We should be kicking ourselves really – and I mean we in the press
In 2010, when he was Opposition leader, Joseph Muscat went to China with Alex Sceberras Trigona and signed a deal with China. Those of us who argued at the time that there was something really fishy about it which should be examined further, because Opposition leaders do not represent the country and so cannot sign bilateral agreements, were largely brushed off.
Looking back, how can the press, Nationalist Party politicians and the electorate in general have been so mad as to ignore the significance of what transpired then?
CHINA SIGNED A DEAL WITH THE LABOUR PARTY. MUSCAT WENT TO CHINA FOR THE PURPOSE. AND EVERYBODY IGNORED IT AND DIDN’T ASK THE OBVIOUS QUESTION: WHAT WAS IN IT FOR THE LABOUR PARTY?
There had to be something in it for the Labour Party, because if not, it would have waited until it was the Labour government before signing that deal, and then it would have been a proper bilateral agreement between two states. But what we had there was a deal between China and a political party, the Malta Labour Party.
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http://www.scribd.com/mobile/doc/128130324
Well yes, and it isn’t too hard to work out what the deal was: I’ll finance your party, your campaign and engineer your electoral victory, and you let me colonise your country once you’re in power. China has been doing this since the early 2000s in Africa. Now they have a foothold in Europe.
Kudos to them, as one would say. Because it is so un-PC to hate the Chinese.
The other reason the press and the PN should be kicking themselves is their ignoring Muscat’s regular pre-electoral meetings with World Bank black-listed Shiv Nair who has helped China colonise Africa: http://creative-strategies.be/shiv-nair-catalyst-progress/
With hindsight Muscat’s lie about not ever having met Shiv Nair is even more of a lie.
How can the press ignore this.
Muscat evidently knew of the black-listing.
Africa in the future is going to be an extension of China and India.
Hence Malta an extention of Africa, just as things were under Mintoff smooching up to Gaddafi.
Muscat can’t say it isn’t true. He wrote that article himself.
Now, what I would like to know is, why aren’t reporters hounding him about that agreement?
Every announcement, every press conference, every deal made or not made, every alliance, trip, contract, promise made or broken, should prompt the question: how does this relate to agreement you signed with China when you were leader of the Opposition and what was Shiv Nair’s role?
Incidentally, this was published last month: http://creative-strategies.be/shiv-nair-catalyst-progress/
If such a deal was signed – I say if simply because, as far as I am aware, no details were ever released as to its contents – and if that agreement now has in reality to be honoured, even if indirectly, not by a political party but by the State of Malta, should not such an agreement be published on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website in the Treaty Series page (http://www.foreign.gov.mt/default.aspx?MDIS=4210)? Moreover only if the text of the agreement is known can it be ascertained whether such an agreement falls to be regulated by the provisions of the Constitution and the Ratification of Treaties Act relating to treaties and their ratification.
Muscat signed an agreement with China. The only regulatory authority involved is China itself. muscat is in a corner. He can’t say no to anything China asks for.
Effectively, the agreement Muscat signed in opposition means he owes China the use of his current position as prime minister to meet China’s demands.
That agreement doesn’t hold.
I don’t give a toss if China thinks a party is the state. So their ambassador insists democracy doesn’t work for China.
Tough.
“That agreement doesn’t hold.”
No, not officially or legally, perhaps, but circumstantially – much in the same way that a party financier can call in favours.
The flipside of calling in favours is carrying out a threat. China has a hold over Muscat. The legality of his MOU doesn’t change that essential fact.
When the PN was in government the PL used to shy away from the party financing bill. The PL got their own iced bun while still in Opposition so there was nothing to stop them now to introduce the bill.
….and now his deals are bearing him fruition.
Hats off for this one!
Daphne, the news of Joseph Muscat’s Memorandum Of Understanding with China was first published in Malta on your website. That revelation was made on 9 April 2010, while Muscat was still in China (his visit was from 5 to 12 April).
The news had been revealed in the Chinese media on 8 April, but local Labour party media, which had reported Muscat’s visit to China on a daily basis with great prominence, had never mentioned the MOU before then.
See comment under this post here.
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2010/04/andanother-one/
The first reactions to the news here in Malta were expressed here:
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2010/04/bow-and-scrape/
When the Labour Party – those who never read your website – realised that this website had let the cat out of the bag, Joseph Muscat had no option but to mention it in his article, but he made sure to keep it as low profile and seemingly as innocuous as possible. So eventually he wrote about on 18 April.
My take on this is that had your website not revealed that agreement, we would never have known about it.
Well said, H. P. Baxxter! This comment is much better than your previous one re Chris Engerer and the PN.
I’m sure China helped the Labour Party financially in the last general election.
If not, then why would Muscat and his party have such an obsession with China and the Chinese?
And why would he go putting Maltese citizenship up for sale? Obviously to help Chinese people gain access to the European Union.
Then let me make a comment which will cause you to hate me.
Who kept Malta in a state of systemic indebtedness to China? The Nationalist administration. Even after we joined the EU, Malta was still getting annual “gifts” (as they call them in their ever so Oriental fashion) from China under its Aid to Developing Countries.
Yes, that’s right. Developing countries.
If I had been Prime Minister, at some point after 1987 I’d have said thanks, but no thanks.
But I suppose the temptation of ghotjiet mill-barrani was too strong, even for Nationalist prime ministers.
My point? That this shaped the Maltese public to be naturally grateful to China and to view it positively, instead of being cautious and diffident. Or outright hostile, like Baxxer. But then I never was one for PC.
How can a party, even if in Government, bind the country with a secret deal for 18 years?
That’s two generations.
Surely this is illegal.
We will soon be fighting for our independence again. Only this time we will not be getting it from the British but from the Chinese.
Things are really taking a bad turn and Joseph Muscat needs to come clean and put all the cards on the table so that with the help of the opposition and the EU we do not suffer more than necessary.
It is so obvious that the Chinese have Joseph Muscat cornered and he is struggling for his life.
Having said that, I doubt he will ever admit to having made such a big mistake and will drag us all down in the pits with him.
Give us back higher electricity bills, liberty and peace of mind. We were so much better off less than 15 months ago.
It was an agreement between the Chinese Communist Party and the Maltese Labour Party . Perfectly legitimate .