Facebook group calling for Franco Debono’s resignation
Published:
January 7, 2012 at 9:38pm
There’s a Facebook group which is calling for Franco Debono’s resignation from parliament. Super One ran a news item on it this evening, using the usual shocked tones to tell us that ‘even Nationalist MPs’ have joined it.
Then I opened my email and found that some kind soul had sent me a screen shot of some other members of this Facebook group:
Labour MP Michael Falzon
KullHadd (that’s the Labour Party’s newspaper) reporter Krista Caruana
Torca editor Aleks Farrugia
Ekonomista (with only a BA General in the subject, if you please) and Labour candidate Joe Vella Bonnici
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Earlier tonight, Franco Debono told Bla Agenda presenter Norman Hamilton on Super One that he handed in his resignation to the Nationalist Party two days ago.
“I couldn’t take it anymore and I resigned,” he said.
Visited the FB site and found this link from MaltaToday – it says Franco resigned from the PN:
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Franco-Debono-I-resigned-from-the-PN-201217#.Twim_2Yw2Ls.facebook
Not to quote Anglu Farrugia, but, for the record, being a member of a Facebook group does not indicate you support it, but that you intend to comment about the theme, for or against it. Yes it’s an anomaly in Facebook. But that’s all.
He said he sent his resignation four months ago but the PN did not accept it.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120107/local/franco-debono-resigns-from-the-pn.401380
You really have no idea how Facebook works. Unfortunately anyone can add you to a group without your consent even if you don’t agree with the group’s content as long as it is an open group.
Now please tell us about the Closed Group created by Peter Darmanin (Ex Assistant Secretary General and Treasurer) calling for Franco Debono’s resignation from parliament. Note this is a CLOSED group. i.e. Peter himself had to invite friends on his list into this group.
Special guests:
David Darmanin – son of Peter Darmanin
Janice Darmanin – daughter of Peter Darmanin
Michael Gonzi – no comment :D
Having heard the said news item on One, I think that it is amply clear that the whole point of this post is that if the whizz kids at One News took the trouble to go through the members of the group to find PN MPs and the like, they should have also checked who from their side was in it too.
And while they were at it they should have also scribbled a quick explanation about how Facebook groups work to prove that their story was an empty vessel from the outset. Maybe you can help them out with that.
Church and party media is there to feed drivel to the loyalists. The ‘news’ published is designed to reassure the audience in their allegiance.
That audience is only looking for confirmation of its point of view, not to learn anything new. They feel threatened and retreat further into a fantasy world.
You have to see the misinformation peddled on Fox News to the white conservative bible-belt poor. It would be illegal here. From misrepresenting Republicans embroiled in sex scandals as being democrats to altering the mug shots of liberals to look ugly, to the ridiculous spin that seems to be acceptable here but morally reprehensible.
And also Aaaaaaron Farrugia….and Joan Agius MLP Deputy Mayor of Zejtun etc.Tghid min ghaddilhom l-iskrin xotts lil tas-SUPER One?
I only wish that someone will talk to him and ask him what is he trying to do.
When you are in a group you always have to obey the orders of the leader, otherwise what is the leader there for?
If he does not like the leader the only thing to do is to quit. Others should not do what he wants. I hope that his voters will express their feelings.
There’s also Mastru Elve himself: Aaron Farrugia.
This mock-up picture is hilarious – http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=292783404106401&set=o.304882406220483&type=1&theater
I heard Franco Debono on ONE tonight and Lawrence Gonzi on Dissett as well.
I think the PM spoke very well. He was firm and responsible.
Nevertheless I will not join the ridiculous bandwagon against Franco Debono either. He is not as dumb as many may think and whilst I agree he is pulling these tantrums because he wanted to be minister then again I have to agree with his salient points of criticism which are:
[Daphne – I’m going to have to interrupt here. Nobody is saying he’s dumb. We are saying he’s nuts. It is quite possible to be highly intelligent (which he is not, in any case) and be psychologically unsound. Some of the craziest people in history had a higher than average IQ. They were still nuts and entrusted with responsible positions, they wreaked havoc on others, or themselves.]
1. Constitutional reform which this country desperately needs.
2. The dire state of our prison in Kordin.
3. The pitiful situation at our law courts.
4. The lack of backing the party gave him when unfairly attacked by another prospective candidate.
5. The failure of the PM to vote according to the will of the people in the divorce vote in parliament.
6. The lack of the sense of political responsibility of certain ministers.
7. The ridiculous u-turn on the ministerial honoraria. A farse in everyones view!
If Lawrence Gonzi really wants the good of the nation he should step aside and nominate an alternative leader from within the PN and he and Debono should both go!
We cannot slam Franco Debono before we go through these points one by one. Lacking to do so won’t win us any votes but will continue to deteriorate our popularity selling cheap votes to the opposition. Let’s regroup and re think before handing over the country to Labour. Franco Debono is not the only one doing it here but the PM is with his attachment to power and his incapacity of distinguishing party matters to those of the state.
Nominate another PN prime minister with the deal that both Franco and Gonzi make way. Want to make a bet this would work out?
You can’t be serious! You’re condoning a back-bencher blackmailing the Prime Minister and the Nationalist Party, without whom and which, he’d be a complete nobody.
The man has completely lost any legitimacy to represent anyone apart from himself. You can never negotiate with terrorists. You believe him when he says that he will accept anyone else as Prime Minister? Can’t you see that that is the job he was really after?
The man knows he’s finished, politically and professionally (who’s going to trust him?). He’s a cornered rat who’s ready to wreak as much havoc as possible before going down. He’s past any reasoning.
His behaviour is completely unacceptable and indefensible.
@Not Tonight – both Franco and Lawrence Gonzi would have to be dropped for this to work out.
Ruthless actions are required to salvage this situation and hopefully win another election.
This is not to say that the PM has not been leading the country properly but unfortunately he’s embroiled in this ugly matter with Franco now and that’s what’s imprinted in the people’s minds out there.
Very well said @tonight.
I just heard Franco Debone on super one ” Lejn il kungress with Miriam Dalli and one and there was some thing that really hit me. He said that Gonzi has no credit because he is now losing his parliamentary members.
My God a Lawyer with all that school and no logic. Doesn’t he know that the parliamentary members are there because PN voted for them. Why don`t he try it again and find out how much votes he will get.
Franco will find his answer for sure. He really lost his credit and dignity and now it seems that he likes to be the center of attraction. I think Franco never lived his life under the Labour power.
I was Labour and I was proud. But I was raised MLP to what my parents use to tell me.
I admit that I have seen the Labour for six Golden years under MLP but than OMG how they changed from Socialist to communist. Unbelievable that he would never have the right to talk and complain cause he would have been vanish from the earth. with all his school and ever thing he really never seen the big change of a real democracy. Some people forget but I am sorry I don`t.
I agree with you on the issues but this is politics in a DEMOcracy. It’s the civilised way of doing civil war. It requires compromise and eternal negotiating unless you want to violently pummel those opposing you. Sometimes you threaten and get noisy and maybe a bit nasty but only to bring change on the issues you feel are important. I was behind him on the issues and backed him till the end. After all this is the end of his political career we’re speaking of.
At this point I understand that he’s only interested in personal advancement, not in the issues. I haven’t yet read any detailed explanations from him, so I might be wrong.
If it’s so, then I want his head on a plate (figuratively speaking). He should have the sound mind to understand that his credibility with thinking voters (all of them, especially those not grafted onto any party) is shot beyond repair. I got into ridiculous arguments with friends defending him on the issues.
Bringing about change, especially on social and progressive issues or issues that require a deep understanding of the subject is very difficult. Putting his personal interests first by hijacking the issues makes him an enemy of change. Worst than the blinkered conservative or the entitled ‘barons’ enjoying the breeze on Mount Olympus.
I’ll repeat it here: politics is about moving society forward—together.
Celebrity politicians can help bring change on difficult issues due to how the human brain is wired. Putting personal interests before the issues is a Capital Sin. For example JPO redeemed his legacy with the divorce issue.
I hope the situation can be salvaged.
I agree with your last sentence Anthony. Joseph is having government handed to him on a silver plate by Franco, without him having done anything these last four years, except look pretty. At least we should attempt to give him a run for his money.
If you are taking bets, I would like to place my mine: I agree with what you say.
Franco Debono had some good points but his approach was puerile and motivated by his strong desire to become a minister.
If he was more mature, he could have gained many points by presenting his ideas properly but he didn’t and politically, Franco is finished. And the blame is all his.
Yes, he had some good points but he wanted to go up to the top of the ladder skipping all the steps. That’s not the way.
It is a pity for Franco who had such a good opportunity to go step by step to the top and just lose it for his personal believes.
He is not needed any more with the PN. Maybe he should join the LP because he is negative like them.
There is also one asking for the PM’s resignation. Although I am not quite sure why. The man has managed an internal problem very well and stopped it from becoming a national catastrophe.
Some people are under the impression that the best way to change things is to just snap your fingers, since apparently that’s all it takes.
If you want change to be effective and more importantly permanent then it must be done carefully, respectfully and more importantly with all the paperwork done and the law followed to the letter.
The world is being hit by all the austerity measures put into force by their governments.
Times are tougher than they have ever been for our generation all over Europe. To whether this storm that is about to hit us we need firm and sound leadership, something I have no reason to believe the PL or the likes of Mr Debono are capable of.
When I came back to Malta for the holidays I came back to a country where people seemed to be bobbing along as though anything that goes on outside of our borders has nothing to do with them.
It does- and it is a reality that we must be prepared to face head on and stop all this “you’re the dictator not us” bullying that the PL seems to thrive on.
Apart from it being a load of rubbish, it is causing a lot of needless problems at a time when the country is about to face it’s toughest time since the 80s.
We have all been lulled into a deep sleep, the price one pays when things are going well, and we’re about to be given a very rude awakening.
MInd you Edward…..The internal problem was all about Gonzi so it was up to no one but him to manage it. And please don’t speak too early. I guess the ‘national catastrophe’ is yet to come, and I don’t consider a dissolution of Parliament as such, but only as what is ideal at these times when Gonzi can’t even control his own members….I am aware of the international problems and these won’t help if an election is to come, which would obviously create some form of instability, but mind you; Do you think, next year, we would be any better globally (economically). Statistics are showing we would be worse, so why not, an early election.
I disagree. This is all about Mr Debono wanting more and not getting it. He’s being a big baby and everyone can see that.
Gonzi cannot “control” his members. He is not their minder.
They are all adults who are free to make their own choices.
All Gonzi can and has done is protect the country from people like Dr Debono and he did it very well.
It’s not just about having an early election that would bring instability at a time when we need stability most.
It’s also about the very likely prospect that the PL would end up winning, giving Malta the most unqualified cabinet in Europe at a time when we need solid minds in office.
“…Gonzi can’t even control his own members..”
What do you think Gonzi has been doing for the last three and a half years? Do you think for one moment that the Debono saga has just happened in the last few weeks?
Gonzi has been managing his Party affairs on top of managing Malta’s problems throughout the world recession, managed the Libyan crisis textbook style, created jobs, saved jobs, avoided tax increases and wage freezes or worse, increased expenditures in Health and Education and so on.
You call that lack of management? How does one manage a nut case short of calling a padded wagon with white clad men inside? Unfortunately that would be outside the remit of our Prime Minister.
So we shall leave Debono’s fate into the hands of the Party and Debono’s constituents who, by now, have realized that the choice of Franco over Louis was their biggest mistake ever.
Joseph Muscat is missing another opportunity to be a decent person and avoid revealing his true self – a shallow and unethical persona.
A couple of years ago, he took advantage of a PN MP who was being treated for depression.
His shallowness has no limits. I feel that Muscat is playing with fire this time round.
Does the C after the Class II on the precious report mean something?
No. The classes in St Aloysious are not formed with A students in A class, B students in B class etc.
The message Professor Henry Frendo gave him, “this time you failed and there is no option but to resign”, says it all.
Lil dan, lanqas gos-skip ta’ Joey ma jaccettawh meta jittellaq il-barra mil-PN.
I wish him better success in his professional career.
Debono, jekk vera rrizenja mil-PN, ghamel hekk qabel ikeccuh.
DEBONO should resign and stop causing any more problems for the country.
http://www.facebook.com/search/results.php?q=franco%20debono&init=quick&tas=search_preload&search_first_focus=1326052348730#!/groups/304882406220483/
Dear Franco,
My family and I voted for you in the last election. That’s five votes! We did not vote for you to make trouble to the government.
Please resign your seat! We assure you that we will never vote for you again…..never!
That is true. You are not going to be the first five voters not to vote for him. I believe that 80% of those who voted for him don`t even want to look at him.
He is living his own personal life. He has became a disgrace. He has lost control and all we with pn believes he his not making any good sense. He should resign as soon as possible because he just put his great ideas all to the drain.
I could not believe that such a good lawyer could become so stupid to have others pulling his legs and use him just to make headlines. His first mistake for me is going against Mifsud Bonnici family.
He really don`t know how kind and handsome and always ready to help no matter the color you have. That’s the first big mistake he had just done to let others use him.