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Saturday, July 16, 2011 by

Kurt Sansone

Sliema deputy mayor resigns from PN

Sliema deputy mayor Cyrus Engerer will now be an independent ­candidate at the council.

Sliema deputy mayor Cyrus Engerer will now be an independent ­candidate at the council.

Sliema’s deputy mayor Cyrus Engerer has resigned from the Nationalist Party and crossed over to Labour after Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi voted against divorce legislation in Parliament.

“The Nationalist Party persists in being conservative and my principles are in conflict with it. So I could not remain a member,” Mr Engerer said yesterday, barely 24 hours after asking for Dr Gonzi’s resignation on his Facebook page following the vote on the second reading of the Divorce Bill.

Mr Engerer, a gay activist and pro-divorce campaigner, said on Facebook Dr Gonzi no longer represented the Maltese people and “has committed political suicide” by going against the will of the majority.

This reaction contrasted with a speech he made at the PN general council a few weeks ago when he dealt with the international recession and how well Malta’s economy had performed: “Malta needed and still needs to have a Nationalist government with Lawrence Gonzi at the helm.”

The tide has shifted heavily since then with Mr Engerer defending his actions by saying that the PN was previously a coalition of conservative and liberals that had kept back on certain civil issues because of other priorities, such as EU membership. “Rather than progressing since becoming an EU member, the party had regressed,” Mr Engerer said.

In a statement circulated to the media, Mr Engerer said he submitted his resignation from the PN to general secretary Paul Borg Olivier.

“I resigned because I was disappointed with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s decision to vote against divorce in Parliament as had been decided by the people in a referendum. I feel that my principles and liberal and democratic values are in conflict with the practices that are persisting in the PN,” Mr Engerer said.

He also announced that after the resignation he had a meeting with Labour leader Joseph Muscat. Mr Engerer accepted to join “the progressive movement” led by Dr Muscat, which he said represented his principles and values.

In a one-sentence statement, the PN said it accepted Mr Engerer’s resignation and, while it did not agree with his reasons, because it respected diversity of thought within it, it respected Mr Engerer’s decision.

Mr Engerer said he would be an independent councillor in Sliema and would remain loyal to his constituents.

His defection from the PN means the party has lost its absolute majority in the Sliema council. The PN now has five councillors against Labour’s three and another three independent councillors, formerly belonging to the PN.

Mr Engerer’s decision led to a bevy of comments on Facebook with many supporting his decision and others criticising him for crossing over to Labour.

One of the comments posted on Facebook was that of PN administrative council president Pierre Portelli, who expressed regret at Mr Engerer’s decision.

“My dear friend Cyrus, you couldn’t live in a party where freedom of expression gives the possibility to MPs to vote by their beliefs as long as the will of the majority is respected but you’re OK to move to a party that did not – in total – respect the will of the majority in the EU referendum when all MLP MPs voted against the will of the people,” Mr Portelli wrote.

While wishing him luck, Mr Portelli said that, like pro-divorce campaigner Deborah Schembri – who has also accepted to be a candidate for the PL in the next election, Mr Engerer would try to “reinvent” himself within a party that shared 10 per cent of what he wished for but which stood for 90 per cent of what he always declared to be against.

“I’m sorry you took this path but I respect your decision. Good luck and keep in touch,” Mr Portelli wrote.

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MaryJo Camenzuli

Jul 18th 2011, 10:33



It's not just the 590 voters who voted for Cyrus Engerer
that voted for him because he was a Nationalist candidate
but he himself chose to put his name forward as a Nationalist candidate.

He has every right to leave the Nationalist Party.
But to have some modicum of credibility,
he also needs to resign his local council seat
which he contested as a Nationalist candidate not as a Labour activist.

Unfortunately, he's shown he's no 'liberal' or 'progressive' in this
but just your usual politikant who loves his seat more than anything else.

.

MaryJo Camenzuli

Jul 18th 2011, 10:25


Mr Leo Attard:

Reality is that the divorce bill was approved by a very large majority of 44 - 13.

The Prime Minister had already said, and repeated it in the debate,
that he would have acted otherwise had he any doubt that the bill would not be approved.

Once he made sure that the bill would be approved and with a large majority at that
by granting a free vote to his own MPs who actually excercised that free vote,
the Prime Minister then had every right to vote according to his principles and opinion.

It would be a sad day indeed for liberty and democracy
if we accept that people have to change their opinions and vote against their principles
if they are in a minority.

.

MaryJo Camenzuli

Jul 17th 2011, 17:28



You are doing precisely that, dictating to the Prime Minister how to vote.
Reread what you wrote.

Parliament enacts laws, not the PM.
Parliament has voted by a very large margin in favour of divorce
after the Prime Minister granted a free vote to his own MPs.

Isn't a vote of 44 - 13 enough?

The Prime Minister, just like you and me, has every right to
vote according to his opinion once he granted a free vote to others
and once he had ensured that the law gets a very large majority.

He also stated that it would have been otherwise
had he had any doubt about the passage of the law.


.

Jonathan Camilleri

Jul 17th 2011, 13:16

How do you mean Mr. Zammit?

Manuel Mantik

Jul 17th 2011, 13:32

wrong! you vote for the person or shall a party be ure mayor?

Mr C Galea

Jul 17th 2011, 14:40

Re Dennis Zammit
Going by your comments Mr Gonzi should also resign? We are all still waiting?Was it not that the PN that called for the referendum so as to be guided? Mr Gonzi did not take heed of those results? I say good luck to Mr Engerer and his choices. If the personal agenda of Gonzi seems to keep him in power so should that of Mr Engerer.

MaryJo Camenzuli

Jul 17th 2011, 17:32



Mr C Galea:

The Prime Ministser has remained true to his own voters
who certainly voted against divorce in a very large measure
and who deserve to be represented in Parliament
as a minority.

Cyrus Engerer certainly didn't stay true to his voters.

They voted for him because they wanted to vote for a Nationalist candidate,
yet he just crossed over to Labour (which he has every right to)
without resigning his seat.

But that's called 'liberal' nowadays.
Need to make several changes to dictionaries worldwide.

.

MaryJo Camenzuli

Jul 17th 2011, 13:14



He says the PM should respect the voters.

"Actions speak louder than words"
and Cyrus Engerer should respect his own voters
and resign his seat
which he got simply because he was on a party ticket.


.

MaryJo Camenzuli

Jul 16th 2011, 20:50



L-għaġeb mhux li qaleb, Mr Camilleri imma li:

1) irid jiddetta lil ħaddieħor kif jivvota, u

2) is-siġġu ta' kunsillier xorta żammu.

.

Mr Charles Bayliss

Jul 17th 2011, 02:53

MaryJo is-siggu fil-kunsill hu tas-Slimizi u mhux tal-partit. Il-PN irid jindahal ukoll fuq bazi lokali wkoll? Politika tinten. Jsta jkun ukoll li Cyrus ma gabx biss voti Nazzjoalisti. Jsta' jkun hemm xi voti min Laburisti li Jew jafuh personali nkela jammirawh ghax Jahdem fl-interess tas-Slimizi kollha.

MaryJo Camenzuli

Jul 17th 2011, 12:14



Mr Bayliss,

Cyrus irid jiddetta lil ħaddieħor x'għandu jagħmel fuq ir-rieda tal-maġġoranza
imma hu l-anqas għandu d-diċenza minima li jagħti kas lil dawk li vvutawlu
u li vvutawlu mhux biss għax kien Cyrus Engerer imma għax kien kandidat tal-PN.

Ladarba qaleb mal-Labour, id-diċenza l-aktar minima titlob li jirriżenja mill-Kunsill.

Imma Cyrus Engerer donnu jħobbu ħafna s-siġġu.

.

Mr Vincent Cassar

Jul 17th 2011, 16:36

Stop talking rubbish Mr Lewis. We all know the real consequences those with a labour tendency had to pay under PN rule both in the 60s and in the period post 987. You are probably one of those who has been on the gravy train for long enough not to feel the injustices done. And by your own reasoning, why not ask John Dalli and others what the consequences were for not abiding 100% to Gonzi??? No wonder the PN is in the current state!

MaryJo Camenzuli

Jul 16th 2011, 17:31


Cyrus Engerer hardliner?
Come on...

C. Cauchi

Jul 17th 2011, 01:13

Finally!! people can now see what going on!!

Ms Anna Callus

Jul 16th 2011, 16:50

I already made reference to this elsewhere but will mention it again. Winston Churchill moved from Conservative to Liberal, and then back again, and managed to hold cabinet posts both in the Liberal Asquith government and, of course, Conservative, under whose umbrella he headed two Governments. The rest is very well known history. So much for political suicide.

MaryJo Camenzuli

Jul 16th 2011, 18:01


Ms Anna Callus:

Cyrus Engerer = Winston Churchill???
Come on...

Just listen to that great man:

About temporary unpopularity in politics,
"You have enemies? Good.
That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life."
"Kites rise highest against the wind - not with it."
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal:
it is the courage to continue that counts…
Never, never, never give up."

About Labour's ideology which Mr Engerer now agrees with,
"The inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries;
the inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings."
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure,
the creed of ignorance, and
the gospel of envy."

.

James Camilleri

Jul 16th 2011, 22:21

Ms Camenzuli - you said in another post that youhave always voted for the PL. A change of heart too now?

MaryJo Camenzuli

Jul 17th 2011, 12:33



James Camilleri:

Please quote me correctly.
I said I 'usually' vote Labour.

I voted PN in 1987 to get rid of the Mintoff/KMB
anti-democratic and illiberal regime
and in 2003 to join the EU
and voted Yes in the EU referendum as well.

I have said as well that I voted No in the divorce referendum
and I am finding that Lawrence Gonzi is a man of integrity
who has seen to it that divorce is approved by a huge majority in Parliament
giving a truly free vote to his own MPs
while personally staying true to his principles.

.

Mr JC Sullivan

Jul 17th 2011, 13:46

at Ms Callus.

Sir Winston was in the UK
This IS Malta

Tony Schembri

Jul 16th 2011, 12:34

Do you really know what 2democgy2 really mentfor Cicero or Abraham Lincoln?

MaryJo Camenzuli

Jul 16th 2011, 12:52



Your comment would be fair
if Mr Engerer had been kicked out,
but he left of his own free will.

He has not even resigned his Local Council seat.

Furthermore,
Mr Engerer has absolutely no right to dictate
to anyone how s/he should think, express him/herself and vote.

'Liberals' never dictate how other people
should form opinions, hold them, express them
and vote according to them.

.

Andy Farrugia

Jul 16th 2011, 13:05

"I have read so many hate comments from Nationalist supporters that I have many doubt that they practise their political ideals, that of CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY. "

Hate comments? Strong disagreement definitely! Can you please provide some evidence of "hate comments" from the threads of this online paper. I am sure you will not find any as the moderator here will not tolerate despicable stuff.

Alfred Mangion

Jul 16th 2011, 13:58

"The three Labour members of the council, former Nationalist Mayor Nikki Dimech, councillor Sandra Camilleri, who recently resigned from the PN, and Mr Cuschieri claimed Mr Engerer lacked maturity and experience. Mr Engerer accused the Labour Party of being “opportunistic” and only paying lip service to issues of involvement of youth in society and tolerance towards diversity". (timesofmalta.com 14.09.2010)
Need one say more???

Mr C Busuttil

Jul 16th 2011, 15:08

Because they REALLY cherish values not like liberals who when the proof of the pudding is in the eating they show their true colours, that is they are the most intolerant of all. As Cyrus said "The PN persists in being conservative" as if being conservative is a crime.

Ramon Casha

Jul 17th 2011, 06:46

No, Mr. Busuttil. Parties are not values and values are not parties. Particularly in Malta, the "values" of a party are mostly determined by whoever is their current leader.

There was a time when MLP was the Jurassic party and PN was relatively liberal and progressive. Then the leaders of both parties changed. Now, PN is the regressive party while PL seems to be the liberal one. PN was first elected after a long period of MLP government on a promise of stamping out corruption. Now it's become the natural home of corruption.

Andy Farrugia

Jul 16th 2011, 11:19

"Il-bniedem jevolvi"; now i wonder which dinosaur actually uttered those words? Alas, my memory is not as good as it used to be! Pity!

Ms G Schembri

Jul 16th 2011, 11:28

If Mr Engerer was so against PL, he must have been very dissappointed in PN to switch sides. Wether he was invited or not is irrelevant, I'm sure no amount of invitations will make you change sides.
Mr Engerer was saying this morning that he thought that PN was progressiv, because as we all know the PN is a good talker, and people tend to believe them, until they have a rude awakening. We expect more people to have this rude awakering in the future. The ruder the awakening the more the chance of these people changing over directly to PL.

Tonio Bone

Jul 16th 2011, 11:10

Good for who? Certainly not for his credibility!

Adele Mintoff

Jul 16th 2011, 10:55

Well said. This shows how irresponsible this young guy is. Very bad impulsive move which shows a 'no character' and if I were JM, I would not want him to be part of my team.

Ms G Schembri

Jul 16th 2011, 11:43

Mr Engerer has been trying to change certain aspects in the PN, he was living in a fool's paradise. The party leadership were telling him that now is not the time to implement these changes. After the referendum, where engerer had joined forces with some leftists in Stand Up, Mr Engerer started to realise that although they professed that everyone has a free choice, his PN collegues were not so welcoming. Dr Gonzi's speech and his undemocratic vote, was the straw that broke the donkey's back, or better still was the trigger of his awakening to the truth that PN are just parole parole parole, but when it comes down to facts they are too arrogant to listen to Cikku u l-poplu.
Maybe Engerer has more guts than others and decided to make a statement, that he believes that the PL are more open to diversity and different points of view, After all M'Louise Coleiro was encouraged to rethink he position not to contest the general election even though she came all out against divorce and said she would abstain on the divorce vote.

MaryJo Camenzuli

Jul 16th 2011, 12:48


Ms G Schembri:

You say everyone has a free choice.
That 'everyone' obviously includes Lawrence Gonzi.

Listen to what you're actually saying and you realize
how anti-democratic and illiberal people like Mr Engerer are:
"We all have the right to form an opinion,
express it and vote according to that opinion,
except Lawrence Gonzi."

Does it sound right?
Of course it doesn't.

Mr Engerer has every right to join another party,
but in doing so he should resign his Sliema Local Council seat
(as he was elected by Nationalist voters, not Labour ones)
and he has absolutely no right to dictate
how other people think, express themselves and vote.

.

Mr leo attard

Jul 16th 2011, 15:37

mr bone, i dont see it as a see-saw situation ----- we all go through stages in which we dont agree with someone without there being any acrimony, so to speak. however, there might arise a situation in which one cannot compromise.... i think Mr Engerer reached the point of the proverbial 'last straw', in this case the inconsistent policy of a leader who first said 'I will respect the will of the majority' and who in the moment of proof did not respect that majority. When you are the leader of a democratic country, you are there to put into practice the will of the majority that gave you that power and not to create your own little game with your own set of rules.... The world is seriously lacking in people who stick to their principles at all costs, except for the principle of Me! Me! Me!

Tonio Bone

Jul 16th 2011, 16:45

I reiterate my position! Mr Engerer had every right to voice his feelings and even ultimately to leave the party if he felt so agrieved, however his decision to offer himself to another party strips him from any credibility.
If you have a spat with your boss and retaliation you go offer yourself to the competition you are deemed unprofessional, if you do the same in politics you than you loose your credibility.
This whether it's done from PN to PL, or PL to PN.

MaryJo Camenzuli

Jul 16th 2011, 18:04


If he were to have a shred of credibility,
he should resign his local council seat
which he got on the Nationalist ticket
through 600 PN voters.


.

Mr leo attard

Jul 16th 2011, 20:50

@MaryJo Camenzuli.....this is the attitude that destroys a country when we believe that a person is voting for a party! You should be voting for principles! Let me explain, if Lawrence Gonzi were to adopt Mintoffian poiicies, PN hardcore supporters will still vote for him because they are voting for a party and not for the ideas! In Cyrus Engerer's view, the PL leader Muscat represents the principles that he, i.e. Engerer, upholds! It would be hypocritical of Engerer to continue to be a part of a party that has betrayed the principles he propounded! Like certain PN MP's who believed that the honoraria was unjust and publicly proclaimed it to be so and yet still voted in its favor! Those are the politician s that we dont need! if you have values, whether PL or PN or whatever, stick to them!

@Tonio Bone....I'll give you another metaphor! If my captain wants to ram his ship into an iceberg and wont listen to any reasoin, then, by all means, I will abandon his ship and take refuge on another! If the people disagree with him, then come next election let them show their feelings. But as I told Ms Camenzuli, let's vote for principles and ideas and not for parties --- it's so stupid!!! it's like treating a political party like a football team ---- supporting the team even when the team consistently gives a bad performance! in sports it's okay to do so, in politics that's a different matter

MaryJo Camenzuli

Jul 16th 2011, 21:22



Mr Leo Attard:

You say:
"You should be voting for principles!"
I agree.
That's why you and Cyrus Engerer are so very wrong
in wanting to dictate to Lawrence Gonzi
to vote AGAINST his principles.


.

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