around 50 civilised young people (the demographics in the Nationalist Party are very different to those in the Labour Party, which can sometimes work to their disadvantage) tried to gather outside parliament to protest against the sale of Maltese citizenship.
Some of them came straight from work and were still wearing suits. Others wore an ironic mockery of the face make-up and carried placards used by the Labour Party in its electoral campaign.
They were kept off the square and prevented from speaking to members of parliament directly or standing outside the door to the palace.
You know, because they were clearly armed with grenades, rotten eggs and perhaps the odd pistol.
One policeman said that they had ‘orders from above’ – a ridiculous assertion because orders, by definition, are always from a superior authority, otherwise they would be requests for favours.
They were told they were breaking the law. This was a mistake to make when more than a few of them are lawyers. They asked which law they were breaking, chapter and verse. Then the police had to allow them onto the square.
Times of Malta reports:
One of the demonstrators told Dr Muscat that his father was denied Maltese citizenship in Dom Mintoff’s time and it was only after the election of Eddie Fenech Adami that he was given citizenship.
Dr Muscat told the young man he was sorry for his experience but his Government wanted to give citizenship to more people.
The young man argued that citizenship should not be sold.
Dr Muscat asked him if his meant that foreigners who married Maltese spouses should not be given citizenship.
The young man answered that this was a different argument.
Are his false logic and non sequiturs deliberate, do you think, or does he deploy these devices to give his illogical followers more illogical arguments to repeat like children do?
Protestor: ‘Citizenship should not be sold.’
Prime Minister: ‘So don’t you want foreigners married to Maltese to be given citizenship then?’
The mother of all non sequiturs – a total collapse of logic. The Citizenship Act as it stands is not being repealed. The sale of citizenship is something else. People who are enabled under the current law to apply for citizenship will still be able to do so without paying for it, yet Muscat is making it seem as though Americans and South Africans who are married to Maltese will now have to pay Eur650,000 for a Maltese passport too.
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http://www.facebook.com/maltaisnotforsale
There’s Miriam Dalli with her TX on ONE, program started ca.5.00pm.
It’s her day off.
What happened to freedom of assembly? How is it legal that the police moved them away?
Citizenship is a right. Some English married to Maltese for years only got it when Eddie Fenech Adami made it possible, my mother took her 40 years to finally vote in a country when was married and lived in for that long.
Our “in depth” Prime Minister does not know that you need five years of marriage before you can apply for Maltese citizenship.
And we know we owe our thanks to the Nationalist Party for this measure.
If the latter had not introduced citizenship by marriage you can be sure that Joey Muscat would have put a price on it….and got Henley to handle the cash side.
Muscat does not differentiate between “giving” and “selling” (citizenship in this case) because for him only ‘selling’ exists. Muscat, the salesman, believes that everybody and everything has a price rather than a value.
Think of those who ‘sold’ themselves on his billboards, under the igloo, in the secret meetings prior to the elections, etc. He bought them for a price which he (sorry, we) are paying dearly.
The whole “Malta taghna lkoll” has a new meaning now. It was not only meant for the Maltese, as in “Malta tal-Maltin kollha”.
It was a “Malta ta’ kulhadd… (ghal-flus)”. The word lkoll was not specific and everyone assumed Muscat was referring to the former.
Non-EU citizens married to Maltese nationals do not buy their citizenship. That’s the whole point. And their identities aren’t shrouded in anonymity, either.
Just read Marlene Farrugia’s comments on not feeling comfortable voting in favour of the citizenship amendments. Yet, she goes on, she trusts in the Prime Minister and will vote in favour.
Very honourable, Marlene. You’d have made a great defendant at the Nuremberg trials.
This thought process is worse than actually believing in the scheme and voting in favour. Toeing the party line, are we?
I wonder if Marlene Farrugia and most other Labour MPs knew about the plans to sell passports, before 9th March?
[Daphne – Of course not. The great leaders couldn’t afford to have them revolt or worse, blab.]
The Red Dragon would have sworn the PL leaders to secrecy.
I dread to think what the pound of flesh we owe China fully consists of. What part of our collective body are they going to cut it out from? Maybe they will just take the soul – that at least would not bother the socialists.
It will certainly bother our natural Liberal partners to the north, not to mention the USA whom Muscat has already started to rile with bitchy comments about ‘snooping’.
Araw kif ergajna spiccajna.
Tal-biki.
http://business-investor-immigration.com/malta-citizenship/
Have you seen this one?
Here’s anther, and it gives a much more honest assessment of he due diligence process.
http://ctrustglobal.com/inner.php?mmid=80
This is scary. So although ‘criminals’ would not make it under the ‘strictest’ due diligence rules, if Identity Malta or the Minister for Home Affairs believes that there are ‘special circumstances’ then the ‘strict due diligence’ can be thrown to the winds.
Is Aisha Gaddafi a criminal? Will she be granted Maltese citizenship?
Yep. That’s about it. How likely is it that Manuel Mallia will turn more than one blind eye?
Ghall-Joseph Muscat il-budget irid bilfors jew joghgbok kollu jew ma joghgbokx kollu.
Nahseb kulhadd sab xi haga li qabel maghha u xi haga ohra li ma ghogbitux. Jien personalment ghogobni li se jrahhas taxxa fuq l-income tax u l-kontijiet tad-dawl u l-ilma.
M’ghogobnix l-fatt li se jgholli l-licenzji tal-karozzi u li se jbiegh il-passaporti. Bhali nahseb hawn hafna mhux Simon biss.
Was that St George Square or was it a miniature copy of Tiananmen?
The right to freedom of peaceful assembly is a fundamental human right. Any restriction of that right would be a harbinger of a return to the MLP mentality exhibited deplorably and violently by the police in collusion with criminals at Tal-Barrani.
Is this a “new” Labour Party or is “the same mixture as before”?
I was denied Maltese citizenship in Mintoff’s time. I was born in England of a English father and Maltese mother, and consequently had British citizenship.
When I was six, my parents separated and my mother returned to live in Malta with my sister (born in America and an American citizen) and me. Fast forward to when I turned eighteen. By that time, I had learnt to speak, read and write in Maltese, had passed both my Maltese O level and Maltese Matric and been accepted into University.
At that time, I thought my future was going to be in Malta and in order to live and work there I needed to apply for Maltese citizenship. In 1976, I submitted all the necessary paperwork and waited for it to be approved. A year went by with no response. I went back to the office in charge of such affairs to see what had happened to my application.
I was told that it needed to be approved and signed by the prime minister, Dom Mintoff. I asked what was taking him so long as it had already been a year since I had applied for Maltese citizenship. I was told that Prime Minister was a busy man and there was nothing that could be done to speed it up.
So now it is 1978 and I am actively involved in all the University protests against the Student Worker Scheme which the Labour government planned to enforce on the University. Two years have gone by and my application for Maltese citizenship is still in limbo.
I turned 21 years old and had to have my passport stamped every six months to continue living in Malta. My poor mother was constantly worried that I was going to be deported.
In 1979, my English father who was living in America and was now an American citizen, was able to sponsor me for a permanent residence visa and I left Malta for America.
So even though my mother was a Maltese citizen, I had lived in Malta from the age of six to 21, spoke, read and wrote Maltese, I was never given Maltese citizenship.
Did the fact that my family supported the Nationalist Party and that I was actively involved in protests against the Labour Party play a part in that decision? You be the judge of that.
Muscat is clearly clutching to straws. He will better off shutting up and keeping to his party’s hidden agenda. How can he compare nationality obtained through marriage, five years after the event, and the sale of a passport with no strings attached.
In the meantime, Marlene Farrugia’s explanation of her vote in favour of the citizenship sale is remarkably similar to the Nuremberg defence.
If this government wanted to make money what didn’t they come out with a better option .Sell residency for the same Price ,But selling my citizenship is the most disgusting act of our NATION .
MALTA LEWWEL U QABEL KOLLOX.
It’s on. Good.
Dr Joseph Muscat is on the fast track to join the list of those who rode the crest of the wave of “popularity” to become head of government in their country.
That distinguished list includes names like Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Muammar Ghaddafi, Chairman Mao, Saddam Hussein, Nikolai Ceaucescu, Josef Stalin, Robert Mugabe, Hosni Mubarak, Muammar Gaddafi, Dominic Mintoff (all men, I wonder why).
But before starting to celebrate his nomination to that group, it would be wise to reflect on their end rather than their beginning.
Whether in their own life-time or shortly after their demise they were hated, cursed and vilified. Their statues were ignominiously pulled down. One had to hide in a hole in the ground before being captured and executed. Another sought refuge in a disused water drain.
Others were summarily executed, ridiculed by the people whom they had bullied and intimidated for many years. One of them – our own – ended up embalmed in a coffin being raced around in the August heat like a circus curiosity and then exposed for crowds of morbid spectators to stare at, which would have killed him had he not been dead already.
Sic transit Gloria mundi.
“Popularity”, especially if bought with cash or favours, is a very fickle thing. It is a palace built of straw. It takes just a tiny spark to bring it down to less than nothing.
How can citizenship obtained through marriage to a Maltese citizen for a fee which is reasonable for the service rendered, be compared to citizenship sold to a person, who need not have any connection with Malta, for a sum of thousands of €uros?
This is what prime minister Muscat should have been asked.
I would not be surprised if now Muscat’s government changes the law yet again, to make passports to children and grandchildren of Maltese people, and those married to Maltese, only available against payment.
Now all it would take for the opposition to accept this scheme is for government to make but a few minor changes. Tweak the scheme to make it more binding on the applicants and all in all, more transparent. I have little doubts that an amended scheme would still generate significant interest and in seeking consensus between government and the opposition, it could be a real moneymaker by bringing in foreign direct investment as well as helping to boost the economy, through more binding and onerous requirements.
However, the big shadow over this scheme is cast by the very way government has sprung it on the public, its method of implement the scheme and a general failure to take note of some valid suggestions that would enrich said scheme, making it acceptable to both parties.
I am not as much against the concept itself as I am against the lack of obligations imposed on applicants, the opacity of the scheme itself and the manner in which the involvement of a shady concessionaire as opposed to our financial service providers.
Yet much do I fear that that a potentially good idea has been politicised beyond necessity by both parties, but in particular, by the the obstinacy of a government that makes the whole scheme reek of ulterior motives.
A prime Minister who cannot differentiate between granting a passport to somebody married to a Maltese, and selling a passport to somebody for cash.
He can. It suits him not to.
The prime minister has no idea what he is talking about on the subject of citizenship and investment. As usual, he is bluffing and waffling.
He is confusing the process of naturalisation with the immediate power of money. And he is confusing immigrant investment programs with outright sale of citizenship.
The man has no principles, and therefore cannot understand the principles underlying citizenship and the related constitutional rights which naturalisation and citizenship confer.
With his unsustainable electoral promises, including that one about water and electricity tariffs, he has brought the country to the financial precipice. Let’s not underestimate that while he says that Enemalta is bankrupt, he is guaranteeing the Electrogas consortium the payment of the capital expenditure of Euro 370 million for a power station that Malta does not need, and then he is burdening Enemalta with an 18-year commitment to purchase power at prices which are not guaranteed or determined.
In parliament, he said that he was not talking about a bailout.
The Citizenship Sale and Prostitution Scam is no more than a financial bailout of Malta.
Forsi l-pulizija raw il-jeep tat-Toto kif kien ikun hemm fit-80ijiet.
Daqs dawn kienu prudenti.
There were many highlights in Joseph Muscat’s speech in parliament today, some of them being:
1. The tax on dividends. Did anyone – I mean anyone – understand what he said about that? He had no clue what he was talking about. In my view, neither Joseph Muscat nor Edward Sigg Luna have any idea how what they are proposing will work in practice.
2. The highest rate of tax. Muscat spoke about lowering the highest rate of tax. Did the Finance Minister lower the highest tax rate from 35%?
3. The Dalli report on healthcare. Muscat tried to invite the opposition to become an accomplice with him in his attempt to create another confrontation with the professionals who work in the sector which is intended to privatise the sector. Watch out for the new private interests in this sector.
4. The increase in the excise tax on petrol. This alone pays for the decrease in the water and electricity bills. Muscat is deceiving the public when it says that it has kept the price of petrol and diesel stable, when in fact it has negotiated lower prices with the suppliers. This is actually a robbery – unfair trading – since any savings achieved by the government must be passed to consumers. To justify its act legally, the government converted the savings into an excise tax.
5. The advice of the Attorney General about the Maltese Passport Sale and Prostitution Scheme. The prime minister read out the essence of the advice, which consists of a couple of lines which give the personal opinion of the AG without any reference to any foreign constitutional authority (e.g. a court of human rights) and no reference to case law, and without any decent analysis and assessment of possible different outcomes. (The prime minister was challenged to publish the AG’s advice about the John Dalli case, but he did not meet that challenge).
The PM’s speech was a litany of inconsistent arguments. Such as his attempt to attribute the MEPA decision on the Mistra Village case to the actions of the previous government. Then, in other parts, he boasts how he is overturning decisions taken by the previous administration without any fear.
This should call for a major protest, bigger and stronger. There is no other way when this country is being run by an arrogant Prime Minister and his party.
If they kept this out of their electoral manifesto, imagine what other surprises there are in hold for us.
If the people (and I don’t mean the gullible and the double-faced-opportunistic-switchers) will let this go by, then Dr. Muscat can do anything. He will be unstoppable and the Ghost-of-Mintoff-Past will come back to haunt us.
Hold your horses Manuel. Dr Muscat is the elected Prime Minister of Malta and enjoys a massive parliamentary majority, and in our parliamentary democracy that means he can do just about anything as long as it is does not violate the constitution.
The fact he is a horrid and sinister individual changes nothing of the above. Voters should have seen that before the elections, like I did. At this point he is already “unstoppable”.
While it is our right to voice an opinion he has the right to govern and legislate as he sees fit, and there is little else you and I can do but wait for the opportunity to vote him out.
Agreed. Still, even if he enjoys a “massive parliamentary majority” does not give him the right to tread upon us as he wishes. Hence, the people will always be justified to protest even against a Government elected democratically.
Does he have the right to implement what was not mandated for?
If we previously had hoodwinking by billboard, we are now at the stage of hoodwinking by Parliamentary decision.
No outward violence. Taht Manwel kollox bil-pulit.
Manipulation of the worst criminal sort: legal loopholes mismatched with the moral comportment of a nation.
Daphne, I took part in that silent protest and I can vouch that Joseph Muscat was very arrogant especially with my colleague mentioned above.
Please let me type this in caps: MUSCAT WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. His facial expressions and the manner he talked, and what he said betrayed him.
I can guarantee you that what happened today is the beginning of what is called the ‘snow ball’ effect.
As a demonstrator I can fully attest to this. The Prime Minister’s intimidating tone of voice and body language gave him away.
You know, ‘Tridu tgħiduli xi ħaġa?’, ‘Għiduli’ in that appallingly thuggish manner you’d sooner expect at some każin or village square.
His true colours really stood out this evening, but I fear this is just the beginning.
Several Labour voters have already scrambled to vilify not only this silent protest, but the demonstrators themselves; which calls to mind another logical fallacy all too common amongst the red demographic: ad hominem.
Somehow Muscat always looks very uncomfortable.
http://markanthonysammut.blogspot.com/2013/11/l-ahhar-appell-lid-deputati.html
Bdielek l-inkwiet Muscat.
http://amandala.com.bz/news/desperate-sell-birthright-passports/
Everyone should read this. In a few years we could be writing the same article about Malta.
Yana Mintoff Bland,
Please note the lack of egg tossing.
They did not throw horse manure, either.
They should have.
Do you agree with selling Malta’s citizenship?
5 quick questions: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8BFJVY9
Please complete and circulate.
Malta is for sale. Anybody outside of Europe can now become a Maltese citizen if they have €650,000. That is how ‘talent’ is judged. Not by open competition, not by free trade. But by money.
– No, you do not need to pass a language test as required in Belgium.
– No, you do not need to form office and provide employment as required in Belgium.
– No, you do not have to have lived in the country for 3 years as required in Belgium, or 5 years in Portugal.
In fact, you do not even have to be in the country. You just have to be rich, and anonymous – identity protected by the “liberal” government.
– No, we did not learn from the Canadians after a number of abuses were uncovered.
– No, we do not know the criteria for ‘due diligence’, whereas they are public in democratic and transparent countries like Canada.
– No, would-be citizens do not have to spend 2/5 years in the country to maintain their citizenship as required in Canada.
In fact the only European country to grant automatic citizenship upon a one-time donation is Austria, which however demands a €10m investment, and not a puny €650,000.
Oh, actually there’s another (non-European) country, St Kitts & Nevis – in the Caribbean – one of the nations that France has blacklisted as an offshore tax haven. I’m looking forward to how our trading partners will look onto us now. The Chamber of Commerce has already voiced its heavy concerns.
The people, judging by historically accurate surveys, have said ‘No’. In fact only only 26% agree with award of citizenship to foreigners paying €650,000. But thanks to our “progressive and liberal” government – who has decided to pass a law that was not part of the electoral mandate and should therefore be passed on to the people in the form of a referendum, this law is now set in stone, as of today.
In the process, the Government has used the police force to try and intimidate a few youngsters who showed up in a quiet line with posters to voice an appeal to the government.
We now have a pimp Government.
A fascist pimp – for rich kerb crawlers.
Double thumbs up for the Anonymous masks.
It would have made more of an effect if everyone was wearing them to underline the secrecy aspect to this horrible travesty of democracy.
I suggest that future protests take up this symbol.
Who knows, it may even spur an #Anonymous Ops investigation into the many links of Shiv Nair, the dealings of Dalli, the MOU between Joseph Muscat’s Labour Party and China, the Gasol Plc Gattopardi, their Scientologist Chairman Lukman etc.