Is-siġġu ta’ Joseph Cuschieri u George Papandreou

Joseph Cuschieri bir-raġun kollu jrid is-siġġu tiegħu fil-Parlament Ewropew. Wara kollox għandu dritt għalih mhux biss għax ivvutawlu n-nies, iżda fuq kollox għax hu kien li ċeda postu lil Dottor Joseph Muscat fil-Parlament Malti.

Għamel tajjeb Joseph Cuschieri meta qal li l-Prim Ministru ta’ Malta Lawrence Gonzi għandu jinsisti mal-Prim Ministru tal-Greċja George Papandreou biex il-Greċja ma tibqax tkaxkar saqajha u tapprova l-protokol li permezz tiegħu jkun possibli illi huwa (Cuschieri) jieħu postu fi Brussels.

 Veru li Cuschieri żgarra waħda kbira meta qal li Malta għandha (sakemm il-Greċja tapprova s-siggu tiegħu) timblokka l-għajnuna tal-Unjoni Ewropea lill-Greċja biex din tkun tista’ tirpilja mill-kriżi finanzjarja li tinsab fiha frott il-korruzzjoni u t-tmexxija ħażina tul is-snin. Imma dak għamlu għax il-boy għadu ma jafx l-affarijiet sew miskin. Għadu qed jimmatura. U ngħiduha kif inhi, fil-Parlament Malti ma tantx kellu opportunitajiet biex jiftah ftit moħħu.  

Imma ngħid jiena George Papandreou imbarra Prim Ministru tal-Greċja mhux ukoll Mexxej tal-Partit Soċjalista Grieg?  U dawn mhux aħwa tas-Soċjalisti Maltin li illum isejħu ruħhom laburisti?

Ngħid jien ma jkunx għaqli li s-Sur Cuschieri jgħid lill-Kap tal-Partit Soċjalista Malti Dottor JosephMuscat biex jaqbad it-telefon u jkellem ftit lill-Kap tal-Partit Soċjalista Grieg  u jgħidlu biex jiċċaqlaq ftit? Jew forsi diġa ċempillu u injoraħ?

Forsi Joseph Cuschieri jgħidilna ftit, għax wara kollox huwa Dottor Joseph Muscat li l-iktar għandu jgħinu mhux hekk ? 

“Raise in Honoraria for Cabinet Ministers Uncalled For” AD

Press Release/Stqarrija Stampa 9/6/2011

 Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party said that the raise in salaries for Cabinet Ministers, as proposed by the Nationalist Government is uncalled for.

Michael Briguglio, AD Chairperson, said that “it is ironic that whilst workers were given a miserable 1.16 Euro weekly increase in the last budget, and when Malta’s COLA mechanism is not reflecting real cost of living increases, the same Government is giving a 500 Euro weekly increase to Cabinet Ministers.”

“AD agrees with the Labour Party proposal for a Commission to study Ministers’ and MPs’ salaries. However, we also believe that parliament should be reformed in order that it can become a full-time professional institution, and not one made up of part-timers, many of whom consistently fail to attend parliamentary sittings. We believe that salary increases and adjustments of Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament should be related to the quality of the work delivered by office holders and MPs.”

 

“Iż-Żieda fil-paga tal-Ministri tal-Kabinett barra minn lokha” AD

Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party qal li ż-żieda fil-paga li ingħatat lill-Ministri tal-Kabinett, hekk kif proposta mill-Gvern Nazzjonalista hija barraminnlokha.

Michael Briguglio, iċ-Chairperson tal-AD, qal li “hija ironika li filwaqt li l-ħaddiema ġew mogħtija żieda miżerabbli ta’ €1.16 fil-ġimgħa fl-aħħar budget, u meta l-mekkaniżmu tal-COLA ma jirriflettix il-vera żieda fl-għoli tal-ħajja, l-istess Gvern qed jagħti €500 żieda lill-Ministri tal-Kabinett.”

“L-AD taqbel mal-proposta tal-Partit Laburista biex titwaqqaf Kummissjoni biex tanalizza s-salarji tal-Ministri u tal-Membri Parlamentari.  Iżda aħna nemmnu wkoll li hemm bżonn issir riforma fil-Parlament biex dan isir istituzzjoni professjonali li tiffunżjona fuq bażi full-time minflok ma kif inhu llum magħmulminnparlamentari li jahdmu part-time u li ta’ sikwit jonqsu milli jattendu s-seduti parlamentari.  Aħna nemmnu li żidiet jew bidliet fis-salarji tal-Ministri tal-Kabinett u Membri Parlamentari ghandhom ikunu relatati mal-kwalita u l-livell tax-xogħol li jagħtu dawn l-istess Ministri u Membri Parlamentari.”

Ir-referendum dwar id-divorzju : Riflessjonijiet (5) Anke’ Machiavelli kien jistħi

 Meta Lawrence Gonzi għamel il-proposta oriġinali illi d-divorzju jkun soġġett għal referendum huwa iġġustifika ruħu billi qal li l-ebda wieħed mill-partiti fil-Parlament ma kellu l-mandat elettorali fuq il-materja. Kien qal kliem fis-sens li mhux sewwa illi l-Parlament japprova leġislazzjoni li dwarha l-poplu ma kellux ċans jesprimi ruħu.

Il-pjan dakinnhar kien illi jekk il-Parlament japprova l-liġi tad-divorzju proposta minn JPO, qabel ma din tidħol fis-seħħ kien meħtieġ li jkun hemm referendum biex dak li jkun approva l-Parlament jesprimi ruħu fuqu l-poplu.

Alternattiva Demokratika dakinnhar qalet li ma taqbilx li deċiżjoni dwar drittijiet ċivili jkunu soġġetti għal referendum. Għax dawn huma drittijiet ta’ minoranzi li għandhom ikunu affermati anke’ jekk il-maġġoranza ma tkunx trid.

Lawrence Gonzi dakinhar skandalizza ruħu kif seta’ jkun hawn xi ħadd f’dan il-pajjiż li ma jaqbilx mal-użu tal-għodda demokratika tar-referendum.

Joseph Muscat għamel il-kontijiet u rrealizza li Gonzi kien qed jipprova jaħdmu. Għax ir-referendum li ried Gonzi kien isir biss jekk il-Parlament japprova l-liġi tad-divorzju proposta minn JPO. Muscat kien jaf li kien hemm numru ta’ Membri Parlamentari Laburisti li kienu kontra l-proposta ta’ JPO u Varist Bartolo. Dan il-fatt kien jassigura li l-pjan ta’ Gonzi jaħdem u r-referendum għalkemm imwiegħed  ma jkunx jista’ jsir.

Il-manuvri interni fil-Partit Laburista wasslu biex minflok ma Gonzi ħadem lil Muscat, għal darba Muscat ħadem lil Gonzi (bil-għajnuna ta’ JPO u Jesmond Mugliette). Għax il-Parlament approva mozzjoni imressqa mill-Kap tal-Opposizzjoni li l-ewwel immorru għal referendum, u mbagħad, wara, jekk dan ikun approvat, tkun tista’ tibda d-diskussjoni fil-Parlament dwar l-abbozz ta’ JPO u Varist Bartolo.

Issa Muscat kien jaħseb li r-referendum m’hux ser jgħaddi . Ta’ l-anqas hekk stqarr f’wieħed mill-edizzjonijiet ta’ Inkontri immexxi min Joe Grima fuq Super One! 

Issa billi r-referendum approva d-dħul tad-divorzju f’Malta, dak li Gonzi u Muscat ilhom jipposponu irid jiġi ffaċċjat.

Muscat u l-parti l-kbira tal-Opposizzjoni jidher li ser jivvutaw favur (Marie Louis Coleiro ser tastjeni u Adrian Vassallo ser jivvota kontra). Carmelo Abela taż-Zejtun, to his credit iddeċieda li jbaxxi rasu għar-rieda popolari u ser jivvota favur.

Il-backbench tal-Gvern imħawwad. Skond Beppe Fenech Adami qed jitkellem waħdu. Ma jafx x’ser jaqbad jagħmel. Jekk tissejjaħ division l-ewwel isem min-naħa tal-Gvern li jissejjaħ hu dak tal-Onor David Agius. Ikollu jiddeċiedi waħdu x’ser jagħmel. Għax ma jistax jagħmel bħal ta’ qablu. Għax dak li jiġi qablu alfabetikament hu l-MP tal-Labour Carmelo Abela. Għalhekk din il-ġimgħa kiteb fin-Nazzjon u qal li ser jivvota  favur.

Dawk li qed jgħidu li ser jivvutaw kontra qed iwaħħlu fil-kuxjenza. Lil dawn jiena ngħidihom li l-kuxjenza issa ma tidħolx. Il-kuxjenza kellha sehem importanti sakemm il-Parlament iddeċied li jaħsel idejh bħal Ponzu Pilatu u flok ma jieħu deċiżjoni huwa talab lill-poplu jespimi ruħu f’referendum.

Il-kuxjenza kienet importanti nhar is-Sibt 28 ta’ Mejju.

Imma malli ħareġ ir-riżultat tar-referendum issa m’huwiex iżjed kaz ta’ kuxjenza iżda tal-kredenzjali demokratiċi tal-membri parlamentari. Min m’huwiex lest li jivvota IVA  dwar il-liġi tad-divorzju qed juri disprezz lejn il-volonta tal-poplu u m’huwiex kapaċi jkun rappreżentant tal-poplu fil-Parlament.

L-għażla hi waħda sempliċi jew jivvutaw IVA kif ġew inkarigati jagħmlu mill-poplu permezz tar-referendum inkella jirreżenjaw. L-appoġġ għall-volonta’ popolari trid tkun totali, bla kundizzjoni.  Hekk intqal fl-2003 meta sar ir-referendum dwar is-sħubija ta’ Malta fl-Unjoni Ewropea. Dakinnhar konna korretti. Hekk ukoll għandu jingħad u jsir illum.

Bil-gabrijoli bil-kuxjenza li qed jagħmlu Gatt, Gonzi u l-bqija naħseb li anke Machiavelli kien jistħi !

The concrete jungle at Marsascala

 

Marsascala is fast becoming a concrete jungle. Houses have been pulled down and redeveloped over the past years with blocks of flats and garages taking their place. This is the manner in which the building industry is proceeding, raping what’s left of our built environment with the assistance of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. The number of vacant dwellings in the meantime keeps increasing. It has surpassed the 54,000 mark established in the 2005 census.

The latest addition to this jungle is the massive development at Ta’ Monita. Dwarfing the Marsascala parish church it ruins the skyline.

A letter entitled Marsascala Ruined Once And For All was published on March 22, 2011 in The Times. The online comments it generated are indicative of the perceived links between politics and the building industry. The fact that the Ta’ Monita Mepa permit was issued in April 2004, two years before the present Marsascala mayor was first elected, does not in any way diminish the seriousness of the perceived contamination.

George Vella, elected as member of Parliament for many years from the electoral district of which Marsascala forms part, made a very passionate intervention on the matter in the House of Representatives on April 11, 2011. He lamented the fact that a local council that has been under the guidance of his party’s local councillors appears insensitive to the manner in which the Ta’ Monita development is engulfing the Marsascala community.

While subscribing to most of what Dr Vella stated on the matter, I noted that during his intervention he did not consider it appropriate to refer to the impacts which the financing of electoral campaigns could have on the behaviour of politicians. It is an issue the Labour Party should seriously examine in order to determine whether any of its representatives has risked being domesticated as a result of the financing of electoral campaigns.

Dr Vella used his observations on the Ta’ Monita development to launch a pre-emptive strike on what could be another potential bombshell.

St Anne public garden in Marsascala has been devolved to the local council since November 2010. Rumours have been circulating for some time as to what uses are being considered for the area. The said rumours would also have us believe as to who will be favoured by decisions yet to be taken.

On March 15, 2011 the Marsascala local council was informed by its mayor that a call for “an expression of interest” on St Anne public garden would be issued shortly. He said that, while embellishment works would be one of the objectives, these would be in addition to the construction of administrative offices, some shops, an underground car park and linkage to the Church parvis in order to develop what is, to date, a missing village square. In addition, according to the council’s published minutes, the Marsascala mayor deems it essential to carry out a traffic survey. He also considers that the opening up of Triq il-Qrempuċ could ease traffic pressures on the waterfront, thereby permitting more leisurely commercial activity.

I have had the opportunity to ask the mayor various questions about the project. He is envisaging public consultation and an involvement of the private sector. According to the published minutes, decisions are to be taken by the local council at some time in the future after considering submissions by the private sector and comments from the community.

While the minutes of the local council are in conflict with the rumours in circulation, one never knows what can crop up in the form of proposals to be submitted by the “private sector”.

The Marsascala mayor is on record as stating that “nothing will be done outside public scrutiny”. It is submitted that this is not sufficient because it makes little difference to the community if its assets are ruined openly or in an underhand manner.

An open discussion is urgently required on the very parameters of the project in order that it be ensured that the community is the real beneficiary.

Given that the Local Plan applicable to Marsascala defines the area as being a “public urban open space”, the starting point of the debate should be the compatibility of the project with the Local Plan.

This exercise, when carried out, would reveal that most of the elements of the project, which may be of interest to the private sector, are in conflict with the provisions of the Local Plan for the area (vide South Local Plan policy SMSE 04). The project is hence a non-starter.

So, for the time being, the only matter the public is sure of is that the concrete jungle in Marsascala keeps being extended. Change for the better at times seems to get more distant in time. That is until you realise that you cannot achieve change if you do not vote for it..

Published in The Times of Malta, May 21  2011

Politika dwar id-divorzju tal-Partit Laburista Malti

Humpty Dumpty jirrappreżenta l-politika tal-partit laburista Malti dwar id-divorzju.

La  hawn u l-anqas hemm. Biex bħala partit ikun jista’ jilqa’ lil kulħadd bla diffikulta: kemm lil dawk ta’ favur kif ukoll lil dawk ta’ kontra.

Issa din il-politika ta’ Humpty Dumpty il-PL ma għażiliex biss fuq id-divorzju, iżda  ukoll fil-qasam tal-ambjent: favur il-ħarsien tal-ambjent u favur l-industrija tal-bini, favur il-ħarsien tal-biodiversita’ u favur il-kaċċa fl-istess ħin.

Il-politika ta’ Humpty Dumpty hi l-politika favorita tal-Partit Laburista.  

Forsi tajjeb iżda li niftakru kif tispiċċa l-istorja tat-tfal żgħar (nursery rhyme) intitolata Humpty Dumpty : b’ waqa’  minn fuq il-ħajt.

Tistgħu tiftakru ftit billi tagħfsu hawn. 

Lil hinn mir-raġġiera

 

Il-mozzjoni privata ta’ Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando (JPO) fil-Parlament biex ikun introdott  id-divorzju ħsadet lil uħud, fosthom lil Mons Arċisqof. Ħafna iżda ilhom jistennew li xi ħadd jiċċaqlaq.

L-issue fil-fehma tiegħi hi waħda biss : li l-għażla dwar id-divorzju ma ssirx mill-istat għan-nom tagħna, kif isir sal-lum, imma li ssir minn kull wieħed u waħda minnha skond il-kuxjenza tiegħu jew tagħha. Imma biex dan ikun jista’ jsir l-istat irid jipprovdi l-għodda neċessarji.

Illum, huwa u jkun intervistat fuq l-RTK minn Tonio Bonello l-Arċisqof qal waħda tajba: li l-Partiti fil-Parlament m’għandhomx l-awtorita’ morali li jmexxu l–quddiem  leġislazzjoni dwar id-divorzju, għax ħadd minnhom ħlief Alternattiva Demokratika ma ressqu quddiem l-elettorat proposti f’dan is-sens.

Hemm kontradizzjonijiet oħra.

Il-Partit Nazzjonalista li jippreżenta ruħu bir-raġġiera m’huwiex ser jazzarda li jappoġġa d-divorzju, avolja imbagħad ma sab l-ebda diffikulta li jmexxi l-quddiem il-koabitazzjoni w id-drittijiet li jirriżultaw minnha.

Min-naħa l-oħra l-Labour permezz tal-mexxej tiegħu ilu jitkellem favur id-divorzju li ġustament jiddeskrivieh bħala dritt ċivili. Imma ma jemminx biżżejjed f’dan id-dritt ċivili biex iħossu li jista’ jikkonvinċi lill-Partit tiegħu biex jappoġġa l-proposta parlamentari ta’ JPO. Dan qed jagħmlu bi ħsieb : għax b’hekk jista’ jfuh maż-żewġ naħat : kemm ma’ dawk favur kif ukoll ma dawk kontra. Progressiv għal uħud u bir-raġġiera għal oħrajn !

Il-proposta ta’ JPO hi dettaljata. Minn eżami tad-dettalji jidher ċar li hemm diversi persuni li qed jagħtu kontribut biex din tlaħħmet. Li jonqos issa hu li naraw kemm minn dawn huma Membri tal-Parlament.

Alternattiva Demokratika tilqa’ l-mozzjoni u hi sodisfatta li JPO mexa fuq dak li ipproponiet AD lill-Membri Parlamentari f’ittra li iċċirkulatilhom reċentement.

Politka tan-Ngħam

 

Il-politika tal-Gvern dwar l-attivita nukleari fil-Mediterran hi politika tajba għan-ngħam. Ta’ min ideffes rasu fir-ramel biex ma jismax u ma jarax.

 

Fi tmiem il-ġimgħa l-oħra kien ippubblikat artiklu fil-gazzetta Taljana  Il Sole 24 Ore iffirmat mill-ġurnalista Federico Rendina. L-artiklu ntitolat Il Governo rilancia sull’atomo. Berlusconi: contatti per costruire centrali nucleari nei Paesi vicini. jimplika li Berlusconi qed jipprova jħajjar pajjiżi bħal Malta, l-Montenegro u l-Albania biex fihom jinbena impjant nukleari.

 

Wara tlett ijiem ta’ skiet u biss wara li AD ġibdet l-attenzjoni għall-artiklu, d-DOI ħareġ ċaħda li l-materja qatt kienet diskussa. Kompla biex qal li l-AD kienet irresponsabbli talli fil-publiku ġibdet l-attenzjoni għal dan l-artiklu. Il-fehma tiegħi hi li huwa rresponsabbli l-politiku li bħan-nagħma jdaħħal rasu fir-ramel u jibda jemmen li dak li hu m’huwiex jara ma jeżistix.

 

X’ser jiġri iktar dwar il-proġett nukleari Taljan għad irridu naraw.

 

 

Imma llum hemm oħra fil-gazzetti. Kummenti dwar iż-żjara tal-President tar-Repubblika fil-Libja. Il-ġurnalisti huma interessati fil-kwistjoni tal-impjant nukleari tal-Libja, għax bdew jifhmu kemm huma gravi l-konsegwenzi fuq Malta “jekk” xi ħaġa tmur ħażin meta jibda jopera l-impjant nukleari Libjan.

 

Karl Schembri għall-Malta Today minn Tripli jirrapporta li uffiċjal Malti qallu li l-kwistjoni nukleari hi “a non-issue” li tinteressa biss lill-media!

 

Mark Micallef għal The Times minn Tripli ukoll jirrapporta li l-Gvern m’għandu l-ebda intenzjoni li jqajjem mal-Libja l-kwistjoni nukleari.

 

Il-politika tal-Gvern Malti dwar in-nukleari fil-Mediterran hi politika għan-ngħam. U l-Opposizzjoni ? Billi qed jiżviluppa consensus fuq il-politika barranija, l-Opposizzjoni baqgħet ħalqa magħluq hi ukoll !