Hermann Schiavone and Franco Debono

The subject of Franco Debono’s all-consuming obsession, Hermann Schiavone, has won a seat for the Nationalist Party on the fifth district, Debono’s former electoral turf.

He deserves it. In former general elections, the Nationalist Party bosses had asked Schiavone to stand quietly aside and not contest on his home constituency because Debono went hysterical at the mere suggestion.

Now Schiavone has what used to be Debono’s seat, which is a form of long-delayed poetic justice.

Meanwhile, Debono is busy posting on his Facebook wall what he claims are comments from Nationalist Party supporters urging him to stand for the party leadership. If they really are PN supporters, they must be heavily involved with the Labour Party or as bonkers as the man they claim to support.

Under the Westminister model which Malta uses, the party leader is also the Prime Minister or the Opposition leader, and to be either of those two things, both of which are Constitutional roles, you have got to have a seat in parliament.

Franco Debono does not have a seat in parliament. Even in the remote chance that he is elected by the Nationalist Party, he needs Simon Busuttil to give him his seat. And I can’t see that happening any time soon.

But really, anyway – what a nutty idea. Maybe he’s planning on canvassing with his Form 2C report and his celebrations with Labour supporters in 2013.

Hermann Schiavone