Joe Martinelli, London, Ontario, Canada
Another fine mess at the MLP
Two months after watching a perverted sitcom as the Malta Labour Party elected a new leader, we have now just witnessed a tragi-drama which saw Jason Micallef re-elected general secretary.
Many felt that the double whammy which saw Michael Falzon vilified and burdened unfairly with the blame for the loss of the last election and slamming the doors in George Abela's face, would cause various divisions within the party. This is worrisome because it seems that no one faction within the party is strong enough to stand up for what it thinks is right and try to put the party on a sound footing after years of meandering without having a targeted destination.
This situation has left its own supporters totally confused and half-hearted. For example, last week The Times reported on the state visit by President Fenech Adami to Libya and his talks with Col Gaddafi about several situations including the outstanding dispute about oil drilling in areas of common jurisdiction. Immediately Labour diehards unleashed a barrage of smart remarks ranging from "the visit being just a photo op" to "the delegation coming back empty handed" and several others in between.
Within 24 hours, the MLP issued a statement welcoming the discussions and the agreements reached to continue the search for a final solution to difficulties between the two countries some dating back 40 years. One can conclude that the party and its supporters are not even on the same page but is this a surprise? Definitely not, because these followers have been fed with so many contradictory messages over the years that they cannot gauge what their party stands for any more.
With a harsh campaign against the EU, the condemnation of converting our currency to euros, the inane idea of reopening the accession treaty with the EU in order to be able to drain more tax dollars into the black hole that the shipyards are, the unbelievable promise of halving the surcharge without proper explanation from where the lost revenue would be replaced, the proposed overtime payments at flat rate - only to reverse itself once the new leader was elected, then how can one blame the Labour followers for being confused?
Two night ago the election of the party's administration took place. The focus, however was on the post of general secretary for obvious reasons - obvious to those who are card carrying members but also to others who are intelligent enough to realise that the orderly functioning of a political party is essential to the whole country and not just for one particular party.
So, even after supposedly learning valuable lessons from the leadership contest of only two months ago, not only same mistakes were repeated, but more serious ones have been made. Moreover, the web is still there and more importantly, the spider is still connected to the nerves of the party structure. The same spider which wove the network electing Joseph Muscat is still there.
This same clique pushed the delegates to retain Jason Micallef - the same general secretary on whose shoulders rests a large portion of blame for losing the last election. Why? The answer remains the same. The clique must remain unimpeachable at all costs.
The big question now is whether those who so loudly proclaimed that they will not work with Mr Micallef will make a U-turn and submit to the old regime or rebel against the intransigence and arrogance of the clique which is putting the party in a strait jacket.
There are capable and respectable people within the Labour Party but the question is whether they are strong enough to resist the unyielding pressure from those whose policies are extreme, out of date and still under the impression that might is right. It is time for the moderates to band together and stand for the good of the party and the country.
And, one more thing, the Labour Party should ditch the "new beginning" banner because Monday night's events prove that there is nothing new about it and worse, there are many within its ranks who still stand for everything else but new beginnings.
The hope one had for this party starting afresh has turned, once again, into another fine mess.
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M Bagley
Aug 6th 2008, 21:42
I find the phrase "proper Maltese" quite bewildering - are we now making a distinction between Maltese living in Malta and those living abroad? Are those living abroad contaminated, or fakes?
L Galea
Aug 6th 2008, 21:35
You are right Ivan.
He is such a biased person against the Labour Party that even if they elected Our Lord to run the Party he will still find ways and means to criticize him.
laurence schembri
Aug 6th 2008, 19:26
@ Ivan Buttigieg and I. M. Dingli
Why do you get so het up about what Joe Martinelli have to say?
Take him for what he is, a true blue with a Colonial mentality and an apologist.
Ray Farrugia
Aug 6th 2008, 18:32
I. M. DINGLI - not a bad idea, really..!
Joe Grima
Aug 6th 2008, 15:26
J Martinelli: I don't blame your confusion over the plethora of derogatory comments to the President's announcement of Libya's promise of an October meeting to settle the oil prospecting issue and the MLP statement showing satisfaction at the outcome of the EFA talks. Those who are not familiar with the Arab sense of dates and timing, and that seems to include the MLP statement, would have taken EFA's annoucement as a promise of a pending fact. We know only too well how such dates can slide and with them all hopes of an agreement. In the seventies Malta waited endlessly for Libya to honour its commitment to go with us to the International court over the Median line issue. Seven uneventful years later, Mintoff erupted
I hope I am wrong but I believe that under present circumstances Libya will not cooperate with Malta on the decades-long problem of oil prospecting. This Governemnt may find it impossible to unblock the issue- not with Libyans and their elephantine memories.
This should be a task for someone new like Joseph and for an old hand at the game like Alex, who has the respect of the Libyan Leadership, to tackle on Malta's behalf.
Franco Farrugia
Aug 6th 2008, 15:09
@ Mr Buttigieg - Heqq ... you were asking for that one!
J Martinelli
Aug 6th 2008, 12:11
IM Dingli - "I'm not happy with what is going on within the party ..." You are not alone I can assure you. I would not associate myself with anyone or anything not to my liking and that is my point.
@ Ivan. Whether I live in Malta or not is immaterial. Malta is still my country of birth, I carry a Maltese Passport identical to yours and by the time I finish my visit next month I would have paid more in taxes etc. than the taxes you pay for a whole year. Your comment regarding my coming over to vote is frivolous since I do not qualify for such a luxury, but believe me, had I the opportunity, I would certainly not have voted Labour, a rudderless party with three or four captains, with a mutinous crew and no port of call.
If you think that the cost of living is a Malta phenomenon, your head must be buried in the sand. You demonstrate your lack of knowledge of the principle of supply and demand over which no government has any direct control, unless you want everything subsidized.
Then you will be first to complain of higher taxes.
steve sultana
Aug 6th 2008, 11:55
Dear Ivan,
Worse than that. Probably Mr Martinelli voted without having the right to do so. The right to vote is not confered through the issuance of the voting document by the electoral commission; it is subject to the 6 on 18 month rule (ie one would have to be physically in malta for at least 6 months of the 18 months prior to the elections to be eligible to vote) which probably he did not even abide by. So much for the high moral ground attitude these people attempt to adopt. Why dont they just admit this is an illegitimate government!!!!!
David Spiteri
Aug 6th 2008, 11:32
@Mr Fred Sualtana wrote: "did you not read what other MLP MPs and other MLP sympatisers have said about the MLP in the last few years?" Did Mr. Sultana read what other PN MPs and other PN sympatisers have said about PN in the last few years?
It's true!! HADD MA JARA T-TRAVU LI GHANDU F'GHAJNEJH!!
David Spiteri
Aug 6th 2008, 11:28
Joe Martinelli from London, Ontario, Canada: Let not the pot call the cattle back!!
David Spiteri from Marsaskala, Malta, Europe.
fred sultana
Aug 6th 2008, 11:09
Dear Ivan, if you call this PN government a mess , what should have we called an MLP government with alfred sant as prime minister? did you not read what other MLP MPs and other MLP sympatisers have said about the MLP in the last few years? i prefer this ''''mess'''. Better the devil you know!!!
Ivan Buttigieg
Aug 6th 2008, 10:13
Dear Mr. Martinelli
Just a short question worth asking you.
Do you pay taxes to the Maltese Government, do you pay water and electric bills here in Malta and finally do you live in Malta and have to burden the high increase in cost of living?? Or else you are one of those persons who came only to Malta to vote and leave us proper Maltese citizens in this PN Government mess???!!
If your answer is no, then no other further comment is needed!!!
I. M. Dingli
Aug 6th 2008, 09:35
Mr. Martinelli based on your comments not only within this article but also in other blogs I believe that in order to accomodate your PN baised beliefs, MLP supporters should organise an execution squadron and kill all the present MP's, correct?
I'm not happy with what is going on within the party but in my opinion you only see blue and nothing else.