Another Manuel Mallia ‘basla’ (this time it’s Cyrillic characters rather than noughts)
Published:
November 20, 2013 at 8:40pm
You really have to read this story in The Malta Independent. It’s hysterically funny, in a really tragic way.
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http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-11-14/news/jason-azzopardis-russian-email-claim-vindicated-3183509509/
Three translators, did he say? Were they Mrs Emmanuel Mallia and the two maids who haven’t escaped?
Noooo, they were probably three Russians interested in buying a Maltese passport.
Or Google, Bing and and some other obscure website.
We are one quarter of the way into the one-month fast track period mentioned in that email. Any signs of the amendment on the secrecy clause going into parliament soon?
I will bet my bottom dollar that it will take longer for the amendments to be made than for the original law to get through parliament.
Once again, bullfrog was lost in translation.
President Abela’s interview on Ghandi Xi Nghid on TVM this evening was unwarranted, in my opinion. Should a Head of State appear on such a programme to declare that when he assents to new legislation he would not be expressing his own position in its regard? Would the Queen do so, for instance? Is this in consonance with the dignity of the highest office in the land?
http://www.tvm.com.mt/news/cittadinanza-imxejnt-skont-l-obbligi-tieghi/
Rubbish! So now we also have a highly paid ‘rubber stamp’.
If I may add, what the President said is…
Typical puppet.
Same thing he said about the disgraceful speech he gave at start of parliament.
Worst president ever.
He may not be expressing his own opinion but if there is something that he finds abhorrent or is against in principle then he has the moral duty to refrain from signing it and resign.
Ergo, although his position may be different on this issue, one concludes that he does not consider it serious enough to give up his post. Well, everyone has to live with the decisions they make and, ultimately, with himself.
I don’t want to sound like the President’s apologist but, on this occasion, it is not fair to blame him for the following reasons.
1. In a parliamentary democratic system, the Head of Sate cannot and should not withhold his assent to a law passed in accordance with the Constitution. To argue otherwise would mean that an appointed President can overrule a law passed by an elected Parliament.
2. Tycho Brahe is right to point out that it is not normally ‘right’ for a Head of State to explain his constitutional duties on television. I would certainly not have done so but the President has some justification by virtue of the fact that quite a number of people were saying that he should not have signed the Act.
3. The President’s statement can be interpreted in another light. To take that unprecedented step signifies that he does not agree with the citizenship scheme. Why else would he take the pains to say publicly that his assenting to the Act does not express his own opinion.
When the Opposition criticised the government over the sale of Maltese citizenship, Manuel Mallia ridiculed them calling them “papagalli” and “qatta reqdin”.
The Opposition asked the government not to go ahead with the legislation as this will damage Malta’s reputation. Opposition leader Simon Busuttil repeatedly appealed to the government to try to reach a consensus but Minister Mallia was quick to point out “I am the Minister and what I will decide”.
The law was passed through parliament and the government had its way. Now after Malta was ridiculed and badmouthed all over the globe, the government is in a state of panic.
The government wants to discuss with the Opposition and is desperate to reach a consensus. Muscat dug himself in a hole and now expects the Opposition to pull him out.
Which is why Busuttil should now give them a two-fingered salute and start collecting signatures to repeal the sodding law. I really don’t know what they’re waiting for.
Get a referendum going to proof how wrong they are.
And repeal the law once and for all.
Manuel Mallia said that if a referendum is held and the citizenship scheme is not approved by the public, the government must increase tax.
I’d prefer to pay more tax than let these incompetent freaks sell Maltese citizenship for cash, with the negative snowball effect that will have on the Maltese economy anyway.