Debono opts for truce, but warns 2012 will have to be ‘year of reforms’

Nationalist backbencher Franco Debono has accepted to grant Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi more time to implement his "promised" split of the ministry for justice and home affairs, but expects no more time to be wasted.

Speaking from Rome while on a short Christmas break, Debono made it clear that he never gave any ultimatum to the Prime Minister. "It was he who said that the ministerial split will happen before the end of the year," he said, adding that the way things evolved in the media, with a section of it creating a countdown to the last day of the year was "absurd".

Audibly calm but also anxious, Franco Debono said that it would be petty and irrational of him to impose deadlines on the Prime Minister. "Would it make a difference if the PM implements this important split in the ministry on December 18 when parliament is reconvened, rather than on December 31?" he asked.

He denied being offered the post of parliamentary secretary for justice or to having been contacted by the Prime Minister between Thursday and Friday while he was in Rome.

He reacted however to a speculative report that appeared on news website di-ve.com late on Friday afternoon, which quoted sources saying that "the top echelons of the Nationalist Party" were proposing the role "as a suitable alternative to splitting the Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs".

Debono refused to comment, but did not rule out accepting the post of parliamentary secretary for justice.

Possible promotion?

Should Debono be appointed a junior minister for justice, it would place him inside Carm Mifsud Bonnici's ministry, a role which would blatantly mean that the ministry was not split at all.

"However, even with the hypothesis that I could be appointed to such a post, I will certainly not accept anything outright, and would have to look at everything within its full context," Debono said.

Calls to the Office of the Prime Minister's head of secretariat, to comment on the alleged proposal for Debono - a parliamentary assistant to Gonzi - went unanswered.

But returning to core issues Debono is insisting upon, he is at least satisfied with the commitment, even though it comes after a severe bout of procrastination. 

"The issue here is that we are already late on this, but at least there is a commitment by the Prime Minister to make such an important change, while there is an almost unanimous consensus that splitting the justice and home affairs ministry is a good thing that strengthens our democracy," he argued.

When asked about the timing about his latest outburst, Debono said that it was a matter of being let down on an agreement reached on 1 December, when the Prime Minister had allegedly telephoned him to say that he was considering the ministerial split as a good thing and that it would be implemented by the end of the year.

"I got very irritated to hear from the Prime Minister on 21 December that he needed more time to split the ministry," Debono said, adding that his remark on calling an election was to equate the gravity of the situation within the justice system.

"What I am saying is that our democracy cannot continue to be limp, and judicial anomalies are a serious matter for concern for every citizen. We knew about them then, we know about them now, so why do we drag our feet on such important matters?" he asked.

"So when I say I won't support government, I am sending a message in the name of the people that I represent as an MP, that we as politicians are accountable towards them and that we are obliged to protect their rights and give them the right democratic environment to live in," Debono stressed.

But as much as the Nationalist backbencher has seemingly calmed down (for now) over the matter, he warns however that he is not standing down on anything, "but simply being rational, and not petty".

Debono's soapbox

2012 will be a crucial year for government, not only for it being the last full year of the legislature, but most importantly for the pending list of reforms to be implemented through parliament, starting from Debono's private member's motion on the justice system and the police, legislation on party financing and the implementation of a series of changes to the Constitution.

While acknowledging the possibility that 2012 could also be the year during which a general election could be called, Debono says that what is important is that government delivers and faces the electorate with its head held up high.

"We have fundamental issues before us," he stressed, explaining that parliament will resume on 18 January with a full agenda that will have to debate a law which regulates party financing.

"This law will finally regulate political parties, which until today were kept completely unregulated, to the detriment of our democracy, and moreover to every single citizen," Debono said.

While insisting on splitting the justice and home affairs ministry, the Nationalist MP says that it has become more than an urgent matter to separate the roles of inquiring magistrates and adjudicating magistrates.

"How can it be that we continue to see magistrates conducting inquiries with the police and then move on to judge the same cases?" he asked, and added that this is the same anomaly which currently falls on minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici, who keeps the judiciary and the police within his same portfolio.

"This is where the media and critics get it wrong, because this is not about Franco Debono, but its about the issues at stake, and why is it that nobody asks why these issues are constantly being raised from the backbench and not from the frontbench?"

But Carm Mifsud Bonnici is refusing to be dragged into the controversy surrounding his biggest critic.

Debono has used the courtroom to stage vocal protests on the shortcomings within the judicial and criminal system.

Contacted at home, Mifsud Bonnici insisted on a 'no comment' on Debono's demands to see his portfolio split in half - an indictment on his record since being appointed a minister in 2008.

He also refused to answer a question on whether he has an opinion about the expected split in his ministry, or if he discussed the matter with the Prime Minister.

And Debono also hits out at the Labour Party for being what he described as an "opportunist" and "non-credible" Opposition, which prefers to talk about dissent, rather than discuss, support or promote the urgent need for changes in the Constitution.

"2012 will be indeed a very challenging year, where I will continue to drive the message home that we cannot continue to miss out on change," he added.

But the new year will also see the Nationalist Party cautious in its approach with Franco Debono.

The Schiavone affair

As critics have come out to suggest Debono be expelled from the PN or made not to re-contest the next general election on the PN ticket, the party has managed to create another issue, this time with its known Marsaxlokk activist Hermann Schiavone.

It was party secretary-general Paul Borg Olivier who put his foot in it last week, when he told The Times that what Franco Debono's comments were "not helpful" for government and the PN.

It was a remark that triggered an immediate reaction from Debono, who indicted Borg Olivier for not taking any decisive action against Schiavone for allegedly spreading the word that he [Debono] was behind his an anonymous letter prior to the 2003 elections, and which cost him his candidature in the party.

Debono stressed that this inaction had caused him "untold harm" especially when Schiavone made the allegation to the Prime Minister's chief of staff Edgar Galea Curmi.

He added that he felt it was odd that Borg Olivier "felt himself at liberty" to comment that he was not being helpful to the party.

"Borg Olivier visited me at home every day, practically sleeping in my kitchen, to convince me not to abstain from voting against Labour's motion against Transport Minister Austin Gatt," Debono said.

He also said he had a great difficulty in voting in favour of the budgetary vote for the ministry for justice and home affairs, which he said "had a completely wrong attitude to justice and home affairs... it was nothing personal, but I was never in agreement. I declared it publicly, and the current situation shows it".

With the Schiavone issue now out in the open, the festive week was awash with controversy, to the extent that the PN had to issue a public statement that declared Marsaxlokk activist Schiavone was not a party candidate, adding that "he has been directed not to present himself as one".

It was the first public reaction in three years by the PN on Schiavone, whom Debono had internally and incessantly called for censure following the allegation.

"This matter has eroded my health, and I suffered for months in silence since I am not outspoken" Debono said, adding that he felt hurt to see the party just ignore the fact that an allegation was made in his regard and nothing was done.

But as the PN seemingly parted with the well-known activist on Debono's fifth electoral district, Schiavone came out to say that he "understood the circumstances under which the PN was forced to issue such a statement".

When speaking to Schiavone over the phone last Friday he sounded unfazed by the party reprimand, saying that he was "serene" and added that he will continue to work for the party and will also continue to do home visits.

Schiavone's Facebook page shows pictures taken during two public events he organised for constituents on the fifth district, and a message where he thanks his supporters for their 600-strong presence.

Well-wishers wrote into his page and appealed to Schiavone not to give up. A clear indication that the Schiavone 'solution' has created new difficulties within the PN with regards to potential candidates.