So many men of straw – and George Abela is another one
Noel Grima, writing in The Malta Independent on Sunday:
On the other hand, this administration keeps sending negative messages. One such was yesterday’s speech by the President. I was following it on radio and many times people forget that microphones can carry what they would rather keep hidden. When Dr Muscat handed the President the speech, the President could be heard on radio thanking him quite effusively and wishing him well.
Then came the speech with its rigmarole of old election campaign slogans and also slamming the previous administration. And all this from a government that promised reconciliation and one-face-for-all.
The government’s treatment of the Opposition with the appointment of Anglu Farrugia as Speaker, and its treatment of the social partners with its appointment of John Bencini are the direct opposite of inviting members of the Opposition to share in executive posts.
Anyway, this being the last year in office of President Abela, I look with relish at the coming State visits on which the President must be accompanied by the Foreign Minister who will, no doubt, be accompanied by his secretary, who is none other than the Olaph Terribile who used to be President Abela’s aide de camp before they parted ways.
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Oh life in the goldfish bowl. You can run but you can’t hide.
I know Mr. Terribile and I think that his grievance with George Abela is justified (and this was also found by the relevant authorities, but could not be published lest the President’s name be besmirched).
The problem is that his consequent lack of satisfaction at what the government did with this information that got him so cosy with Abela’s (and the PN’s) enemies.
As for President, I’m not surprised it’s come to this. One thing which I see as a major failure of his Presidency is the lack of differentiation he established between the President and the person occupying the post.
He did well to bring the Presidency closer to the people, but the fact remains that it is a post one is asked to fill, not a title one takes upon oneself.
The Presidency requires giving up some aspects of your personal life and style. It has its own decorum to be respected and carries several duties Abela seemed to ignore.
To have the Head of State go to do voluntary work in Peru was an indirect insult to the latter’s state and a nightmare for protocol.
To accept to read Muscat’s partisan speech when you should truly represent the nation and national unity is beyond the pale, whatever your personal opinion on partisan politics.
To hear Abela parrot Muscat in his speech is, in my opinion, therefore only a culmination of everything that has been wrong with the Presidency.
True colours are very difficult to bleach out, especially red.
Another aspect to take into consideration is the Lejber anger and indignation at Eddie’s presence at the fosos meeting prior to the elections. Was this the direct payback?
You hit the nail on the head
Was Olaph aide de camp, or personal secretary?
Isn’t the aide de camp an army officer?
Why is everybody so bloody sloppy?
I think H.E. George Abela is the worst President Malta ever had. Even worse than Barbara.
You’re a columnist many people look up to. But when it comes to endorsing candidates you rather shy away. Who would you vote for PN leader? De Marco or Busuttil? I think your readers deserve to know what you think about this.
[Daphne – I am not a PN councillor and have no vote so the question is academic. It is also irrelevant as I have every intention of supporting whoever wins.]
The presentation speech of the president was a disaster. I expected better of him.
I think the opposition should take a firm stand on this by telling the PM in no uncertain terms that he should retract what he told the journalists last Friday :
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-04-05/news/pm-addresses-journalists-on-2013-budget-1331986432/
“According to the prime minister, had the country been managed for another year by the PN, the financial situation could have degenerated beyond a point of no return.”
If he doesn’t retract what he said than he can say adieu to the agreement between the opposition and government on the budget debate.
Then we will have a month long of budget debates and after that the voting according to normal procedure.
The PN administration suffered (in terms of popularity) a lot to keep the deficit below the 3% level and it should protect its good name where the economy and finances are involved.
Muscat should be made to swallow the words he said or else he can kiss goodbye the gentlemen’s agreement reached with the opposition on how the debate should procede.
The three MPs who are contenders for the PN leadership should make a common front against this myth which will mutate into fact in four years time.
If Joseph is a big-mouth then he should find Simon, Mario and Francis together with Gonzi to shut him up if not once and for all, or at least on this one.
He’s at their mercy.
The president showed lack of respect to the person who appointed him and to the people who are not Labour. We lack people with dignity in this country.
Hope Simon will be elected. He is very good and he will improve more. Good luck Simon
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130407/local/Romanian-fake-beggars-avoid-prison.464536
The Romanians in the article above were handed a suspended sentence while the other Romanian below who is married to the Minister for Police, Army, Broadcasting and Justice was seen parading in Republic Street together with her husband, the said minister.
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Mrs-Emmanuel-Mallia_Sat-06APR13.jpg
Hypocrisy at its worst.
Shame on you Mr. President. Ma nafx kif ma sthajtx taqra dak l-iscript li tak il-PM Joseph Muscat nofsu mimli b’attakki lejn il-Partit Nazzjonalista. Dan wara li l-PN tak 5 snin tghix f’kumdita liema bhalha?
Li kont ragel kont tghid lil Joseph Muscat biex inehhi dawk il-battuti li jgibu l-firda flok l-ghaqda imbaghad taqra l-messagg.
Jiddispjacini hafna imma b’dak li geghluk taghmel u li inti accettajt li taghmel, issa tlift il-kredtu mieghi u ma hafna ohrajn. Veru tal-misthija.
Jista jghajjat Joseph u dawk l-istudenti tal-MCAST “Malta taghna lkoll” ghax issa l’anqas il-president ma hu taghna lkoll.
Spicca id-diskors fierah ta’ josephdotcom li jrid igib l’ghaqda fil-pajjiz. Veru kienu gimmicks dawk is-slogans tal-Lejber. Issa s-switchers bdew jindunaw xi tfisser il-bidla li-ivvotaw ghaliha.
Tal-MISTHIJA jew kif jghid Konrad, SHAME on you, Mr. President.
How someone in the highest office can stoop to read such a humiliating speech directed at the person who elected him president is something that many cannot swallow.i am sorry to say that my respect towards the president has disappeared. If this is what working together means God help us
Anglu Farrugia just now during Lawrence Gonzi’s reply to the budget speech (verbatim),
“Onofo-Onorevoli kap ta l-eposizjoni skond il-mozzjoni ta procedura skadilek il-hin pero nifhem li forsi hawn xi arrangament biex jitwal il-hin?”
The speech read by the President hurt 47% of the electorate and their families who at one time or other must have donated money or taken part in some event organised by the President.
What would be the President’s reaction if all these people decided to boycott these events in protest at this shameful speech?
He should have had the guts to persuade the PM to delete the offensive references to the outgoing PM and his government who after all had appointed him to his present position.