My father would have wanted us to work for his ideals, not cry for him - Mintoff Bland
File picture: Yana Mintoff Bland.
Yana Mintoff Bland, Dom Mintoff's daughter, said today that rather than tears for his loss, her father would have wanted his supporters to work for his ideals.
Speaking in a One TV interview, Ms Mintoff Bland thanked the hundreds of people who had expressed their condolences to the family.
"My father would not not want us to weep over his loss but to work for his ideals, which included his love for the workers. He hated laziness and prejudice," she said.
Although Mr Mintoff was no longer present in body, his spirit lived on through his beliefs in equal rights, justice, equal opportunities and good working conditions, she said.
She said it had always been her father's dream to have a Malta free of foreign interference and military bases, a country which created jobs and provided social services.
Ms Mintoff Bland – who used to live abroad – said she was grateful for the last two years she had lived with him in Malta. She expressed appreciation to Mr Mintoff's carers, doctors and therapist and said that every day was a victory. She said that in his last moments she had told him that he had worked hard, and now he deserved to rest.
MINTOFF'S LAST MOMENTS
Fr Dionysius Mintoff described his older brother's last moments.
He said that up to 2 p.m. yesterday he was weak and his breathing was shallow. But he then recovered well and started talking.
He then told his daughters that he was tired and asked them to draw the curtains so that he could sleep. They did so, he went to sleep and passed away.
Mr Mintoff passed away around 8.30 p.m. yesterday. He was 96.
Fr Mintoff praised Mr Mintoff's daughters Anne and Yana and said it was through their love and dedicated 24-hour care, particularly in the past two years, that he was able to live for so long.
The Times will tomorrow feature a series of interviews with people who were close to the former prime minister.
BOOK OF CONDOLENCE
The Labour Party said a Book of Condolence will be open in the foyer of its headquarters in Hamrun tomorrow between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. and on Thursday from 8.30 am. to 3 p.m.
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Mr Andrew Camilleri
Aug 22nd 2012, 18:19
Yana, where were you in the 70s and 80s while the Maltese people were being deprived of their right to have an opinion, being brainwashed by Xandir Malta, beaten up by labour party thugs aided and assisted by 'police' trained by North Koreans, printing presses burnt down or attempting to shut them down, the violence, the cruelty and the spite fomented by class hatred. Oh yes, of course, you and your sister and your children were safely away in democratic England. How convenient of you to now come and preach to us.
Ms Xixi Caruana
Aug 22nd 2012, 23:11
I totally agree ... But this is not the right moment. Easier said than done, but we need to forgive...
George Azzopardi
Aug 22nd 2012, 13:13
His spirit is still with us and will never go away! I remember one of his quotes and this referes to many who bogged hatred against him during the past days including the famous personalities who are practically sinking PN with their hated bloggs, even more since GonziPN is doing nothing to stop them and have not spoken out against these hated bloggs!!! To these people Mr.Mintoff has learnt us this famous phrase.
... If you do not forgive someone then you're being cruel
... but if you forget what he has done then you're being ignorant.
Forgive but never forget!!
Hossam Helwani
Aug 22nd 2012, 11:58
This is another fantastic story of the emperors new clothes. Everyone is doing his best not to say anything which might get one into a mess at this very sensitive moment. We are trying to make this terrible man look like a kind benevolent and very generous man. Look how he lived? Look at his huge house and villa in dellimara! I would wonder if Gonzi lived like him, the media would blast him off his shoes. Yet mintoff can get away with it. And what about his personal enormous fortune?
This reminds me of scrooge in the Christmas carol of Dickens. Malta l ewwel u qabel kollox indeed!!! have we forgotten the compensation he scrounged from the Maltese coffer lm360 000 in compensation for the ruined view of his dellimara villa? Did he compensate anyone when he took property using force and bullying tactics? Did he apologise for going to the share holders of national bank at night and threatening them with all kinds of physical abuse? Did he compensate this newspaper for burning it down after so many attempts to silence it down? Did he compensate or bring anyone to justice when lejber ransacked Eddie Fenech Adami's residence? Did he lift a finger when xandir Malta did not even mention Eddie Fenech Adami's name then leader of the opposition? No he didnt. We recognise a man from his deeds , and his deeds show what he was made of. Unfortunately the size of this nation produces a small nucleus of people with mixed feelings. We vote for a party not because of its policies but through popularity similar to that of football fans. This is disastrous for a small society because people will never use their brains but their emotions. And here we are, we have a chunk of our society which will go screaming and howling at a loss of a person whereas they should be rejoicing as most did in other countries.
Unfortunately for some people they fail to read between the lines and their subtle comments about mintoff. I will never mark him as a great man , he was a terrible man and I am glad he is gone and like others may we never forget his existence so as to deter us from others like him again.
R. Cilia
Aug 22nd 2012, 15:31
Hossam, read the comments of Nick Carter, Ronnie Callus and Philip Mizzi below.
So what if Dr.Gonzi does not live in a villa? He still had a 600 euros weekly raise for 3 years behind your back! M'ghandux biex jixtri villa jekk irid?
A. MICALLEF
Aug 22nd 2012, 19:00
Hossam Helwani - You may wish whatever you like, but what Mintoff has done is IRREVERSABLE
you have to live and die with it. No more privileged society ,only thanks to Dom Mintoff.
Next Saturday you will be able to see for yourself what Dom Mintoff meant to us Maltese and
why we call him the father of the Nation, then you will realise that what your filthy comments
are O value.
Alfred Vassallo
Aug 24th 2012, 08:06
''he was a terrible man and I am glad he is gone and like others may we never forget his existence so as to deter us from others like him again''.
You want to know who REALLY was terrible ehh?? Archbishop Gonzi that's who. By whose right did he impose 'the mortal sin' on whoever voted labour EH? Tell me? Robbing the mlp of a victory in the polls.
And as you we are all glad thar he is gone. The fact is we are all sorry that he ever existed.
michael catania
Aug 24th 2012, 21:27
Mr helwani
my suggestion to you is to pack your bags and migtate to some wholesome conservative country
jonathan saliba
Aug 22nd 2012, 11:15
his beliefs in equal rights, justice, equal opportunities and good working conditions??????????????????
ye right............
Charles Attard
Aug 22nd 2012, 10:49
Very well said Yana, please accept my condolencies from here DownUnder.
Nick Carter
Aug 22nd 2012, 10:26
As a British person who lived in Malta in the 1960S and who has studied Maltese 20th century history I have to respect Dom Mintoff as a politician. He did fight for the withdrawal of British troops. This he managed to do and increase the money paid whilst they remained - an act of pure genius. Especially as in the late sixties the then Maltese government was complaining about the British rundown being faster than been planned. it should also be remembered that when he came to power in 1971 the defence agreement in force was to run until 1974 and then be renewed. If the British had left in 1974 - unlikely but possible then economically this would have been a real problem. So the British stayed longer but gave mintoff the money needed for his programme of reforms. As I said above pure genius. Makes our present day politicians look rather weak!
Ronnie Callus
Aug 22nd 2012, 10:16
Kieku wiehed kellu jevalwa daqsxejn u jara x'tilef matul iz-zmienijiet isib kemm kull haddiem kien sinjur zghir bis-sahha tal-Perit Mintoff. Jekk thares biss lejn il-permessi biex tibni bizzejjed; - Servizz ta' ilma u dawl sa' mitt pied kien b'xejn, Elettriku, Gas u fuel is-sussiddjat, Childrens allowance ghal kulhadd, etc; etc;. Niftakar wiehed johrog jghidilna li 'Xejn mhu b'Xejn' u hekk se' nkomplu nigu ghax anke biex tinqeda f' Pubblic Convenience' ghad nigu li nhallsu kif ukoll ta' affarijiet ohra biex nigu zgur Ewropej f'dawn ! imma mhux fil-PAGI. Eh jahasra kemm urewna mod u sibna mod iehor fejn ghandna Ewropa li hadd mhu l-kmand tieghu innifsu imma kollha kif jaqblilhom huma.
Steve Pace
Aug 22nd 2012, 08:54
I grew up as a staunch Nationalist. My admiration towards him is based on his courage to work on the separation of the state and the church, notwithstanding the immense difficulties he and other labour people went through by the interdiction and so many other medieval tactics used by the church at that time . The same tactics we see today.
One good thing came out of the church's vile tactics in the divorce referendum and now in the IVF issue. They actually nourished in me the belief that what i learnt when i was young was almost all a ile. I actually learned to appreciate what Mintoff and his followers must have gone through. in times where i did not exist or was too young .
Most of his ideals are nowadays entrenched in the legislation in some form or another. However it scares me to read that we should still work for his ideals. He did a great job ( subject to interpretation ) during his time, but now it is time to move on and follow newer ideals. We cannot leave one foot in the past and the other moving on. May he rest in peace and so may his legacy. He is definitely a historically important person as were others like Boffa, Borg Olivier, Manuel DImech. But that is his place now. In history. It will be very hard for the many followers he has, but time will heal. We will always remember him in either good ways or bad ways . Many books and controversies will still be with us for many years to come however he too will fade in the past as others did as generations change and the young grow up to a new world.
My sincere condolences to his family and i believe it will be my very first state funeral i will be attending. At least for one time in my life i will try to catch a glimpse of this immense personality.
Jason Attard
Aug 22nd 2012, 08:35
Eternal rest grant unto him o Lord...
ALBINO ELLUL
Aug 22nd 2012, 02:14
ASK THE PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR HOUSES IN MARSA ROAD SOME 30 YEARS AGO HOW MUCH JUSTICES THEY GOT FROM MR. MINTOFF STILL NO COMPENSATION FOR MOST OF THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE OF DIFFERENT COLOUR .HOPE HE IS RESTING IN PEACE NEAR MY FATHER
Mr F J Brincat
Aug 22nd 2012, 08:06
Mr Ellul, while I do feel for people who have had their land expropriated from them under any government, I also have to point out that for the last 25 years there has been a PN government - so there was plenty of time for compensation from the ones with the same colours.
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Aug 22nd 2012, 15:35
Mr Brincat, when your property is stolen, no amount of compensation will make up for that loss. Mintoff's government made a lot of injustices were property was concerned - especially by requsitioning property to give to the party boys. Many families are still suffering from this, especially when they see their property being occupied by third parties, paying very low rent and even more when members of the family have to spend thousands to buy property.
Philip Mizzi
Aug 22nd 2012, 02:07
Mintoff has passed away, but his work will stay and will remain here very long after we are all gone. He left living monuments that are still very much alive and active today. These monuments have all been adopted and improved by all subsequent governments, keeping Mintoff's work alive.
Some of these monuments as you have guessed are free education for all, free health for all, pensions for all and all the other social services we enjoy today. Of equal importance is Air Malta, Freeport, the Republican Constitution, the riddance of foreign military base, political respectability by foreign countries, eradication of poverty, recognition of Malta on the political map, neutrality, separation of state and church, etc.
Malta just lost one of its finest sons.
Andrea Sammut
Aug 22nd 2012, 00:57
Dom Mintoff believing in equal rights? Sigh...
m borg
Aug 22nd 2012, 13:54
You should thank god that you enjoyed the childrens allowance and get a pension one day not ending up in a dump if you are useless.
Pule' Carmel
Aug 22nd 2012, 00:18
I personally did not agree with my father's ideals, but I respected his rights to have what I thought were the wrong ideas.I cried for him because he was my father, and that all I cared for and so I cried.
Mintoff in my opinion was like Robin Hood, who did well as long as there were rich people around. Mintoff, others and the general worker's Union, did well while the British were around but they lost their lustre and their teeth when the British left, as when they bit, they bit their own flesh.
Mintoff meant well and he was an honest man, but he was only a messenger passing the workers' demands to the British Crown which responded well while it lasted. After that it was a different situation. But this is no time to talk politics. Mintoff was a good man and had the right personality for the days Malta went through. For that he must be respected and honoured.
J Mizzi
Aug 22nd 2012, 00:04
He hated laziness and prejudice," she said
Unfortunately for hard working middle class, Mintoff's socialism promoted laziness, as the hard working were equal to the lazy and lower class of society. Not to mention the Lorry Sant saga were many including Mintoff did nothing about (ring ring property theft).
Please don't throw this manure at us!! This is 2012 not 1972!!
Joe Portelli
Aug 22nd 2012, 10:45
Absolurley , right on all points - attempting to capitalize on sympathy to launch into local politics is what we smell along with dirty manure hands - actions that were below Mr Mintoff ideals. I hope I am wrong, but it is suspecious in my view, that some people have no heart or sympathy, when they dont even want time to greif but launch into political activism.
E. Vassallo
Aug 22nd 2012, 16:53
Spot on!!!The hardest hit under Mintoff was the middle class.
Alfred Spiteri
Aug 21st 2012, 23:39
Dom Mintoff was the best Prime Minister for Malta Rest In Peace
stephen mifsud
Aug 21st 2012, 23:19
Yana what an amazing father you had in life and in his death he will live on in all our hearts who believs in his wishes for Malta and the Maltese thank you for sharing his wishes to us and i for one will always will do my outmost for his dreams to continue to come to fruit for the,workers ... i want to thank you and your sister for,doing an outstanding job to care for,your father for the last 2. years and he was a rock till the end ... and now he rests a well deserved rest and he is with my father and many others that love him in heaven so i am sure its pretty noisy up there with all his friends chatting it up ... God Bless your family god bless malta and its people and God Bless Domink Mintoff ...
sincerly
Stephen Mifsud
Charles.C. Brown
Aug 21st 2012, 22:58
There will be no other Mintoff for him Malta was truley first and formost, a true patriot. RIP Dumink and grazzi for the wealth you created in your beloved Malta and all the maltese people.
Paul Giordimaina
Aug 22nd 2012, 10:32
Thanks Got for that Mr Brown
A. Attard
Aug 21st 2012, 22:04
may u rest in peace!! u worked so hard for us...its time for u to get yourself some rest...thank u again from the bottom of our hearts!
carmel callus
Aug 21st 2012, 21:49
I will certainly not cry for him. Was he really a "salvatur" as some banners on TV claimed yesterday, or a "traditur" as many labourites called him in Bormla 14 years ago?
J. Camilleri
Aug 21st 2012, 21:41
A great man of honor! RIP
Philip Mizzi
Aug 21st 2012, 21:34
Mintoff has passed away, but his work will stay and will remain here very long after we are all gone. He left living monuments that are still very much alive and active today. These monuments have all been adopted and improved by all subsequent governments, keeping Mintoff's work alive.
Some of these monuments as you have guessed are free education for all, free health for all, pensions for all and all the other social services we enjoy today. Of equal importance is Air Malta, Freeport, the Republican Constitution, the riddance of foreign military base, political respectability by foreign countries, eradication of poverty, recognition of Malta on the political map, neutrality, separation of state and church, etc.
Malta just lost one of its finest sons.
Joe Portelli
Aug 21st 2012, 20:58
Dom Mintoff was a great socialist, he was clever and cunning, often frustrated by the situation mainly that of external and foreign authority, he was also reminded from time to time, by Mountbatten that he was Mountbattens Son , even when Mr Mintoff was in fact the Maltese Prime Minister - but Mintoff was dedicate, passionate and above all, objective, because despite all this - he never embarked on activists ideals like throwing cow dung to the London house of Parliament. Perhaps that is an ideal that hould also be rememebed. Rest In Peace - they are all waiting for you. God Bless.
Joe Portelli
Aug 21st 2012, 21:52
Dom Mintoff was a great socialist, he was clever and cunning, often frustrated by the situation mainly that of external and foreign authority, he was also reminded from time to time, by Mountbatten that he was Mountbatten's COOK's Son , even when Mr Mintoff was in fact the Maltese Prime Minister - but Mintoff was dedicate, passionate and above all, objective, because despite all this - he never embarked on activists ideals like throwing cow dung to the London house of Parliament. Perhaps that is an ideal that should also be remembered. Rest In Peace - they are all waiting for you. God Bless
PN Mr Mintoff's senior (Dom's father) was a loyal Royal Navy Cook , perhaps one of the best as Mountbatten seem to have kept him servicing highest ranking officers.
Michael Gatt
Aug 21st 2012, 20:53
Dear Miss Yana Mintoff, if we would follow some invaluable advise from your family and work towards your ideals, Malta will end up being another 'Venezuela' today. So thanks, but no thank you.
Karl Consiglio
Aug 22nd 2012, 00:29
Ezatt.
Eddy Privitera
Aug 21st 2012, 20:48
After all the work for our country and people, Dom deserved passing away so peacefully. God grant him the eternal rest he so richly deserves !
Joe Mallia
Aug 21st 2012, 21:39
Socialist ha tibqa Sur Privitera imma sar joghbok il konsumerizmu ukoll. Il perit ma tantx jiehu pjacir bik ghax dan imur kontra dak kollu li bellaghawlu Mosca ul hbieb ta siehbek l'iehor Sciberras Trigona. Is Socializmu kien japplika biss ghall poplu ghax il klikka kienu jghixu mod iehor. Qishom tal politburo. Ic cappcipa kien jonqosqhom!
Anthony Scicluna
Aug 22nd 2012, 07:45
It is the best way to go, quiet and peacefully in one's sleep.
I was never a fan of Mintoff BUT this is a time for reconciliation not division and for respecting the feelings of those who admired him. 'Lunghi giorni' to his family, friends and admirers.
Jimmy Magro
Aug 21st 2012, 20:44
Whatever they say about Mr. Mintoff he remains part of Malta's positive history. He was the man that led the nation through many challenges and created the middle class in Malta. There are thousands of persons who know their wealth to him through the new employment opportunities that were created during the seventies, the social housing programmes, and the creation of the welfare state including free health care for all.
Mr. Mintoff laid the foundations for future generations through his great vision, dedication, hard work and sympathy for the lower class.
Of course there had been some mistakes, but overall his mision was to drive in fast forward to see a developed nation that could take part in all international fora equal to other nations.
All leaders, through their decisions, create enemies. This is a natural process in times of rapid changes that can be described as a silent red revolution.
Leadership is making the best for the many and not for the few. This is what Mr. Mintoff had done.
Ronnie Callus
Aug 22nd 2012, 00:09
@ Jimmy Magro:
Hundred percent correct Jimmy. Malta has seen a lot of opportunities through Mintoff's initiatives. Take the case of the air pilots and crew, aeroplanes' engineers, sea Malta pilots and crew, a large number of ex-students found in various trades even in management, thanks for the Trade Schools opened by Dom.Mintoff administration, Gozo channel pilots and crew, Shipbuilding management and crane drivers, Trailer drivers to transport containers full of work through the industries built, instead of depending on the English Services and many others. Mintoff worked for the less imaged people up to the top. He created the middle class which never exits and gave the rod to the people and not the fish. He was an expert in management and a great orator apart from working on Jesus Christ's lessons ( who was finally crucified) and afterwards they said he was a great man. The same for Mintoff where there were cases when through instigations by the opposite party leaders, their people swear to crucify him as well. May this great leader spirits remain among us to do the best for our country. RIP DUMINK.
Lesley Darmanin
Aug 22nd 2012, 07:59
I do not think Dom Mintoff created the middle class at all, Mr Magro. On the contrary, anyone who lived under his despotic rule would remember how he fostered class hatred between the working and middle classes. Socialism, by its very nature, is based jealousy and class struggle and he exploited that to the full. If half of what is being said about Mintoff is true, how come the Labour Party has been practically kept out of office for a quarter of a century. One thing we can be grateful to Dom Mintoff is that his legacy led to successive years of Nationalist governments that saw Malta become an EU member, instead of a Gaddafi satellite. No Mr. Magro, Mintoff did not create the middle class. In fact it is the middle class that has been keeping his atrocious party out of office for so long.
Ronnie Callus
Aug 22nd 2012, 09:08
@ Lesley Darmanin:
Ma naqbel xejn mieghek fuq dak li qed tghid rigward il-klassi tal-Haddiem, Huma hafna dawk li ikkummentaw posittivament rigward Mintoff, sa' Dr.Fenech Adami u Dr.Gonzi. Li tigi tghid ghax kieku il-Partit tal-PN ma kienx ikun ilu kwazi 25 sena fil-Gvern, Biss taf x'maghadtx kemm ghamiltulu weghdi firha u fil-vojt u kemm ghabbejtu lil poplu bid-dejn ma' semmejt xejn. Iz-zaghzagh fil-maggoranza qed jghixu gurnata b'gurnata u mhux fir-realta. Staqsihom kemm qed iggemmu flus ghal quddiem. Nahseb lanqas jafu x'inhi. Staqsi lil dawk li tilfu l-jobs, mill- Air Malta, Drydocks, TeleMalta, Shipbuilding, HSBC etc; ( fejn kontu tajtuhom sa 'karti bil-miktub li ghandhom hobzhom mahbuz) Anke lil kaccatturi, lis-Sajjieda u lil bdiewa li jrabbu l-annimali u jahdmu l-art tajtu /bghatulhom karti. Imma xi swew dawn !! Xejn.
Kieku kien kollox miexi tant sew il ghala l-Partit ghandu daqshekk inkwiet, bin-nies tieghu stess waslu biex iggergru u jehduha kontra Dr.Gonzi. Tahseb int li klassi tan-nofs ghada bhalma kienet jew ahjar ?? Ghamlu survey fuq hekk ha taraw. Kieku kien ikollhom il-post taghhom il-klassi tal-Haddiema kemm laburisti u daqstant iehor Nazzjonalist li kieku ma' kienx il-Gvern ta' Mintoff. Mhur arahom illum l-gharajjes u mizzewgin kif inhuma imsalbin biex ihallsu l-loans li fil-maggoranza taghhom ghandhom sa' meta jigu biex jispiccaw mix-xoghol biex ihallsuh. Hemm bzonn inkunu sinciera man-nies u mhux nidhku bih u nilghabu bin-numri kif jaqblilna. Din bhal ta' 20,000 impjiegi godda f'erba snin, fejn issa Dr.Gonzi hareg jghid li hafna minnhom kienu replacements ta' dawk li tilfu x-xoghol.
Lesley Darmanin
Aug 22nd 2012, 10:04
@ Ronnie Agius
Il-punt tieghu hu - Jekk Mintoff, kif tghid int u Laburisti ohrajn bhalek, kien daqstant tajjeb, grandjuz, salvatur u x''naf jien, ghaliex il-poplu warrab lilu lill-partit tieghu ghal kwazi kwart ta' seklu? Dawn il-hafna elogiji dwar Mintoff huma mibnija fuq il-mitologija Laburista, mitologija li ppruvat tikteb l-istorja ta' Malta mill-gdid, bhal hrafa li "hlisna mill-barrani". Dawn il-mitologiji Mintuffjani, idejat immuffati u mibnija fuq il-mentalita bazwija ta' ahna u huma (island mentality), idejat mibnija fuq nazjonalizmu falz u maqtuh mir-realta, huma il-wirt veru ta' Dom Mintoff. Huwa nkwetanti li hawn tant bhalek li ghadhom jemnu f'dawn mitologiji ghax ifisser li l-Maltin ser jergghu jaghmlu l-istess zbalji tal-passat fl-elezzjoni li jmiss.
Ronnie Callus
Aug 22nd 2012, 10:31
@ Lesley Darmanin:
Rigward kif se' jivvota l-poplu, hu irid jarah u mhux int ghalhekk kulhadd huwa liberu. Jinkwieta minn ikun se' jitlef xi haga li jkun ilu ingranfat mghahha ghal tul ta' zmien li jkun immoffa mill-idejjat. Il-qawl jghid 'Jekk ma' tbidilx TQAMMEL' . Toqghod tinkwieta xejn Sur Lesley sa' kemm mhux ha titlef xi haga li haddiehor mghandhux bhalek. Il-polz tal-pajjiz ma' tantx jidher kif qed tpengih int li kulhadd kuntent u ghalenija. Kulhadd ghandu mohh biex juzah ghax Mintoff kien jishaq hafna fuq it-tghaliem, anke fil-meetings kollossali tieghu kien jghallem lil ta' quddiemu u alla hares kien jara xi burdell u daqq ta' hornijiet fil-vojt li jtellfu l-koncentrament. Prosett Perit ta' kullma tghajtna u nibqu niftakruk bil-munumenti li hloqt u hallejt warajk.
Jimmy Magro
Aug 22nd 2012, 10:34
@ Leslie Darmanin
First of all I respect your opinion. Everyone is entitled to have an opinion on any issue under the sun. My analysis is somewhat different. In Malta we have a lot of state secrets, The Inland Revenue Department should publish statistical data on the number of families that pay income tax in say brackets of one thousand euros. This will indicate, although not completely correct, the various income brackets that could give an indication when the middle class was born in Malta.
When I held a position in the MLP (now LP), I always insisted that the MLP cannot continue to be seen as the party that speak to the unemployed, pensioners, unskilled, Cottonera, and the underdogs of society. The reason being that these groups have become a minority and no party can win an election with a minority of votes. I always worked and to a certain extent succeeded (as was the case in 1996 when the MLP won the general election) to open the party to more visible stakeholders, build networks, control the national political agenda, use modern technology (under my watch the MLP had the first website in Malta and used SMS to send political messages), to have the MLP more business friendly, encourage the private sector, etc.
The social mobility that the MLP created started to work against the MLP, even through the indoctrination that does on daily in our private and public schools, junior college and the University.
The backlash of the 1998 debacle and the position of the EU are also factors that left the MLP on the Opposition benches.
There is no need to go into political dialects of socialism or class struggle. These were the real issues that led to history the way it is for the last 30 years.
Lesley Darmanin
Aug 22nd 2012, 11:10
@ Ronnie Callus
Skond int Sur Callus, Mintoff "fil-meetings kollossali tieghu kien jghallem lil ta' quddiemu". What absolute rubbish. Fil-meetings Mintoff mhux jghallem kien imma jittratta lill-folla ta' quddiemu qieshom xi gozz imbecilli. Kien ikellimhom bhat-tfal, Oratur brillanti, bla dubju, imma li tghid li kien jghallem meta kien qed jinsulta lil niesu f'wicchom? int, mid-dehra Sur Callus, kont fost dawk li kienu jmorru iccapcuplu. Doesn't say much for your IQ, as it does not say much for all his supporters then, and now.
@ Jimmy Magro
I think all your points are valid, especially the point that social mobility has worked against Labour. It is exactly on this point of working/middle class differences that I took exception. I do not believe Labour speaks for the average middle class. Nothing wrong with that. It is just so.
George Azzopardi
Aug 22nd 2012, 16:38
@Lesley Darmanin .. you're very wrong in saying that Mr.Mintoff did not create the middle class. Before his time there were practically 2 classes, the rich and the poor. The middle classes was born in the 70's when workers began to have their dignity in so many ways that it would take me ages to list them down!!!
EFA followed Mintoff's footsteps in changed the PN from a rich man's or business man party to include also the working class party.
Sharon Avola
Aug 21st 2012, 20:39
Perit, thanks for giving a home to my parents when they were in need. After all you did for the worker and for Malta rest in peace.
Karl Consiglio
Aug 21st 2012, 20:37
Therefore she wants to talk politics, instead of mourn.
Ok, lets start.
Emanuel Farrugia
Aug 21st 2012, 23:17
@Mr. Karl. Consiglio. Get off your high horse, for once and show a little sense and respect for the dead, instead of confrontation . Mintoff's Daughter is trying to show a part of her father's character which is to be productive , even when he is no longer with us. You may not agree with it, but it's their way of mourning.
c scudi
Aug 21st 2012, 20:33
I agree with Yana Mintoff Bland comments about her father.He passionately championed the working classes and created for them the base,for the standard of living most enjoy today.Without his socialist ideas,Malta would never have moved forward,to mention the national health system,better wages and conditions,free building land,a few examples.
so,yes instead of mourning,continue to push his ideals forward...
Paul Giordimaina
Aug 22nd 2012, 10:45
Xi standard of living hu li qed issemi nahseb li ma tafx xint tighd standart of living il lum ghax kuhadd bil karozzi isiefru jixtru id djar jilbsu pulit u edukazjoni first class grazzi lil Partit Nazzjonalista
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