‘Malta does not need elections but stability’
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said confidence was one of most important aspects in parliamentary life. The country at this time did not need new elections but the stable policies it already had, which attracted investment and guaranteed a good future.
Stability did not mean there could be no dissenting voices in any group. In every circumstance of internal disagreement, the Nationalist Party had always sought the best way forward for the country. Compromise must never undermine guiding principles and values.
Today was another difficult situation of serious disagreement with a government MP. What was different this time was a single fact: the Leader of the Opposition had seen an opportunity to topple the government.
Dr Gonzi said in the circumstances it was clear that Joseph Muscat’s thirst for power was superseding the country’s best interests. He was blackmailing the government not through his own side’s arguments and votes but through others, ading that he could have chosen the way of peace and succumbed to the blackmail. But he refused to bypass the country’s best interests.
In the fourth year of any legislature, major projects would be close to maturity and the opposition had found the government focused on Libya, the euro crisis and other important aspects. This was typical of Labour’s track record of political opportunism.
Dr Gonzi said his own brand of politics was different, one of seeking the people’s confidence without the thought of power being supreme. The PN had never shirked from saying the good and bad, unlike the PL, which always kept its cards close to its chest.
Dr Muscat’s penchant for trying to mislead the House must stop. With the no-confidence motion, Labour had presented another proposing just 75 minutes for the government to debate the matter in spite of Standing Orders giving each speaker a whole hour. This was an effort at guillotine at a time when the Arab world had discovered freedom of expression. This behaviour reminded him of the worst times of Socialism.
The Leader of the Opposition had not had the decency to say that the previous motion of confidence in November had been preceded by bilateral talks on allocation of time. Both sides had agreed on one sitting for the whole debate.
Dr Gonzi said the House was debating the motion after comments made by Nationalist MP Franco Debono. He had thought long about such comments and agreed with them, including constitutional and judicial reform which were also mentioned in the President’s speech.
Justice reform was on the table right now. The constitutional reform, including party financing, was stopped because the opposition had decided to withdraw its participation in the select committee. Even if the PN did not agree with all proposed reforms he would remain open to discussion.
He could not agree with Dr Debono’s methods. Every MP must not only make his points in the best way he thought fit but within limits.
Dr Gonzi said he was and would continue to be ready to make every MP feel he belonged to the party. But if the opposition’s motion passed he would go straight to the President and propose an early election.
Malta should not reach that point. He remained optimistic and hopeful.
The most important question was the motivation behind the motion. Labour was not interested in the consequences for the country. Dr Gonzi said he would have been much more worried if the motion had been made on grounds of unemployment, or lack of trust in Malta on the part of the EU, the IMF or financial markets, or failure in education or any other economic or financial sector.
Labour simply wanted the government to move out of the way. To Dr Muscat, Malta needed a new era, like Greece, but results from all quarters gave him the lie. He was interested only in virtual reality. What Malta needed was to know more about his proposed policies for increased competitiveness and a better future.
While Dr Muscat had been addressing his party’s general conference on Sunday, the government had been preparing for next week’s EU summit on sanctions against Iran and its threats that would impact Malta and oil prices. It had been exploring progress on the interconnector grid with Europe, whether the new turbines of the power station extension could be started earlier and how to help Air Malta, which was already showing good signs of progress.
Concluding, Dr Gonzi said it would have been much better to have a more constructive dialogue with the opposition’s participation and discuss alternatives and concrete policies. But, again, the government had been faced with perfect silence because the opposition’s only interest was to win the vote. Malta deserved much better.
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Ivan Esposito
Jan 28th, 22:50
Listening to the voice of one person is the essence of Democracy. Let's be mature and not be afraid of having governments with one seat majorities. Maybe the electorate voted for that in order not to let a greater majority in seats get to the winning party's head!
What we should address is how an 8000 vote majority leads to three less seats than the losing party and a 1500 vote majority leads to a one seat majority for the winners in two different elections.
We should ensure that every vote cast is truly representative.
We should ensure that the ID cards are up to date. We should also ensure that people coming from abroad to vote, truly have the necessary criteria to vote.
That hospital patients can vote in hospital and avoid the farce of seing stretchers being carried into polling booths.
There so many more important things than a one seat majority.
Noel Mifsud
Jan 28th, 08:47
Impressjonanti kif twahhal f kulhadd u f kollox u int xejn lol. Msieken PN twikkew bil. Mela l krizi ta Malta mhux tort tat tmexxija tirghek imma tal krizi internazzjonali. Umbghad bdejt tghid li fil 2009 kien hawn krizi imma bis sahha tieghek hrigna minnha u bis sahha tieghek int hadt 500 euro fil gimgha. U id dejn sur PM kif qed jitla kull sena, qabel kont tati is sussidju fuq id dawl issa nehhejtu u xorta tela id dejn, kont tati sussidju fuq it tarzna u xorta tela, tghidlix li din mhux tort ta gvern inkompetenti ta. U l weghdi tal l elezzjoni x sar minnhom, daqwn tort tal krizi, xol garantit lit tarzna u lil airmalta, dahqa ohra eletorali. Tat taxxa mhux tbissima imma kummiedja,fuq Disett ghedt wara l elezzjoni ezatt ta 2 days wara, tat taxxa namluha mal ewwel ghax dik tati spinta lil ekonomija, wara 4 snin ghedt li ma tistax isir. Liema wiehed int tal 2008 and 2011 meta ghedta. Tajjar lil joseph bil kilba ghal poter, ara veru ma tisthix minn nies ta ghax il kilba int nahseb ghandek, ghax ma ghandekx maggoranza warajk u bqajt iggranfat. Nipsera li ghal darba tkun sincier mal poplu u taghmel dak li hu mistenni minnek.
Juanella Azzopardi
Jan 27th, 22:17
J.A.
The truth is that in Malta we exalt our political leaders to the status of gods and they become our ‘saviours’ who will rescue our country from all its woes, they themselves project themselves as such, more so during an election campaign. Small wonder this party spirit divides families almost permanently.
This cannot be right, because leaders have ‘clay feet’ and are bound to disappoint, especially their own. Only the Creator is All knowing and All Perfect, (and even He disappoints our expectations!)
Politicians, and their inner circle, are hungry for power because it gives a perceived or real feeling of being a god, with all its trappings; however, it is also true that the higher the pedestal one raises him/herself upon, the harder and more painful the fall will be.
Everybody would like to see their team win, there is nothing like that adrenalin rush one gets from this, and inversely no worse feeling then when your team loses. What is sad is that to bring about the desired outcome we bend, twist or utterly ignore the game rules.
Whether with a landslide or marginal victory, the party in power is going to be judged as having done well by just half the population. Even more so if, for a significant number of that half, the pre election promised personal favours have been delivered. The other half keeps hoping and working for their turn to balance the scales, eventually.
Victor Vella
Jan 27th, 15:45
The above photo shows the face of a weary person devoid of energy but full of hypocrisy glut for power, inconsistency, corruption, and incompetency. Now he is a zero like the KMB that the PN used to call. 34-34=0.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Jan 27th, 15:33
Stating the obvious.
In Malta we have two major, equally divided political parties, producing electoral results with razor thin majorites and weak governments often with a majority of only one parliamentary seat. This seat acquires a disproportionate, unmerited and anti-democratic power to subvert the will of the majority of the electorate, and its parliamentary representation, by handing over to one single individual the power to make and unmake the democratically elected government.
Premature elections, precipitated by the defection from the governing party of one single disloyal MP, do not solve the inherent problem of unstable governments. They perpetuate the problem. The true motive for the agitation for premature elections is not to increase stability - it is the undisguised lust for power by the party that happens to occupy the opposition benches at that particular time.
The only practical solution, as I see it, is to afford a safe margin of seats to the political party that acquires a just democratic majority of votes. As a result, the duly elected government, and the electorate as a whole, would never again be at the mercy of a single maverick MP pushing his own selfish agenda whilst pretending to be acting in the name of the democratic majority.
Such an arrangement would be just and proper no matter which party now occupies the government or opposition benches - it is therefore non partisan, for those who understand what that word means.
Carmel Zammit
Jan 27th, 17:39
I fully understand your opinion and the spirit in which it is presented but sorry I do not think that such a solution would in the end guarantee democracy.
Representation should remain directly proportional to cast valid votes otherwise people lose their true proportional representation. People should continue to enjoy the ability to express their resent when certain members fail. I understand your pain but parliaments are not above the people.
Without in anyway entering into partisan politics I refer to one instance of misrepresentation in the not too distant past. One particular minister considered himself above all other members of parliament and the house and went as far as justifying his bulldozing since the government had a majority of 5 members. Imagine if this numerical advantage would have been the result of a bonus system. How painful it would have been for all. In my opinion people should garner more power not lose it. May be its time a debate starts on this thorny issue but it is important that the debate should involve all society.
Gianninu Saliba
Jan 27th, 19:38
Dr. Saliba, there is a simpler way of resolving the problem. The electoral law needs to be changed for the electorate to vote for the political party and not individuals. The political parties are to have a list of say, 65 possible MPs and the Party is to list them in order of preference. Hence if the party obtains 51% of the votes cast, than that Party will have the first 33 'candidates' elected as MPs. As soon as one rebels, the 34th on the list takes his place. Let's be honest, in Malta, we vote for the Party and not the individual. This type of election will be fair for all political parties, so if AD obtain one percent of the votes cast, they will have one MP.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Jan 28th, 00:39
@ Carmel Zammit.
Do not mix strict proportional represenrtation with a functionasl democracy - most democratic countries do mot have strict proportional representation and they function better than our government when the institution of parliament is, in practice, held hostage by one renegade MP from the party in government. That is not a government by the people for the people. That is a slavish government held hostage to the personal ambition of one solitary renegade member of parliament who has no valid claim to represent any majority of the electorate. That is a plain statement of fact not partisan politics - in fact both the major political parties have been victims to the present situation.
James Tyrrell
Jan 29th, 13:33
"the electorate as a whole, would never again be at the mercy of a single maverick MP pushing his own selfish agenda whilst pretending to be acting in the name of the democratic majority." This is something you seem to have a problem with yet you have no problem with a single maverick Prime Minister pushing his own selfish agenda whilst pretending to be acting in the name of the democratic majority!
Jay Oatmon
Jan 27th, 15:03
DeBono made a mistake in not voting against Gonzi - then we would at least have a chance at a change from the 'do nothing all the time' or 'muddling through' lack of vision this government shows us.
W Cassar
Jan 27th, 14:27
I agree with the headline...but if you can't guarantee stability then you need elections ....simple!
pat muscat
Jan 27th, 14:11
WE need democracy, a normal democratic country, and stability.The truth is that you have lost your majority-majority has now become a taboo in GonziPn lingo- and stubbornly want to stick to the seat at Castille at all costs! Call elections now; the half quota you won in the last election has evaporated. Don't be a bad loser!
Michael Sciortino
Jan 27th, 13:52
Democracy is a precious gift to any nation to be cherised and defended. Democracy is the expression of the people through free and fair elections, stability or not.
Michael Magri
Jan 27th, 13:49
Il-pozizzjoni kif narha jiena hijja hekk:-
Qabel il-votazzjoni ta sfiducja = PN 35 - PL 34
Wara r-rizultat tal-votazzjoni = PN 34 - PL 34 - PNPL(?) 1 (Debono irrezenja mil-PN ukoll)
Hadd Ma Jista Jghid Li Ghandu l-Maggoranza Parlamentari ghax il-vot ta li Speaker ma jghoddx bhal dak ta membru parlamentari, ghax mhux imtella bil-vot tal-poplu = Allura Elezzjoni fil qrib hijja eminenti... Period..
J Demicoli
Jan 27th, 13:38
There was once this man who was constantly showing signs of exhaustion and fatigue. He never seemed to admit it but it was clear that his health was regressing by the hour and his days were numbered before what could be his sudden death.
Despite his protests and opposition, his family around him wanted to get a bill of health for their beloved father.
Despite certifying him terminally ill the doctor stopped short of saying the man would better think of giving a good handing over as he was no longer fit to do his business.
Being naïve as he was, the man took this to mean a clear bill of health and immediately scoffed his family for ever think that he was even sick. Soon he was on his way to another holiday which left his family wondering ……..
Keep it up Franco, you showed everybody that your bill of health of the party in government is written on the wall for those who have the courage to read it!!
Charles Massa
Jan 27th, 12:45
U hallina Gonzi ma ghadx ghankek maggoranza. Warrab minn nofs qable iwarbek il poplu
Emanuel. Vella.
Jan 27th, 12:12
sur onorevoli priministru,id-djalogu mhux ma l-oppozizzjioni trid taghmlu,imma ma dr.franco debono.mill-lum 27-1-11il-quddiem,kull mozzjoni li ha titressaq fil-parlament,dr.franco debono ha jiddeciedi jekk taddhiex jew le,mhux inti,int issa tlift il-maggoranza anke fil-parlament,u ftakar ukoll ghax din importanti,li il-pn f 2008 tela fil-gvern b 49%.
R. Gauci
Jan 27th, 11:35
'Only stable Government can bring economic prosperity'
Saviour Cachia
Jan 27th, 11:19
2012, the year when for the coming six months Europe (or Eurozone) will be hit by a recession. In contrast Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi is depicting Malta as a heaven on earth. He has at least one back bencher Franco Debono very disgruntled and is expecting Gonzi PN Government and its clique to move in the directions he proposed and that those Minister who failed should make way. What's really going to happen in Malta in 2012, business as usual..perhaps for those around Gonzi, not for the Maltese and Gozitan people, because their pockets are being emptied all the more, despite Gonzi's boasting. Heaven, I am in heaven,...and should count my blessings. Oh, has i gone mad. I do not know, perhaps those bigger number of people falling under the poverty lines and most institutions, can confirm or not. Do we need early general elections or lump Gonzi to the last of the legislature and see miracles all around us?
Francis Saliba M.D.
Jan 27th, 11:02
Joseph Muscat and Franco Debono are exposed as inveterate rivals blinded by personal ambitions joining their efforts out of desperate necessity to become strange uncomfortable bedfellows in an unholy alliance to obstruct the duly elected democratic government of Malta from devoting its energies to the grave problems that really matter - maintaining job security and our standard of living, today higher than ever before, in the face of an impending world wide recession.
Neither Muscat nor Debono are really concerned with creating stability and providing a solution. Their combined political shenanigans, artificially contrived, are the real problem
James Tyrrell
Jan 27th, 13:24
Listen to yourself, "the grave problems that really matter - maintaining job security and our standard of living." Talk to the workers at Air Malta with regard to job security and talk to the rest of the Maltese population about their standard of living. The only job security Gonzi cares about is his own and as has already been seen with the secret 500 Euros pay raise the standard of living of himself and his ministers is high on his list of priorities as well!
Francis Saliba M.D.
Jan 27th, 14:25
@ James Tyrrel.
Your comment is irrelevant because the tribulations of the workers at Air Malta, and all other workers in Malta, are being tackled by this government with a success that is being recognised in reputable international fora. The artificial instability being drummed up by Franco Debono in league with the MLP can only aggravate a grave economic problem thrust upon us from abroad.
I have not yet started to lose my mental faculties to the extent of listening to my own voice or to fail to appreciate today's standard of living, under this government, when compared to the belt-tightening third world standard of living imposed on the Maltese nation by a grinning Mintoff at the approach of the Christmas and New Year seasons.
James Tyrrell
Jan 27th, 17:35
As I always say Francis the Maltese get what they deserve and if you are prepered to support him you deserve all you get.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Jan 28th, 11:20
@ James Tyrrel.
The Maltese do not always get what they deserve. For five years the majority of the Maltese electorate (myself included) rejected the MLP and did not deserve that KMB government, nevertheless that is what we "got" and that is what we risk getting again if a younger electorate, or their forgetful elders, take that risk with the same people, relics from that era.
James Tyrrell
Jan 28th, 13:56
So Francis you prefer to have Gonzi and his bunch of merry men in charge do you? Do one thing for me Francis, justify for me the 500 Euros a week that your Government ministers took for themselves behind the backs of people like yourself who voted them in. If someone puts their hand in my pocket and takes money out of it that I have worked for honestly that is called theft. In what way is what Gonzi did any different? As I said you people deserve all you get.
Chris Abela
Jan 27th, 10:44
Jekk issir elezzjoni issa ma nkunux qed inharsu l-gid tal pajjiz imma biex naqtghu ix xewqa ta Muscat li jghamel kampanja ghal elezzjoni u jerga jiprova jirbaha wara 25 sena! ejjew ha nkompli nahdmu mela nahlu zmien !!!!
Michael Sciortino
Jan 27th, 10:38
The heading - ‘Malta does not need elections but stability’ is grossly misleading. This heading would indicate a very undemocratic stance of the Prime Minister. Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of democracy. In actual fact the PM qualified this statement with 'at this time' as stated in the body of the article.
The need for 'stability' has served as an excuse for countless dictators such as Pinochet in Chile who suppressed democracy under the pretext of bringing stability to the country.
Ramon Casha
Jan 27th, 10:28
Malta needs elections to have stability.
B Borg
Jan 27th, 10:05
Malta do need a new prime minister, say well over the 50%
A.M. Galea
Jan 27th, 09:54
Mr Prime Minister , when a government is instable because he no longer has the majority of his own members in parlament , the only option he has is to go for a general election , otherwise he will be contributing to create more instability to the detriment of our country . Let's say that the Prime Minister is right that now it is not the right time for a general election , but is it the right time to our country to have instability in it's government ? This is a knife that cuts from both ends . That is why , that the right decision has to be made in the interest of our country and not in the interest of any political party .
If we go to a general election the instability will go on during the political campaign , but as soon as the results of that election is known , and a new government is elected the situation will become stable . If in the event that the same government will be re-elected , all instability will vanish and bussness will carry on as usual . On the other hand , if the electorate decide to give a chance to the Labour Party to govern this country , instability will vanish too . One thing is for sure , the government cannot function properly without having the majority of his own deputies behind him .
Ms Xaxa Caruana
Jan 27th, 09:33
@Gonzi
U zgurrrrrrr li Malta deserves much better. Biddel id-diska Gonzi, tibqax twahhal fil PL ghad dgerfix qawwi li ghandek madwarek. Mossa tajjba min Debono kienet li jastjeni ghax tefek in big shoot.
victor caruana
Jan 27th, 09:21
elezzjoni ggib stability..,,,