Farrugia in face-off with Gonzi, ‘You ask for my suicide, then attend my funeral’

MP says unless PN changes its position on divorce, party would be isolating MPs voting in favour of divorce bill.

1 July 2011, 12:00am
by Karl Stagno-Navarra

2 min read

Farrugia took on Gonzi during an unscheduled parliamentary group meeting yesterday, calling on him to make good on his promise of inclusivity and reconciliation with MPs who felt the PN had no absolutist position on divorce.

Yesterday’s meeting focused on the way forward for Nationalist MPs during the upcoming second reading vote on the divorce bill.

Farrugia said that no more than 15 MPs on the government side would vote in favour of the divorce bill, but since the PN had not changed its official position against divorce these MPs were now in the awkward position of voting against the party’s official line. The MP said many of his colleagues, and himself, should not be left alone to face the brunt of angry constituents.

“I told you this before, and I will repeat it here in front of my colleagues: you are inviting me to commit suicide, and promising me that you will come to my funeral,” sources quoted Farrugia telling the Prime Minister.

Farrugia said the PN was ignoring the result of the referendum, had still not changed its position against divorce and was now talking of reconciliation and inclusion. “It gives no choice to those who will vote in favour of the bill not to stand again with the party.”

Talks yesterday revolved around a proposal put forward by deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg and MP Francis Zammit Dimech for the government bench not to call for a division on the second reading of the bill.

According to Tonio Borg – who is also the Leader of the House – a division is normally called to vote against and in doing so, could send the wrong message to the electorate.

But the parliamentary group yesterday moved to have MPs stand up and declare their vote, and meet again next week to decide on the debate.

The Prime Minister, who again did not say how he will vote, said he hoped the debate will not mirror the same arguments raised when the House debated the divorce motion and referendum question. Gonzi added that his speech would “explain” his vote.

More from Karl Stagno-Navarra

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Insomma ma' nafx jien, iparlaw biss dan u sħabu l-oħrajn! Naħseb aħjar jiskot la ma' jasalx iktar minn hekk. Wara kollox fil-vot għaż-żieda tal-ministri ġab ma nafx kemm il skuża u fl-aħħar favur li jehduha vvota!!!

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Thought that Jean Pierre was made of sterner stuff. But he is just a howler and when it gets to the crunch he is found to be very lacking. The PN's maduma is severely cracked! Remember how they used to gloat, some few years back, because they said that the PL was divided. Now not even the stickest glue can keep them together. In Maltese we aptly say, 'Min jixtieq id-deni lil garu jigi f'daru'.

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Here we go again.......the GonziPn boat is being rocked again!!!! More rough seas ahead and more water seeping in! More drama in vista....how will it end?

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Dr JPF jekk int trid turi kemm int ta' bniedem f'konsistenza f'dak illi tghid u dak illi taghmel trid hafna u hafna kuragg...u int minn dan ma tantx ghandek. Mela il-parir tiegu hu...oqghod kwiet fil-parlament u gawdi l-onorarja li tiehu u halli z-zmien jaghmel tieghu. Kemm-il darba tibqa cass, iktar hsara lilek innifsek qed taghmel!

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Hemm qawl li joqghod perfett ghal Backbenchers nazzjonalisti. Klieb jinbhu ma jigdmux. Veru kaz ta inbieh biss.

duncan abela •

One looks with disdain at those MPs in the PN who will forego principle and vote in a manner which they hope will improve their chance of getting reelected. One appreciates that there are some who find it impossible to vote against their conscience but those who do so for political expediency will be exposed as hypocrites sooner rather than later. Those who vote no will find themselves from now on under constant voter scrutiny to ensure that they their behaviour and way of life is in line with the christian values they claim to espouse. Whatever happens ,those who vote No will be labelled as conservatives and perhaps the future in a European Union beckons much more for those who are liberal and progressive. There is no doubt that if the more liberal wing of the party gets together they can be quite a force to ensure a more balanced distribution of posts in government and redefine the future direction of the party's principles and ideals. They will attract those currently voters disillusioned with the current conservative dominance within the party. I f an MP is not convinced and willing to pursue and sacrifice himself for his beliefs and ideals towards a more democratic Maltese steeped in european values nation than the sooner he leaves the political scene the better for us all.

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kelli hafna aktar rispett lejn Dr JP Farrugia, u hafna jahsbuha bhali. Jghidu skond iz zokk il fergha. iz zokk kellu aktar rispett ghax kien ta ftit kliem imma sod.

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Qishom tal-Wild Bunch! https://mazzun.wordpress.com/2011/06/16/gonzi-jkompli-jeghreq-fil-konservattivizmu-il-kwistjoni-tar-riproduzzjoni-assistita-l-ewwel-parti/

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Dawn kolla kumidjanti , meta bniedem jghid xi haga u ma jaghmiliex ikun purcinell ! X differenza Alfred Sant qabad u ghamel Ellezjoni , jekk temmen f'xi haga ghamila , JPF iddahhqx nies iktar ..u lesti it-triq ghall beppe ....this what is all about ..punto e basta !

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Qatt ma kont nobsor daqshekk li Gonzi huwa skjav ta EFA

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Kulhadd jigbed lejn xawwatu! Bla bla bla.....and they lived happily ever after.

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Ara jekk kien hemm bzonn ta' xi prova. il-membri parlamentari nazzjonalisti qed juru lil kulhadd kemm huma minghajr "kukki". X'misthija ta' partit!

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Kieku it tul tal bniedem jitkejjel b`dak li nghejdu, kieku.. J.P.F,...J.P.O...Muliette..u Franco Debono..........ikunu l-iqsar nies fid dinja.. Inthom minthomx politikanti, imma opportunisti. Ilkhom tlett snin tgheddu lil gvern ta GonziP.N., u wara li itikhom xi haga toghqodu kwieti sakemm jinqala xi saram iehor. Ara il-legistratura l-ohra l-anqas ftahtu halqkhom ghax kien hemm 5 siggijiet differenza. Il pajjiz ma jistax jimxi hekk. La Alla sallabna bikhom ghal hames snin, tghamlux gambetti, halli jghaddu b`wicc il gid...wara morru saqqu il hass tal Marsa, jekk fadal.

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So from what I get, JPF is looking after his own interest rather than the nation's interest. They are quite all the same.

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Ma nistax nifhem kif Dr Farrugia and Co qed jibzu jivvutaw IVa. Arrigo qall mhux sewwa li huwa jrid ikun l-ewwel wiehed li jivvota ghax kunjomu bil A. Dan Mr arrigo huwa vantagg kbir fl-elezzjoni. Dr Farrugia and Co huma corma cowards.Dawn ghandhom jiehdu decizzjoni huma. Ma jarawz li Gonzi PN mhux se jibdel id decizzjoni. EFA ma jhallihx. Sa l-gurnata tal vot se naraw hafna aktar. Dr Farrugia & Co jafu bil kurrenti ta EFA min taht. Din mhux vot ghad divorzju imma l-bidu ghal glieda ta l-KAP bejn Beppe u Mario. Mario irrid jaqdef ghal sidru imma ghandu rispett tal maggoranza tal PN imma Beppe ghandu forcina soda fuqhiex jistrieh. Dr farrugia & Co ghandhom ikunu onesti mall poplu Malti. Ninsabu fil qiegh u l-hsara li qed tigri hija kbira. Dawn ghandhom iduru mal Kap tal PN u jghidul, go your time has expired>

Joseph Sant •

The more vociferous JPF is about something the more he is likely to eat his words. It's happened too many times before for the man to be credible. Wanna bet that at the end of the day he will accept Gonzi's "explanation" of his vote and he will follow suit in voting against divorce?!

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Nationalist MP Jean-Pierre Farrugia yesterday called on the Prime Minister to change the Nationalist party’s official stand against divorce, as MPs are asking questions of whether a vote in favour of divorce will damage them at constituency level. ************************************* Mr.J.P.Farrugia with all respect, are all people fundamentalists? I think you know the answer, than one should not worry :) I don't know you or cannot vote at your district, I am searching for a good politician to choose in the coming elections, am back to my loving birthplace , Qormi. Well I judge a politician in the way he/she talks, and ofcourse acts.

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Typical PN ? L-ewwel nixtruk umbad N..k !!

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jiena ma nafx ghalfejn issa jibda soltu paroli , dan u shabu messhom ivotaw kontra gonzi meta kellhom ic-cans , allura jiena inqies dan id-diskors bhala paroli fil-vojt.

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Gonzi is igniting a bomb in the PN. when it explodes it will split the party down the middle.

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@martin borg Good advice. Don't do what is right for Gonzi. Do what is right for Malta and what us the people want. You may go down, but no sense in loosing your dignity and the respect of those people who have trusted you. Also - its time for Gonzi to go. And with Gonzi, Austin, Tonio and the inner chamber of buffons who has raped this democracy. Don't PN have the brains or the balls to get rid of Gonzi - so that makes them no better than PL. Just comes to which street gang will run the government cartel. No wonder the people are so desperate.

Luke Camilleri •

Gonzipn has truly become a three ringed Circus with all these clowns, somersaults, acrobats and theatrics! Why not just hire a Big Tent instead of building a new Parliament building! . Just get some control over your MPs, your PRIME JOB , Mr. Prime Minister is running the country, and not solving petty grievances , or as you deem to call them ,"storms in teacups", your clan keep brewing from time to time! . Get a hold of your MPS, you have a country to run!

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If there are only 15 PN MPs who will have the courage to vote in favour of divorce in the House, then the the PN will also have its 'suldati ta' l'azzar' within its ranks. The 15 should be brave and have the balls to vote according to the clear will of the people. Gonzi and EFA have no regard to vox populi.

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Mid dehra THOBBUH IS SIGGU Dr Jean Pierre Farrugia qedin sewwa ta kollha kemm INTKOM il MP ta zewg nahat lanqas Fa 5 snin ma TARAKKHOM BNEMES BIEX TARAW IC CITTADIN GHANDUX BZONN XI HAGA imma meta toqrob l-elezjoni KEMM TIGU TIGRU ma NAFX KIF MA TISTHUX VERU WICCKOM QADILKOM GHAL KOLLOX

Igor P. Shuvalov •

... u l-kobba tkompli tithabbel!!!!

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X'tfisser Demokrazija Dr Gonzi & Co u Dr F Fenech Adami? Jekk minthomx kapaci tbaxxu raskom ghar rieda tal-Maggoranza inthom tkunu Dittaturi, bhal gvernijiet li qedin joqtlu in-nies taghhom ghaliex qed jiggildu ghad-dimokrazija. Is-Soluzzjoni hija wahda, WARBU minn hemm, u tkomplux teqirdu il-poplu Malti. Jew toqtol biss bil-bombi ?

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JPF one simple advice you and those MPs who would respect the peoples' choice distance yourself from the bigots. . In the past there were splits in parties and good came out of them . . Consider this what comes first Malta's interests or gonziPN's? . Do not let yourself be dinegrated and humiliated a second time as you were on the wage raise issue be honest to yourself at least if not to those around you.