Words have precise meanings for lawyers, to whom ‘general impressions’ do not count, because in a court of law they don’t
On timesofmalta.com:
(Joseph Muscat) noted that Nationalist MP Franco Debono had said he would not back the government in parliament and would vote against it in a confidence vote. He had also said he would not support the government on the Budget Measures Implementation Bill.
Franco Debono did not say that he will vote against the government. He said that he will not support the government. Those are two different things.
When he says he will not support the government, he means he will abstain.
If he planned to vote against, then he would have said so specifically, but he wouldn’t even answer a question about that. The fact that he wouldn’t answer with a straight ‘Yes, I will vote against the government’ means that he plans to abstain but wants to keep everyone on tenterhooks to feel powerful.
This is what he himself has described as ‘inzid id-doza’.
There has been a pattern to his behaviour over the last few months, and those who think otherwise should sit down, clear their minds and map it out.
Debono is first and foremost a criminal lawyer, and like many of his kind (and other types of lawyers too), he chooses his words for their precise meaning so that he can contradict you afterwards about exactly what it was he said or did.
The newspapers are reporting that he said he would vote against the government. But he did not say that. That is the newspapers’ interpretation of his declaration that he will not support the government.
Debono, who is very quick usually to ring the newspapers and set them straight, is not doing so in this case because this is what he wants us to think he might do: vote against the government. He is enjoying the panic it is causing.
But should the situation warrant it in his view, he will say “Jien ma ghidtx hekk. Fejn qatt ghidt li se nivvota kontra l-gvern?” And in a court of law, he would be correct.
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I wish that this would be the case … but I hardly think so Daphne! When interviewed by a Super One guy (can’t remember his name) he clearly stated that if Labour proposes a no-confidence motion, he will vote in favour.
[Daphne – Did you watch this yourself and do you have a recording?]
I’m afraid David is right. He said it in the phone interview taken by Brandon Pisani on Friday afternoon.
Go to 1:15 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ihu-8UKR_9k
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120110/local/debono-will-not-back-government-in-key-budget-implimentation-bill.401823
This could all be wishful thinking on our part or else he is leaving the door ajar for reconciliation.
Let’s hope for the best.
sound clip at;
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Cabinet-reshuffle-Gonzi-cuts-ministers-pays-with-honoraria-cut-201216
and
http://www.maltastar.com/pages/r1/ms10dart.asp?a=19057
David, as you correctly said, that was about a “no-confidence” vote. I understood Daphne to be referring to the vote on budget-implementation, which I think Dr Debono will refrain from attending.
This brinkmanship comes at a cost. Even when talking to Bondi, he said the same thing and had to explain the difference between Bondi’s assertions and what he actually said and did in the previous instance when he abstained in one and supported the other. Yes, he is being precise and pedantic (still correct I readily add) without being in any way sesquipedalian or jargonistic , therefore not too difficult to see where he’s coming from… in my opinion, as always.
Just to clarify: the question was not with regard to a no-confidence motion presented by Labour, but with regard to a confidence motion. However his answer is crystal clear, i.e. he will vote against it. Damn … I thought you were right for a split second!
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Cabinet-reshuffle-Gonzi-cuts-ministers-pays-with-honoraria-cut-201216
Go to 1:16 onwards.
Super One: “Franco, jekk jintalab vot ta’ fiducja fil-Gvern, kif tivvota?”
FD: “Kontrih…”
On the other hand Radio 101 just played Freddie Portelli’s Mur u Hallini. Good to see there is still some sense of humour around.
Which is similar to his apparent contradiction that he resigned from the party yet still expects to run on the party ticket, pending the leader’s removal.
According to him it’s up to the party to accept his resignation, leaving him enough space to maneouver, saying he wasn’t wanted anymore.
As for the no-confidence motion by the opposition, he placed his bets on Joseph pulling out. One wonders who could have passed on the hint.
Joseph cannot afford to lose, not when his election was at the expense of the party’s expiation.
A character like him, if he were reading this and if in fact his intention was to abstain as you surmise, could possibly vote against just to show that he does not fire “blanks” – just to prove you and anyone else who is coming to a similar conclusion (that may include myself) wrong.
After all, changing his position at short notice is something he is very good at.
The only thing that would counter this would be the ovveriding desire to ultimately come across as a “good guy” a “tifel biezel” by doing the right thing, but not only, the smug satisfaction of superiority from being in a position to “forgive” Gonzi and permit the Government to run its course.
Il mazz f’idu, as one would say, and he is relishing every moment, but going down on the wrong side of history is not something he will want to be known for, because it would be the ultimate achievement to completely negate all the previous ones that he is so proud of.
Not only, but at this point in time he is probably allowing Joseph Muscat to rub his hands gleefully at the prospect of an early election, and will derive incredible satisfaction at blowing his hopes.
Franco himself – his ego and his persona – has a lot to gain by abstaining, and everything to lose by voting against, and I’m sure he knows it. He’s just saving it all for the closing address to the jury.
Your assessment re. “inzid id-doza” is spot on.
I stand to be corrected, but last Monday Joe Grima asked Franco Debono about five or six times in quick succession whether he would bring down the government.(“twaqqa l-gvern”), and after initially beating round the bush, Franco Debono eventually replied with words to the effect of, “Ghalfejn tibqa tistasqini? Diga ghidt li se naghmilha”. I believe it was some time towards the end of the programme.
You’re incorrect Daphne, in one of his interviews, I believe it was his press conference in parliament he clearly spelled ‘nivvota kontra’ to one of the questions posed to him.
He said he would vote against in the case of a motion of confidence not the budget implementation bill.
He said it at his marathon press conference last Saturday: “nivvota kontra”.
He’s now bandaging his foot.
Last Saturday, on Bla Agenda with Norman Hamilton, he said that he will not vote in favour – I pointed this out before.
He did not say he will vote against the government.
Yesterday, with Lou Bondi, there was no way he would parrot Lou when Lou asked him to repeat after him “Jien se nwaqqa’ l-Gvern.”
Excellent point. I watched whichever interviews I found and never heard him say he would vote against, he had just withdrawn support.
Would this be an attempt to fool Joseph Muscat into counting his chickens, hedging his bets on a no confidence vote and making him lose it with an abstention and a vote from the Speaker?
Would a person do all this for his ego? Surely this is not for democracy or the people.
I noticed him play with words with Lou Bondi yesterday when discussing Chris Said. On the same lines, though, he said he never “spoke” to John Dalli.
Would he be using his mobile as a prompter following Peppi Azzopardi’s example on Inkontri? Lou Bondi was quick to pick this up. He recognized the pattern. Then the phone started to ring.
Sorry T’other but, about Chris Said, he was correct and Bondi was wrong. I think maybe Lou wanted to put words into a seasoned-lawyer’s mouth. There’s not much chance of success with that, in most cases.
About the phone, I couldn’t make up my mind but it is a “smart” phone that can be used as a word processor for his notes as well. Nothing terribly wrong with that.
Daphne, I totally agree with you.
Quoting from MaltaToday:
“This week, Debono also said that if Labour presents a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister, he would “definitely vote with the Opposition.
In comments to MaltaToday Franco Debono said he would not be supporting the government in any votes, including a prospective money bill – the Budget Measures Implementation Bill – whose rejection has the same effect as a vote of no-confidence.”
MP Dr Franco Debono will never betray his party.But he will abstain and he knows like Mintoff did that if he abstains or votes against a law the government can still carry on.
He knows he represents the PN voters (of the fifth district).
He said that he will never support Labour(Joseph).
He said he will not support the Government lead by Gonzi.
Someone told me (can anyone please confirm) that he said he will not attend parliament.
Conclusion : we will have our laws carried by the casting vote of the Speaker who is an unelected Member of Parliament, like in 1998 when Miriam Spiteri Debono was speaker.
We always said and will always say that it’s not the seats that count but the votes which represent those seats that give the government legitimacy.
We elect a party to govern for a whole term under a set of ideas, in the 2008 election the majority voted not only for the PN but for GonziPN . Labour have been constantly harping sarcastically about GonziPN for the last four years or so , how could this have escaped from their minds?
Words have precise meanings for lawyers. This is what Lawyer Paul Borg Olivier probably said:
“Hermann Schiavone is not a candidate of the PN and has been directed not to present himself as one.”
We read this report on The Times Of Malta on line:
“http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111228/local/herman-schiavone-is-not-a-pn-candidate-party.400113
This is what a seasoned journalist from The Times of Malta reported the next day on the print version:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111229/local/Debono-complaint-adds-more-headaches.400136
And this is what the inexperienced journalist Annaliza Borg mis-reported on The Malta Independent:
http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=137433
I think we are crediting him with too much strategic acumen.
Seems to me that he has no plans but just moving from one thing to the next, as long as it keeps him in the limelight. Which may be the only reason why he does not pull the plug, because he knows that he will then disappear from the scene.
At the moment he is more important to Malta’s governance than the PM, and he gets hours of prime time slots on TV. I think he will continue to play this game for the next 12 months. As soon as election is called, he is Mr Nobody.
Incidentally this is where he says that he will vote against a motion of confidence. http://www.maltastar.com/pages/r1/ms10dart.asp?a=19057
He will find an escape route because of the wrong wording or that he’s been misreported by Mr Karl Zidlu l-Bzar.