Advertisement
The Maltese Herald
APS : 0.57 AXR : 0.41 BMIT : 0.35 BOV : 1.74 CVS : 1.00 FIM : 0.16 GHM : 0.87 GO : 2.70 HLI : 0.23 HRV : 0.97 HSB : 1.36 IHI : 0.45 LOM : 0.80 LQS : 0.19 LSI : 0.49 LSR : 1.00 MDI : 0.25 MDS : 0.45 MIA : 5.95 MLT : 0.55 MMS : 1.32 MPC : 0.35 MSC : 0.33 MTP : 0.47 MZ : 0.58 PG : 1.89 PZC : 0.63 RS2 : 0.52 RS2P : 0.60 SFC : 6.70 STS : 1.25 TML : 1.00 TRI : 1.12 VBL : 0.20
Culture News Sports
The Maltese Herald

Where’s Repubblika at PN’s protest?

—

by

Mark Camilleri
in

Yesterday, PN organsied a protest in Valletta which was attended by thousands of PN supporters. PN was protesting the current Labour government’s handling of the outcome of the Magisterial Inquiry on the sale of the public hospitals by Joseph Muscat’s government. It was a topical protest which I would have attended had I been in Malta.

Bizarrely enough, the only speakers at the protest were only two, PN’s leader Bernard Grech, and PN’s previous leader Adrian Delia. There was no sign anywhere that we are currently in a European Election campaign. PN could have used this opportunity to promote some of their candidates whom we haven’t seen doing much lately.

In any case, what’s going with PN’s political strategy? Why is Repubblika not present at its protest and why are its representatives not giving a speech? After all it was Repubblika who demanded the Magisterial Inquiry. Supposedly, PN should do its best to unite as much of the civil opposition behind it. On the other hand, parading Adrian Deli around doesn’t inspire a lot of moderate and liberal voters.

More importantly, why is Jason Azzopardi not giving a speech? He is an ex-PN MP veteran and even previous Minister, and along with Robert Aquilina, is one of the lawyers who signed the submission asking for the initiation of a Magisterial Inquiry. Had this been an alternate universe where the Labour Party was organising the protest instead of PN, it would have invited Repubblika, Jason Azzopardi and bused in all their extended families with free transport and free refreshments to make sure they get their votes from them, apart from parading them around with all their media weaponry to show the world that Labour is an overarching political party.

I sincerely don’t understand what PN are trying to do. Political conditions are very favourable for them to mount an effective challenge to the government and win the elections, but they seem to be happier with remaining the political party that only caters for the cult of Archbishop Michael Gonzi.

Comments

  1. Sparky avatar
    Sparky

    It has to be the other way round. It is the civil , ngo society that need to hold demos and invite political parties, note plural. Otherwise this remains a Pn vs Pl matter which it is not. It is a Maltese society existential crisis. I had three persons telling me they will now have to vote (they were hell bent on abstaining a few weeks ago), naturally against Labour, because they feel duty bound to ensure their vote is not wasted.

    Reply
  2. Cee Emm avatar
    Cee Emm

    I agree with all you said Mark. But NGO’s and groups like Republika and those who support them need to get real and accept the fact that the PN is not, never was and never will be pure but at this point it is by far the lesser of two evils.

    Lets be honest, Republika just like Occupy Justice have never forgiven Adrian Delia for his one slip of the tongue when he referred to Daphne a “bicca blogger”. He was new to politics and he was reacting after provocation. In the years since he has more than made up for this, not least by winning a major case to return the hospitals back to the public.

    Reply
    1. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand avatar
      Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

      You don’t need to be new to politics to know that one should not address somebody in that way.

      Reply
    2. Chris avatar
      Chris

      O God, really?
      Is that all AD is culpable of? Calling Daphne, Bicca Blogger?
      Nothing else?

      Reply
  3. Sparky avatar
    Sparky

    It would be interesting if a coalition against the cabal was setup and demos organized. Would LP members join in? We need to know. This issue is far greater than the whip.

    Reply
  4. Malcolm Sammut avatar
    Malcolm Sammut

    PN will remain isolated. Have you heard Adrian Delia’s speech? You’ll start thinking that all of this is because of him and thanks to him. Ghax jien ghamilt hekk, ghax jien u ghax jien. When in reality, people know that it was Repubblika and Jason Azzopardi who brought up this Criminal Inquiry. Also, the homework for the case which Adrian Delia won (the civil one) was done by Jason Azzopardi. Until they start giving real credit to those who deserve it, they will remain happily trailing by 20,000 votes cause Labour can only shed votes until it’s left with it’s core and PN are not picking them up. They are going around in circles and they know it but the pill (or Bernard’s words toward Jason Azzopardi) is too hard to swallow.

    Their problem is they isolated and got rid of the man who is getting the biggest results, Jason Azzopardi, and they cannot make these wins theirs cause they are not (as much as they try) They fell for Labour’s trap, idiots.

    Reply
    1. Sparky avatar
      Sparky

      Thing is PN trailing by 20k also means the cabal will keep bulldozing its way. So this anti PN rhetoric needs to stop for the common good to prevail. People will always fall to corruption irrespective of party, colour, religion, ideology. It is about working with the majority who are of good will.

      Reply
    2. Cee Emm avatar
      Cee Emm

      The cold hard fact is that politically Jason Azzopardi was rejected by the electorate. Not even a casual election could save him. Whence Adrian Delia got elected on both districts he contested. Those who call Dr. Delia a trojan horse for Labour just because he in universally liked by both PN and PL etc etc are deluding themselves. I am 44, always voted PN in general elections and never Labour yet ever since 2013 where PN had Simon Busuttil, Adrian Delia and Bernard Grech as leaders only Dr. Delia appealed to me and not just me but a large number of people except for the Daphne crowd who never forgave him for his one mistake when he was still settling into politics of calling her a ‘bicca blogger’ after he was provoked.

      Reply
    3. Chris avatar
      Chris

      Grandstanding narcissists always ride on someone’s hard work. They trample, if not shit, all over the operator him or herself and then they make his or her work their own. Not many people notice these stealthy moves.
      Scum de la scum.

      Reply
  5. MJones avatar
    MJones

    NGOs will never rally behind a political party (PN or PL) for obvious reasons, the fact you even ask the question makes one wonder if you even understand the nature of civil society. Republikka doesn’t owe its time to any party, maybe political parties should learn a thing or two about working together, solidarity and putting away differences that we have seen in recent years with civil society coming together to fit a common cause whilst also retaining their differences.

    (On another point, why rally behind PN when they keep hanging onto these egocentric men who also don’t resign when they loose elections.)

    Reply
    1. Cee Emm avatar
      Cee Emm

      If these NGO’s who are protesting against corruption and other practices need to wake up and smell the coffee. The only hope for some justice and vindication for Daphne’s work is to support the PN which ultimately is the ONLY key to dismantling the network of corruption and protection of criminals built by the Labour party since 2013. The PN were never perfect. Corruption is, has and will always exists no matter who is in government but the PN is by far the lesser of two evils.

      Reply
      1. MJones avatar
        MJones

        Not backing a political party is about independence and accountability, the members of NGOs can then decide who to vote for in private. Maybe NGOs against corruption don’t want to back a party that embraces right-wing propagandists like Alex Borg.

        If the PN wants to get elected then they need to also be accountable (why are Bernard Grech/Adrian Delia still there with only lost elections and terrible polls under their belt?) If PN wants to be elected then maybe they should convince better people to contest, if Roberta isn’t going to throw her hat in the ring then maybe be clear with the electorate.

        Reply
      2. Chris avatar
        Chris

        “If these NGO?s who are protesting against corruption and other practices need to wake up and smell the coffee. The only hope for some justice and vindication for Daphne?s work is to support the PN which ultimately is the ONLY key to dismantling the network of corruption and protection of criminals built by the Labour party since 2013. The PN were never perfect. Corruption is, has and will always exists no matter who is in government but the PN is by far the lesser of two evils.”

        PN is the ONLY key to dismantling the network of corruption and protection of criminals? Really? You then go on to contradict yourself indicating there are elements of corruption within PN as well. You come across as extremely na?ve ~ very one of Deliar’s lackeys.

        Reply
  6. Sparky avatar
    Sparky

    Lets not have a repeat of 2013 and the ‘switcher mania’. We’ve been lumped with this mess because a chunk of the electorate didn’t have foresight. The PN will never be perfect, no party is but what we deemed as not right under PN rule pales in insignificance to that witnessed in the last ten years. Is there another party that can challenge both? No. Should we not vote? Yes if you want the cabal to steamroll. The answer is then clear.

    Reply
  7. isleofcorruption avatar
    isleofcorruption

    Perhaps because AD and BG are deemed to be in the pocket of the MLP hence why the likes of Eddie P likes AD so much and why the opposition have been the worst opposition we have had this last 5 years in our history? The opposition have been largely silent in most important goings on but also jump on the populist demo bandwagon that the NGOs organise and claim as their own?

    Reply
  8. Two Oppositions, two protests – Mark Camilleri avatar
    Two Oppositions, two protests – Mark Camilleri

    […] the publication of this article some supporters of Repubblika have told me that they believe that the NGO should keep at a distance […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *