Tuesday, 20th May 2008
Falzon warned MLP on 'libellous' billboard
Labour deputy leader for party affairs Michael Falzon last night admitted to a TV interviewer that one of Labour's billboards used during the electoral campaign was, in his view, libellous.
Dr Falzon, a lawyer by profession and a contender for the top party leadership post, said he had voiced his opinion against the billboard at the highest level of the party but it was put up anyway.
He was referring to the billboard that carried the word "corruption" and featured photos of the Prime Minister, nine ministers and two parliamentary secretaries.
Shortly after the billboard was erected, libel suits were instituted against the Malta Labour Party by all those it implicated. Claims of corruption was one of the main planks of the Labour campaign.
Dr Falzon made the admission during the discussion programme Realtà on Smash TV last night.
He said he had not agreed with some of the billboards, especially the one on corruption which "cost" the party several libel suits.
"Apart from being in bad taste, the billboard was libellous and I said it immediately. During a meeting I was told - and this I took as an insult - that I had a conflict of interest and the agreement was that they should seek legal advice on the matter from someone who was more proficient in libel cases.
"I do not know if that advice was sought, but all I know is that the billboard was put up and cost us 16 libel suits," he said.
Presenter Brian Hansford also asked Dr Falzon about the leakage of personal data relating to Labour delegates to the newspaper MaltaToday, which then ran a survey among the delegates about their preference for Labour leader.
An angry Dr Falzon said he had written to the party's electoral office asking it to investigate the matter as well as to the Discipline and Vigilance Board.
"What is even more disgusting about the leak is that whoever gave them the information - and it must be a person at the heart of the party - indicated who of that list should be called and who should not. People who I know support me were not called," he claimed.
On Sunday, the leak came under fire from both Dr Falzon and Marie Louise Coleiro-Preca, another leadership contender.
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Comments
I hope that Times is not suggesting by running this article that Dr Falzon said the accusation of corruption was not true. I see corruption on a daily basis dealing with goverment, have been asked for bribes and lost out to people to pay bribes - so i do not need a poster to tell me that Corruption is endemic in Malta.
I remember this poster well and was probably the number one reason i voted labour.
...........lets be mature and wait for what Muscat can offer before we judge him ....but in the meantime lets also leave the PN to govern as it is its right and then judge them in 5 years time........lets at least agree on that Mr.Galea
The answear to your question; why are PN sympathisers are pushing for one particular canditate is simple.
That is, PN supporters want to see a strong opposition to the Government. The benefit of a strong oppostion is that it will keep the Government focused; thus guarantying another five years in Government in 5 years hence,
Hopefully whoever is elected will unite the MLP and move the Labour into a new chapter, leading to a much awaited electoral victory as this country desperately needs a change as things are getting worse by the day.
MLP lost the elections due to a faulty campaign, remember as Joe Saliba said, befeore the campaign MLP was heading by 15000 (according to PN polls). Then MLP sank the ship slowly everyday coupled with a wrong campaign. Yes old administration shoud make space for new, but doesn't mean MLP should throw them out of the party as many are pointing out. If the latter happens MLp would go back to square 1. MLP should embrace everyone, should learn from its own mistakes. The new leader whoever s/he is should unite the party and drive it forward into a new era and giving a serious challenge to the current government.
However, the new MLP leader whoever s/he is will be shot and turned down by all the GonziPN apologists. What raises eyebrows is the fact PN is pushing so vehemently one particular contestant!! Surely PN don't wish well to MLP, so why all this interest?
The problem with your reasoning is you seem to persist in the diabolical error of electing party leaders not future prime ministers. Since GA left, the party suffered three successive electoral defeats. When he was there Labour gained a vote swing of 21,000 at first asking.
It may be questionable whether now delegates learned from experience to elect a future prime minister or simply a party leader. We will know that soon enough. But out among general electorate GA has many many followers and people like me would only be tempted to vote Labour if Labour elects a future prime minister
@Mike Magri
For floating voters like us the arguments of R Cassar make more sense than yours.
If the delegates wish MLP to change for the best so that the MLP wins, then they have to vote those who did not have/want anything to do with the last leadership. I strongly supported Dr Michael Falzon, but now he is showing that he is not leadership material if he let these things happen without taking action. Now I say that the only man who has the experience and determination to be the New MLP leader is Dr George Abela.
Now that you have spelled out your agenda, my advice is, that if you want to do some good service to your favourite contestant and the party in general, you`d better leave this matter purely to the judgement of the Labour Party Delegates... I don`t know if you are a party delegate.. I am not, but i am, and have been a party member for a good number of years, now...
May the best man win, Robert....
Evidently, during the 1998 episode, Dr Abela did not have sufficient followers to move his stance forward. The vast majority of the potential followers - the delegates - realised that attempting to cling to Government (power?) with a one-seat majority that was continually under threat from one maverick MP who could, at any time, once again vote against his party was not an acceptable option.
Dr Abela's stance was overwhelmingly voted down.
Instead of accepting the will of the majority, he abandoned what followers he still had.
Is that what a leader does?
Being a strong PARTY man (if it is so) does not make you a leader. Dr George Abela, a man with principles resigned in 1998 when he was against calling an early election. That is because he is a leader, not a follower. Dr Falzon was against as well but he clinged to power.
A leader puts his principles before personal ambitions.
and please spare us the details about cliques, factions and petty politics.The politics of paranoia.
Don`t you see...??? I think that, Dr. Michael Falzon, (..in spite of all the `gambetti` that he received..) did not resigne from the post of Deputy Leader, party affairs, because if he did, he would have done what exactly `Il-Clikka` wanted him to do... It just looks like, `They`, just tried all their best to make his life harder and harder, but Dr. Falzon, is a strong PARTY man, and he would not be easily trapped into such dirty tricks....
Re your second assertion, i think that you are being purely naive, insulting, totally irresponsible and playing someone else`s agenda...!!!!!
Thus I conclude that:
1) If it is true that he was never consulted or involved, he should have resigned instead of using his position to win a seat in parliament
2) Dr. Falzon must have missed several internal meetings during the election campaign since instead of acting like a Deputy Leader for Party affairs and working hard within the party structures to help labour win, he was campaigning for himself to get elected in Parliament.
Principles and vision are the attributes of leaders, not followers.Clinging to power leads you nowhere.