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PN not willing to compromise with those not willing to meet its standards - Lawrence Gonzi

Investigating authorities should be free to investigate a person suspected of abuse without any political influence arising from that person’s position within a political party, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said this morning.

“We want highest standards of responsibility and the PN is not ready to compromise with those who are not willing to meet party standards,” he said.

Speaking during a radio interview, Dr Gonzi referred to the recent saga which surrounded the Sliema council, where the former mayor admitted he had asked for a commission but later claimed he was coerced into signing a statement while suffering from a panic attack.

Mr Dimech resigned from the Nationalist Party after he was dismissed because he refused to resign from the council and has since been replaced by Johanna Gonzi following a motion of no confidence moved by the other councillors in the locality.

The Prime Minister said that irrelevant of whether a person was innocent or guilty, everyone in public life had to be transparent and accountable so there were strict regulations which had to be followed.

This government, he said, had renewed councils through a reform which saw executive secretaries become answerable to a government department rather than to the council.

The experience of the past weeks had shown that the reform was working and certain investigations were initiated by the Internal Audit Division and the police.

As for the situation in Sliema, Dr Gonzi said it was not his or anyone else’s duty to judge.

But in this particular case a person had admitted to bribery in a statement and irrelevant of whether he was guilty or not, a party mechanism came into effect requesting the person concerned to resign so that investigations could be concluded.

This was not done and person had to be dismissed. The PN, Dr Gonzi said, expected its representatives to act in the legally and ethically correct manner without judging whether or not there was blame.

The same could not be said for the PL, he said, which decided that its representatives should support the Sliema mayor by abstaining in a vote of no confidence when, according to law, a clear vote in favour of the motion was needed.

Dr Gonzi said that he gave the party’s general secretary his full backing in all the decisions he had taken.

The Prime Minister said that he did not agree that what was happening was proving that it was disadvantageous to have political parties involved in councils.

It was thanks to parties’ participation that enough candidates were found, campaigns were held and manifestos were drawn up. Parties participated in local elections everywhere in the world, he said.

Asked about Libya’s request for €5 billion a year to control illegal migration to Europe, the Prime Minister said that less immigrants arrived in Malta this summer because the Libyan government was controlling its coast better and more people were being saved from drowning.

This development took place thanks to the intervention of the Italian government proving that a negotiated agreement could give results.

In this context, Dr Gonzi said, the position of the Maltese government was clear. The EU should negotiate with the Libyan government and Malta willing to help negotiate an agreement that both Libya and the EU would be happy with.

Libya should be helped to control those using it to cross over to Europe. The amount of money had to be negotiated and it had to be reasonable.

Dr Gonzi said that during his visit to Libya last week for the country’s annual celebrations of the anniversary of the revolution he had a meeting with Libyan leader Muammar met Gaddafi and also attended the 5 + 5 meeting during which he repeated his invitation for a heads of government meeting to be held in Malta. His invitation was accepted and this meeting’s agenda was to include illegal migration, protection of the Mediterranean sea, energy and security.

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joh muscat

Sep 5th 2010, 21:50

if Dr. Gonzi did not oust Nikki, then how can another Gonzi will be taking the reins of Sliema council? Even if she isn't a Sliema resident! And what about the other lady who voted in favour of Nikki, although she was threatened to vote to do otherwise by the secretary general? Why nobody is mentioning her???

JAFarrugia

Sep 6th 2010, 18:13

Honestly just read your blog again, why should they join forces on such a unbelievable shambles caused by the PN. Mr Dimech has not been found guilty, until that time no one has the right to say anything. Whats going to happen to your party if he's found innocent??? or will the master of puppets be pulling strings in that direction too. I've always hated politics and all this just reaffirms my original thoughts in the matter.

Karen Vella

Sep 5th 2010, 18:32



Spot on. Labour = Double Standards. Full of double speak. Labour is not consistent.

the leader of the opposition should admit li fuq il-kas ta' tas-sliema zelaq .....

Anthony Mizzi

Sep 5th 2010, 18:32

and what about Ex- P.N. Councilor now Independent Councilor Sandra Camilleri ex ? Nobody seems to want to comment on her position and her VOTE in support of Nikki Dimech , not even Dr. Gonzi himself!

Paul Sciriha

Sep 5th 2010, 18:23

petty issue....a mayor asking for commission on a contract ???

din petty issue ??? bis-serjeta !! hekk jemmnu tal-labour ...affarijiet taht joseph muscat ser jibqghu ghaddejjin ???

good to know...vote labour my foot !

George Cassar

Sep 5th 2010, 18:27

Joe Brincat you mean Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Tony Gatt

Sep 5th 2010, 17:53

Julia Zerafa as you say talk is cheap. If Dr Gonzi has nothing to hide why didn't he publish the Commission letter and why doesn't he want to publish his answer? Talk is cheap Julia, and we don't believe Dr Gonzi because he has proven that his talk is cheap. Remember how many promises he had made prior to the election and reneged on them? For us his word is worth absolutely nothing.

Joe Gauci

Sep 5th 2010, 17:45

Margaret Curmi you'll get the action following the next general election when Gonzi will be deposed by his own party and Dr Muscat will be the Prime Minister.

Mary Briffa

Sep 5th 2010, 17:37

biex tara kemm huma l-istess...watch this :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-uAvAo79L4

qas temmen li ghadda tant zmien, tilfu tant elezzjonijiet, u xorta baqghu bl-istess nies !!

Joseph Camenzuli

Sep 5th 2010, 17:43

John Sammut when you go back in history it means that you have no valid arguments to rebut the arguments being made.

Joe Zammit

Sep 5th 2010, 17:50

U ahna nippretendu Mary Briffa, li ssir inkjesta serja, pubblika u trasparenti minn Imhallef kif jghid EFA f'dak il-video ghax hadd ma qed jemmen lil Dr Gonzi li m'hemmx korruzzjoni manja fil-kuntratt tal-BWSC. Jekk m'ghandux x'jahbi jaghmilha u jippubblika wkoll ir-risposta li bghat lill-Unjoni Ewropea mhux irid jahbi. La jrid jahbi sinjal li ghandi x'jahbi u hemm l-intiena tal-korruzzjoni.

Paul Camilleri

Sep 5th 2010, 17:25

Esther Abela kieku l-gemel jara hotobtu jaqa' u jmut zoptu. If the camel sees its hump it will die istantly.

Sergio Vassallo

Sep 5th 2010, 17:12

J Mallia trid iddahhaq jew? Jekk dahhal 8,000 sewwa ghamel ghax xejn xejn bdew jahdmu u ma qaghdux iharsu jiedu biss il-beneficcji imma bdew ihallsu l-bolla u l-income tax u jixtru aktar affarijiet halli ddur ir-rota. Kemm ghandkom hdura f'qalbkom kontra l-haddiema Mallia/ Jaqaw inti xi employer li trid li jkun hemm kemm Alla halaq haddiema ma jahdmux halli tkun tista' twaqqa' l-pagi u l-kundizzjonijiet tax-xoghol?

Sergio Caruana

Sep 5th 2010, 17:14

J Mallia dawk mhux diga' kollha spiccaw bil-pensjoni Mallia? Kemm taharqek qalbek ghall-haddiema u l-fmailji taghhom biex ridthom jibqghu jirregistraw!

Brian Cini

Sep 5th 2010, 17:22

@ Sergio Caruana u/jew Sergio Vassallo (nispera li mhux l-istess wiehed) Il-Partit kien dahhal 8,000 ruh mal-Gvern minghajr ma kellhom bzonnhom. Il-PL ma kien jattira investiment u johloq il-postijiet tax-xoghol ghalhekk kien hawn dawk in-nies kollha qieghda. Illum is-sitwazzjoni mhux hekk habib, illum il-Gvern inaqqas il-haddiema minn mieghu u jsibu mal-privat, ghax qed jinholoq ix-xoghol u gej l-investiment......u l-qaghad huwa stabbli minkejja l-krizi li laqtet id-dinja kollha. Dik id-differenza habib...bejn il-PL u PN Grazzi talli kkonfermajt li l-PL ghadu jemmen f'dik it-tip ta' politika, li jdahhal in-nies tal-qalba mal-gvern minghajr m'hemm bzonnhom...!!!

Joe Bugeja

Sep 5th 2010, 17:28

V. Spiteri Niki ghadu innocenti sakemm jinstab hati. Niki qal kif ammetta. Issa naraw x'jigri imma inti wiehed minn dawk li ghax il-PN qal li huwa hati accettajt bla ma ghadu nstab hati mill-Qorti. Inthom qed taghmluha ta' akkuzaturi, imhallfin u gurati fl-istess him. Ghajb ghalikom li tiftahru bid-demokrazija u ghandkom tant avukati fil-partit taghkom.

Michael Gatt

Sep 5th 2010, 17:57

Fejn hi l-privatezza tal-persuna sur Thomas Agius?

martin saliba

Sep 5th 2010, 16:47

Il power station tal marsa kella tinalaq aktar minn ghaxar sninn ijlu. mela issa biex ikolna produzjini bizzejed inhallu kollox ghadej kurruzjoni u mux. Hekk trid ?

Joe Bonnici

Sep 5th 2010, 16:52

Joseph Abela dik risponsabbilta' tal-prim ministru inkompetenti u arroganti li halla dal-hmieg kollu fil-kuntratt isir u meta kien jaf li kellu jaghlaqha snin twal ilu. Ghalhekk biss huwa inkompetenti u arroganti ahseb u ara jekk nibdew inqisu dak kollu li ghamel jew ahjar ma ghamilx.

Charles J. Buttigieg

Sep 5th 2010, 16:47

Min xarbu kielu l-bakkaljaw,Luigi.

Salvu Schembri

Sep 5th 2010, 17:23

Joe Falzon ghalfejn ma jridx jippubblika t-twegiba Falzon? Mela ghandu x'jahbi?

Paul Saliba

Sep 5th 2010, 17:03

Terence Zarb isma l-intervista ta' Joseph muscat u tkun taf ghax qal x'jaghmel jekk xi hadd jinqabad fil-korruzzjoni. Ftit appetizer Sur Zarb http://www.mlp.org.mt/content.aspx?Cnt=NewsDetails&t=content&ID=STQ290810a

Charles J. Buttigieg

Sep 5th 2010, 16:45

Iddahhaqniex Cristina.

Joseph Camilleri

Sep 5th 2010, 17:31

Lorraine Mallia doesn't that apply perfectly well to Gonzi and his circus who are defending the corrupt BWSC contract?

Francis Muscat

Sep 5th 2010, 15:22

Imma kif kollox hazin ghalikom. Tghid meta tkunu fil-gvern tispiccaw tiddeciedu li tirduppjaw il-powerstation bhal ma ghamiltu bil-Mater Dei?

martin saliba

Sep 5th 2010, 16:38

@ francis muscat. laqas biss provajt tahseb ftitt qabel ma tkelimt. Alla hares li il LP ma irdupjax in numru ta soddod f spatr li lispiza tieghu aktar min irdupjat. kieku pazjent fil parking area ghanda mux fil kurriduri biss.

A.Attard

Sep 6th 2010, 11:48

Martin Saliba qed tghid li mater dei hargu il flus ghalih il labour? jew qed tghid kieku ma kienx ghal PN ghadna qed ikolna nies imutu f'bini imkisser u imsaddad bhal St Lukes. Possibli ma tafux tapprezzaw?











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