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Speaker refuses to reconvene parliament urgently
Speaker Michael Frendo replies to Opposition leader's request to convene parliament urgently and says there is no need to do so before 18 January.
9 January 2012, 12:00am
Jurgen Balzan
Jurgen Balzan
1 min read
Speaker Michael Frendo has refused to convene parliament urgently.
Speaker Michael Frendo has replied to Opposition leader Joseph Muscat and said that parliament will be convened as planned on 18 January, and not before.
In a letter published this evening, the Speaker told Joseph Muscat that the last time parliament was reconvened urgently was in 1991 on demand of the two parties in parliament when the Gulf War broke out.
Frendo said: "The Speaker is following closely the recent political events which have happened and continue to evolve and we will continue to do so... While I do comprehend your preoccupations, parliament is planned to meet again next week. In view of the short time until then, I do not feel the need to convene parliament on a different date."
Opposition leader Joseph Muscat had written to Frendo on Saturday asking him to reconvene parliament urgently to discuss the situation.
This morning the Cabinet discussed the crisis and took note that the Nationalist Party will discuss the political crisis internally.
Later in the afternoon, PN secretary-general Paul Borg Olivier said the PN parliamentary group will discuss the crisis tomorrow and the party's executive meet on Wednesday. Franco Debono said he would not attend the meetings of the parliamentary group and the PN executive.
Debono told MaltaToday that he will not run for office, in a confirmation that his political career is over after calling on the Prime Minister to resign. He also said he will vote with Labour if the Opposition presents a motion of no-confidence.
The PN backbencher also reacted to calls for his resignation by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, PN secretary-general Paul Borg Olivier and former PN leader Eddie Fenech Adami. Debono said: "It is whoever makes mistakes who should resign," and added that Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was not "above the law or the Constitution."
Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.
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Why is everybody surpirsed here that the Speaker has not recoonvened parliament just a week when it is scheduled to meet?
Have you forgotten that when Alfred Sant lost the majority in parliament in 1998, he adjourned parliament for the summer holidays and then dissovled parliament just before it was due to meet again in September? Have you forgotten him emerging from parliament after losing the vote telling journalists to go and enjoy summer?
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Why is everybody surpirsed here that the Speaker has not recoonvened parliament just a week when it is scheduled to meet?
Have you forgotten that when Alfred Sant lost the majority in parliament in 1998, he adjourned parliament for the summer holidays and then dissovled parliament just before it was due to meet again in September? Have you forgotten him emerging from parliament after losing the vote telling journalists to go and enjoy summer?
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Ahjar ma nghid xejn -- ara jekk michael frendo hux se jsejjah il-parlament qabel zmienu!!! Dak irid ikompli fil-kariga biex ikollu cans jghodd il-biljetti tal-arriva bit-tender li kien bazwar fi zmienu -- jekk ma jkunx speaker, bil-pompa li tant jiddiletta biha, bil-pozi u bil-fanfarunati u bl-ikliet li ghaddej bihom -- kif tridu jlahhaq jghodd il-biljetti tal-arriva !!!!!!!!!!!!
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L-interess ta' li speaker huwa li jaghti cans il-gvern jipprova jsolvi l problema fi hdan il-partit imma eventwalment f'hogor il-parlament terga tispicca. Stramba kif iridu l-Dr Debono jirrizenja. Meta Mintoff ma kien qabel ma Sant ma qalulux jirrezenja imma qaghdu gallarija u jxewxu minn taht ja qatta Farizej!
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Mhux hekk nibqghu l-Ispeaker isejjah il-Parlament kmieni mela t-talba ghamilha l-Partit Nazzjonalista? Sewwa jharrek idejh u jaghmel xi haga tajba ghal pajjiz kieku dan l-Ispeaker imma qieghed hemm biex jghid iva biss ght-talbiet tal-Pn u biex isalva u jpaxxi lill-Gvern.
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X'imkien kien hemm miktub li gonzi qal: "Whoever is here to please himself should leave the scene --- HEKK JONQOS -- MELA JRID LI L-PN JISFAXXA DARBA GHAL DEJJEM? JEKK JIGRI HEKK, IKOLLU JITLAQ KULHADD, GONZI INKLUZ. FORSI TIBQA' KATE WEHEDHA FIL-PN !!!
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U meta se jqum mir raqda li jinsab fiha il president ta Malta?
Zack Depasquale •
@Guidocforte Prosit siehbi ma stajtx ilqat il-musmar aktar fuq rasu daqs kemm ilqatghu fl-ahhar kumment tieghek.Dak li ried ifisser L-Onor Franco Debono meta semgha il-kelma oligarkija li issa dejqet u qazghet lill-kulhadd.Grupp ta nies li flok ikissruk bid-daqqiet jippruvaw ikissruk bil-kitba taghhom bi blogs moqzieza, m'ghandhomx rispett jekk hux Nazzjonalist jew Laburist kull ma jaraw hu li ma tidhlielhomx fl-ghalqa taghhom.Taf x'hemm tajjeb f'din l-istorja kollha, li qieghda taqgha l-maskra ta'hafna nies.
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Pero meta toghqod tirrifletti ftit, issib li l-ispeaker huwa bhal dak il puppazz. " Li kif tigbidlu l-ispaga jiccaqlaq ". U inthom qeghedin tahsbu li dan it tkaxkir tas saqajn, ghax l-ispeaker jew tal P.N. iridu hekk ? Jien nemmen ,u dejjem emmint li il pajjiz mhux veru immexxi min gvern Nazzjonalista, imma min dawk l-imprendituri / businessmen li qeghedin issosnu lil P.N,sabiex jibqa fil poter, u huma jiehdu kull kuntratt. Issa qeghedin jibzaw li il kejk ser ikollu jinqasam .
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Tippretendux ahjar minn hekk minn l-ebda Speaker ta' xi Parlament. Hekk kienu u hekk ser jibqghu!!!!
Luke Camilleri •
Jaqaw Mr. Speaker, ex-Ministru tal P.N. ghadu jifforma parti mill Grupp Parlamentari Nazzjonalista?
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B'din id-decizjoni dik hi il-Percezzjoni!
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Li jkollok gvern li tilef il-maggoranza ta' deputati mhix xi haga kbira u straordinarja ghal-ispeaker. Nahseb li qed jistenna xi invazjoni mill-aljeni biex jaghjat il-parlament b'urgenza.
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U zgur li le.kif jaggorna il parlament,dan jitlef kollox u jigi ZERO
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My dear friend Joseph, what did you expect from the speaker, that he was going to go against his party? Dont forget he is a blue member and can never ever be IMPARTIAL..
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Mur ara li kieku din il kummiedja ta l-ispeaker grat bi gvern Laburista. Kieku il biebin ta l-infern infetthu u hargu ix xjaten. Mr, speaker din mhux demokrazja tissejjah ...imma dittatura. Prosit ghal partit laburista b`mod specjali lil kap Joseph Muscat, li ma naqawx ghal provokazzjoni. Is sitwazzjoni hi dik li hija, il P.N. tilef il maggoranza parlamentari, u qeghed jilghab ghal hin, u biex jelimina xi affarijiet li jistaw ihammguh ,meta jidhlu Joseph u il Ministri tieghu f`ufficini.Poplu ibqa kalm, ghagla ma hemmx,.Nappella lil esponenti tal partit u dawk li ser jikkontestaw fi hdan il P.L. sabiex jghoqodu attenti kif jitkellmu u jaggixxu fil publiku ghax qeghedin b`mitt ghajnejn min xi zelqa min naha taghna, sabiex il hmieg li ghandhom idawruh fuqnha.
Zack Depasquale •
I do not believe for one moment that parliament will reconvene again in this legislature, what the speaker is doing is just playing for time, I think that by the end of this week possibly Thursday we will have a date of the next general election, that is if Dr Gonzi still believes in democracy.
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X'tistenna minn backbencher Nazzjonalista! Mhux kollha pezza wahda dawn.
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@ Emanuel Cini. That's what i wish myself. But the President cannot act merely on words. What if FD changes his mind at the last moment and votes in favour of Govt? The President would then feel ridiculed. So that's why the President comes in when the matter actually happens. So let's have patience and wait to see what happens on the 18th, once His Excellency the Speaker has decreed that this is a matter of little concern.
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@man in the street--I THINK THE LEAST THE PRESIDENT CAN DO IS SUMMON GONZI SO HE CAN TELL HIM EXACTLY THAT-HE LOST HIS MAJORITY!!
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OR JM SHOULD TABLE THE MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE TOMORROW. SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE! THIS IS ABSURD!!!
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The President cannot act now, at least openly. He will have to come into the open if a) a vote of no-confidence is lost in the the House of Representatives, or b) if the PM informs the President that he can no longer garner a majority in the House. What i do see as anti-democratic is the Speaker's refusal to convene the House to discuss the worst crisis we have had in our highest institution since 1998. He should be ashamed of occupying that chair. He goes on record of being one of the worst Speakers we have ever had, apart from first being one of the first in the line of arrogant PN Ministers post-1987.
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@Thor. It seems like the speaker is the QUEEN here!! The President CAN AND SHOULD INTERVENE NOW. THE GOVERNMENT HAS LOST ITS MAJORITY AND GONZI HAS NOT EVEN BEEN TO SEE HIM AS FAR AS WE KNOW!! NO WAY MAN, WHAT IS HE THERE FOR?
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@falzonalfred6--I totally agree and want the President to take charge here. We appreciate his wonderful work and his charisma but now we need to see his diplomatic strength!! Intervene and call the PM NOW!! THE HOUSE SPEAKER'S ANSWER IS A DISGRACE AND AN INSULT TO THE PEOPLE INCLUDING HIM!!!!
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I am not a great fan of the president but it is only fair to say that the president acts when it is time to act and not before. Let's not forget that the president in Malta is not above parliament and is like the queen of England restricted by certain rules and regulations. So lets be fair on the guy.
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I dare to prophesize that gonzi on the 18th will simply dissolve parliament and call for elections and will not chance to be humiliated by a no confidence vote, even if this happens by just 1 vote.
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During the Divorce issue the President kept silent. The President cannot remain silent when there is a national crisis. Mr President you have a national crisis as your government no longer has a majority in parliament.
In the name of democracy you should intervene and the sooner the better.
There is more to the Presidency than l-Istrina.
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REGARDLESS OF WHAT EFA SAYS IT IS TIME THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC STEP IN NOW AND EXERCISE HIS CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY!!!
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One of the more corrupt nationalist MP's, conveniently made speaker of the camera coz he is too greedy to get elected - even the crooks that flock to PN shun this bozo.
This is a dictatorship on par with what they had in Algeria and Libya - no wonder our crooks and their political crooks were exchanging honours.
They did not stop the Arab spring and they will not stop the wind of change in Malta either. PN is falling apart like the communism - from the inside out. Before Franco there was JPO and before JPO there was the Dr Farrugia.
There will be others and there is a new generation of people who will not choose to suck up to these talent less, criminal hacks and demand they live in a modern democracy run by the standards of the 21st century and not a medieval christian fascist taliban dictatorship.
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The sooner the prialment is reconvened the sooner Frendo looses his job, this way he is guaranteeing himself anothe rtwo weeks pay.Who gives a bamboo shot about Malta's stability , ones pocket is first and foremost.
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Tfacca fenek adami issa fuq ix-xena tafux!!! Irid jghid tieghu ukoll - imissu jisthi, hu se jitkellem? Meta mintoff kien ghamel l-istess haga lil alfred sant fl-1998, il-fenek nesa kemm iddandan u peclaq u pacpac u nassas - dak in-nhar ma qallux biex iwarrab lil mintoff izda tah ragun kemm felah, hu u l-klikka ta' madwaru. Zomm postok dott fenek adami u ara lil dak li dlikt biex johodlok postok jinqela mhux b'zejtu imma b'zejtek - waslet taghkom fl-ahhar - u ezatt kif xewwixtu kemm flahtu dak in-nhar, illum qed jigri l-istess haga - biss din id-darba qed taraw li r-rota qed iddur kontrikom fl-ahhar!!
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Hokkli dari halli nhokklok tijek Man
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Just shows why Gonzi exiled Dr Galea and appointed a puppet, so he could save his ass when he's in deep trouble. Alas, he will not have the honor to sit on the chair in the new parliament.
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Just imagine Mr. Speaker at the helm of the Titanic. He is infomed that the vessel has hit an iceberg. The gather around him awaiting order and Mr. Speaker the Captain say. 'Why all this panic? we have a safety drill scheduled for next week. So calm down and do not interrupt again. I was watching a very interesting documentary of Discovery Channel. It was about how bus ticketing machine are made'
Mr.Speaker why is your Party more important than your self respecy.
leftsophist.blogspot.com/
Raymond Falzon •
Dr frendo f'haga washday biss iffakarni .....il billjeti tal linja... Dak ragel ,,!!!!!!
Luke Camilleri •
Jaqaw Gonzi fakkru il-Dr. Frendo fuq l-iskandlu tal-biljetti tal-karozzi tal-Linja..... jew forsi anki weghdu xi Ministeru?????
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2002/0113/people.html
