Nhar is-26 ta’ Marzu : vot għal ADPD

Mela wara ħafna spekulazzjoni b’dati differenti, fl-aħħar saffar is-suffara.

B’elezzjoni għas-26 ta’ Marzu jidher ċar li ġejja kampanja ta’ ħafna ħmieġ.

Din kienet leġislatura li bdiet bil-qtil ta’ Daphne u kompliet bi skandli kbar, wieħed wara l-ieħor.

L-ikbar theddida li jiffaċċja l-pajjiż illum hi ġejja minn politiċi li huma ħaġa waħda mal-kriminali. Politiċi li mhux biss jitgħawġu kanċ biex jgħinu lill-kriminalità organizzata imma li f’xi każi hemm ukoll is-suspett li huma sħab fin-negożju.

Bħal dejjem aħna ser inkunu preżenti fid-distretti kollha.

A fixed-term Parliament

At this point in time, within the party we are discussing our electoral Manifesto for the forthcoming general election. When will it be held: shortly or much later? At the time of writing no official announcement has been made. Maybe by the time this article is printed matters would be clear.

When presenting proposals for the consideration of the ever-pending Constitutional Convention, we had as a party considered the matter in some detail: should the Prime Minister have the discretion to advise on the dissolution of Parliament?  This was one of the “rights” of Kings and Queens which have been inherited by Heads of Government as a result of democratisation. Since independence it has been the Prime Minister’s right in Malta to advise that Parliament be dissolved and that an election be called.

Over two years have now elapsed since we proposed to the Constitutional Convention that Parliament should have a fixed term and that the election date should be fixed.

Such a provision is normally associated with the American experience on the first Tuesday of the month of November: every alternate year electing the House of Representatives, every four years for electing the President and for electing a third of the Senate every two years.

In the United Kingdom the Liberal-Conservative coalition had in 2011 introduced a fixed-term Parliament Act as a result of which, for the first time ever, the Prime Minister’s role in determining the date of dissolution of Parliament and the subsequent holding of a general election were severely curtailed.

Nick Clegg, then Liberal leader and Deputy Prime Minister had, in piloting the relevant act in Parliament, described such a move stripping Prime Ministers of the power to pick election dates to maximise party advantage as a profound reform. He further emphasised that such a reform was essential to restore faith in politics.

The introduction of a constitutional provision for a fixed-term Parliament would entail removing political self-interest from election timing.

Of course, all Prime Ministers, with tears in their eyes, plead national interest whenever they make use of this discretion.

It would be interesting if we could have an explanation as to what “national interest justification” exists for having a snap-election in Malta at this point in time. Robert Abela’s justification could be as follows.

The first reason to justify a snap election is that come January 2022 a criminal jury relative to the failed HSBC hold-up is scheduled. Possible revelations could spot-light the alleged role of senior Labour Party politicians in the planning of this failed hold-up. Probably Robert Abela thinks that having clear information as to who was involved in planning the HSBC hold-up is not in our interest. It is definitely not in the interest of the Labour Party as it could unmask the Labour Party for what it really is: an eye-opener to some!

The second reason to justify a snap election is the turbulent energy market which could play havoc with the costs to generate electricity locally. Given that we import gas through a contract which is to expire shortly, the price of gas used at Delimara to generate electricity will probably sky-rocket. Alternatively, we use the interconnector to tap energy generated on the mainland. The use of the interconnector was very recently curtailed due to the substantial increase in the price of the energy available!  A substantial increase would impact government finances negatively and Robert Abela would prefer not to have this fact in the public domain during an electoral campaign.

The third reason would be the impacts of grey-listing which are bound to increase with time. The longer it takes to take action as per the agreed road-map with the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) the more the impacts. Labour cannot divorce itself from this. They think that having an election out of the way would at least shield Labour from more electoral impacts of grey-listing.

Having a snap election could potentially shield the Labour Party from these and other impacts which could have a substantial political fallout. The snap election will not address these problems, it will just postpone them into the future.

A fixed-term Parliament would do away with all this. Instead of trying to avoid problems it is better to address them head-on.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday : 24 October 2021

Il-korruzzjoni: meta din tiffinanzja l-kampanja elettorali tal-Ministru

Il-liġi elettorali tistabilixxi li kandidat għall-elezzjoni ġenerali m’għandux jonfoq iktar minn €1,400 (l-ekwivalenti ta’ Lm600). Dan l-ammont jinkludi dak li jonfqu f’isem il-kandidat il-“ħbieb tiegħu”.

Kemm-il kandidat ser jinjora dan il-limitu fl-elezzjoni tad-9 ta’ Marzu 2013 u qiesu ma ġara xejn?

Il-problema mhiex biss l-ammont minfuq, iżda iktar u iktar minn fejn jiġu dawn il-flejjes. Malajr tifhmu għaliex għal sena wara l-oħra jkollna t’kaxkir tas-saqajn biex ikollna liġi suriet in-nies dwar il-finanzjament tal-politika.

Minn fejn jiġu dawn il-flejjes?

Tweġiba żgħira ħadniha meta Noel Borg Hedley, dak li kien Segretarju Privat ta’ Tonio Fenech, Ministru tal-Finanzi, ammetta fil-Qorti, li kkorrompa ruħu billi aċċetta l-flus biex jinfluwenza proċess amministrattiv. Il-flus tal-korruzzjoni li irċieva mingħand żviluppaturi (l-ahwa Jeffrey u Peter Montebello) għamel użu minnhom fil-kampanja elettorali tal-Ministru Tonio Fenech.

Għal Lawrence Gonzi jidher li qiesu ma ġara xejn meta fil-Qorti saret dikjarazzjoni ċara li l-korruzzjoni iffinanzjat il-kampanja elettorali ta’ wieħed mill-Ministri tiegħu.

Qed ngħid wieħed: għax b’dak nafu.

L-Isptar San Filep: sal-elezzjoni

It-Times qaltilna dal-għodu li l-kuntratt dwar San Filep ser ikun iffirmat dalwaqt.

Il-Gvern iddeċieda li jibqa’ għaddej minkejja li hu ċar li fil-Parlament hemm maġġoranza li ma taqbilx miegħu.

Min Gvern li jipprietka li “Flimkien kollox possibli” l-inqas li kont nistenna kienet li jkun umli biżżejjed li jirrealizza li hemm dubji kbar fuq il-mod kif qed imexxi.

Id-deċiżjoni tal-Gvern li jibqa’ għaddej minkejja li fil-Parlament hemm mozzjoni li titlob li jsir skrutinju qabel mal-Gvern jorbot il-kaxxa ta’ Malta għal infieq inutli hi biss sfida. Il-Gvern ta’ Lawrence Gonzi jrid jisfida u fl-istess ħin m’għandux il-kuraġġ li jiffaċċa l-proċess demokratiku. Meta partit politiku jimxi b’dan il-mod ifisser li tilef ir-raġuni.

Il-Gvern ta’ Lawrence Gonzi hu interessat biss li jidher li qed jagħmel xi ħaġa issa. Taparsi. Jaf li meta jiġi l-waqt biex jiddeċiedi jekk jixtrix l-isptar jew le ma jixtrihx għax il-permess għal 280 sodda diffiċli biex joħroġ mill-MEPA.

Imbagħad ikun irid jinbeda kollox mill-ġdid. Imma l-elezzjoni tkun ġiet u marret!

A step in the right direction

The presentation by maverick MP Franco Debono of a motion requesting that Parliament and the Auditor General should examine the proposal that government takes over St Philip’s Hospital is a step in the right direction.

The decision for government to take over the private hospital was taken after negotiations between auditing firms representing government and the hospital owners concluded terms for an eight year lease with the option to purchase. No call for tenders was issued. The hospital owner however issued a call for an expression of interest in the acquisition of the hospital.

There are various matters which the Auditor General should examine.

First: is the proposed takeover of St Philip’s Hospital value for money or is it a political gimmick on the eve of general elections?

Second : isn’t the proposal to take over St Philip’s Hosptal just a confirmation of bad planning involved in the development of Mater Dei Hospital which has resulted in its being too small for the country’s needs so soon after being finalised?  Who was responsible for the Mater Dei brief which has resulted in wards bursting at the seams and  hospital corridors being transformed into wards? Who will shoulder political responsibility for this failure?

Third: is it right for government to negotiate with those who are in breach of the Companies Act through non-submission of audited accounts for a number of years?

Four companies are involved in St Philip’s Hospital. All of them have not submitted audited accounts for a number of years as can be noted through the list of documents available online  at the Registry of Companies. The Golden Shepherd Group Ltd   (C 14948) has last submitted its audited accounts on July 15, 2008. Private Health Investment Ltd (C 24386) has last submitted its audited accounts on February 1, 2007. Medicaid Ltd (C 5283) has last submitted its audited accounts on September 14, 2007. Biomed Laboratory Ltd (C 14303) has last submitted its audited accounts on October 12, 2007.

The Golden Shepherd Group is owned by Frank Portelli, Private Health Investment Ltd and Medicaid Ltd.  Private Health Investment Ltd is owned by Medicaid Ltd and Biomed Laboratory Ltd.  Medicaid Ltd is owned by Frank Portelli whilst Biomed laboratory Ltd is owned by Frank Portelli and Medicaid Ltd.

I await the Auditor General’s conclusions!   I also look forward to Dr Frank Portelli’s comments on government’s health policy and its implementation.

first published on di-ve.com Friday 12 October 2012

Xkupilja għal Lawrence Gonzi

Interessanti l-iżviluppi ta’ l-aħħar sigħat dwar il-kandidati tal-PN għall-elezzjoni ġenerali.

L-aħħar waħda hi l-kandidatura ta’ David Casa li ser jikkontesta fuq d-distrett elettorali li minnu tela’ Franco Debono fl-aħħar elezzjoni ġenerali.

Meta wieħed iqies li Gonzi kontinwament jgħid li għandu l-obbligu li jibqa’ hemm sa’ l-aħħar, inkluż li qed jippjana li jippreżenta l-budget għal Novembru hu inevitabbli l-ħsieb li dawn huma kollha manuvri intenzjonati biex tqanqal ritaljazzjoni ta’ Franco Debono fil-Parlament.

Ħadd ma jaf eżattament x’ser jagħmel Franco meta jiltqa’ l-Parlament f’Ottubru. Kien hemm diversi dikjarazzjonijiet imma l-iktar li jispikkaw fosthom kienu tlieta.

L-ewwel li m’huwiex lest li jappoġġa Gvern li għandu lill-Austin Gatt bħala Ministru.

It-tieni li min qed jagħtih bis-sieq m’għandux jippretendi appoġġ da parti tiegħu.

It-tielet li fi ħsiebu jippreżenta mozzjoni ta’ sfiduċja fil-Ministru tas-Saħħa Joe Cassar.

Kummenti f’dan is-sens hemm kemm trid fil-blog ta’ Franco.

Sadanittant l-Awtorita’ tax-Xandir sejħet laqgħa mal-Partiti Politiċi biex ikun diskuss programm ta’ Xandiriet politiċi għall-elezzjoni ġenerali.

Għad hemm xi ħadd li jaħseb li l-elezzjoni ġenerali m’hiex wara l-bieb?  L-unika ħaġa mhux deċiża hi min ser jieħu t-tort talli tissejjaħ kmieni. Jekk jerfax il-piz Gonzi jew inkella jekk jippruvax ifarfar fuq Franco.

Talba għall-maħfra ……….. u r-rispett ?

 

 

Segwejt fuq il-gazzetti dak li ntqal fil-Kunsill Ġenerali tal-PN fi tmiem il-ġimgħa.

 

John Dalli kien rappurtat li qal li l-PN rebaħ l-elezzjoni għax kien kapaċi jiskuża ruħu huwa u jiġri wara l-voti kollha li ntilfu. Fil-fatt it-Times  tal-lum għażlet it-titlu “The Time of Buying People is over”  bħala l-messaġġ tad-diskors ta’ John Dalli. L-Orizzont min-naħa l-oħra illum qaltilna li John Dalli qal “Irbaħna għax ġrejna wara n-nies u tlabnihom skuża.”

 

Issa li tkun kapaċi titlob skuża hi ħaġa tajba pero’ biex titwemmen trid tibdel triqatek. Fil-fatt John Dalli emfasizza ukoll li n-nies mhux skuża jridu iżda min jirrispetthom.

 

 

Tgħid ser ikollna Gvern li jirrispettana ?

Elezzjoni 2008

Ghall-elezzjoni generali tat-8 ta’ Marzu 2008 ser nikkontesta f’isem l-Alternattiva Demokratika fuq zewg distretti.

Ser nikkontesta fuq id-Distrett Elettorali numru 3 li huwa maghmul mill-Fgura, Marsaskala u z-Zejtun. Fil-hin li qed nikteb jiena ser inkun l-uniku kandidat tal-AD fuq dan id-distrett.

Ser nikkontesta ukoll fuq id-Distrett  Elettorali numru 11 li huwa maghmul minn H’Attard, Hal-Balzan, l-Imdina u l-Mosta. Fuq dan id-Distrett l-Alternattiva Demokratika ser tkun rappresentata minn zewg kandidati, jiena u Ralph Cassar presentement Kunsillier fil-Kunsill Lokali ta’ H’Attard.

Presentment kemm jiena kif ukoll Ralph ghaddejjin bil-home visits. Nirringrazzjawkom talli qed tilqghuna gewwa djarkom.