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Labour MPs give Muscat ‘full powers’ to decide next move
Opposition leader gets green light for next move on political crisis.
Labour leader Joseph Muscat has yet to decide whether he will move for a motion of no-confidence.
Labour's parliamentary group has granted full discretionary powers to party leader Joseph Muscat to take all decisions he may deem fit to respond to the developing political crisis.
Muscat garnered the full support of all his MPs during a parliamentary group meeting held last night at the PL headquarters, MaltaToday is informed.
"MPs pledged their support to Muscat. He told them not to lose contact with their constituencies, and to listen to voters' concerns," a party source said.
The meeting was said to have been "unusually upbeat" after MPs were informed by Labour party chief executive officer James Piscopo that the party was gearing up and ready to launch its electoral campaign.
There is still no motion of no-confidence from the Opposition. Earlier today, MPs from both sides of the House met to decide the parliamentary agenda for parliament when it reconvenes on Wednesday, 18 January. The Prime Minister will be abroad on official business between Monday and Thursday next week.
Leader of the House Carm Mifsud Bonnici was adamant that no motion of no-confidence had been presented by the Opposition, and insisted that the House should prioritise the Education and European Union amendment bills, before proceeding to the Budget Measures Implementation Bill.
The minister said that unless a motion is presented, no date could be set for a hypothetical motion.
The Opposition instead demanded that the committee meeting be postponed to next Monday to decide the House agenda.
Labour whip Joe Mizzi and deputy PL leader Anglu Farrugia repeatedly asked Mifsud Bonnici if he recognised the urgency of addressing government's instability, which is threatened by Nationalist MP Franco Debono's decision not to support the government.
"I note the Opposition is rather eager to see this matter settled and take power as soon as it can," Mifsud Bonnici retorted.
The PN is convening its party's general council for Sunday, 29 January.
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I would like to inform all you budding constitutionalists. In 1998 when Alfred Sant was in the same predicament as Gonzi. At the time he was General Secretary of the party. On the 11th June of that year, Gonzi gave Alfred Sant four options. One of which was to consult the President of the Republic. One would think that he might follow his own advice. So let us not bother the President and persist in muddling the issue or play the ostrich.
This not a internal issue of the PN, the same as it was not an internal issue of the Labour Party in 1998. It is a Constitutional issue. Franco Debono stated he has no confidence in PM Gonzi. The issue can easily be solved with Gonzi tabling a vote of Confidence in Parliament. All these meetings at the PN headquarters are a waste of time. Now he has called a General Council for the 29th. Will he solve the crisis? Certainly not.
Now he is even absconding the island. He is going to Tunis for a four days official visit, no less, from the 16th to the 17th. To add insult to injury the new Leader of the House His Most High Reverend Excellency Carm Mifsud Bonnici has excluded the crisis from the Parliamentary agenda of the coming week. He wants to discuss the education bill; sort of business as usual. I mean the arrogance of these people has no limits.
They can stoop much lower, Though. In fact this afternoon a delegation of the PN when to the Broadcasting Authority t to stop Joe Muscat from taking part in Xarabank. The delegation stressed that when Gonzi was on the same program last week he talked about internal Party affairs so Joe Muscat has no right of reply. Unbelievable, Malta 2012 member of the EU and a party in government wants to deny the Leader of the Opposition the right to speak on TV on a major political crisis. I know Gonzi the bishop did not let Mintoff speak on Rdifussion, or let labour papers enter hospital. But those were the sixties and Gonzi the Bishop taught he was defending the faith. But to deny Joe Muscat the right to speak on TV in 2012, is absolutely flabbergasting.
I ask, all this for what? Maybe Debono will change his mind? I very much doubt it. If Gonzi wants Joe Muscat to pull the plug? So be it. Then he will have the opportunity to blame him for the instability. So he want to be dragged out kicking and screaming not in an honourable way like Alfred Sant. I therefore beg Joe Muscat to stop beating around the bush and get on with it! You of GonziPN How is the taste of the medicine we to swallow in’98 some Ultimately, you have to reconcile to the fact that after these shenanigans it is the END, SPICCA, FINE, FIN, FINAL,
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@edyjoice...il-kostituzzjoni taljana taghti poteri lill-president taghha differenti minn dik tal-president malti. Tkunux ghaggelija.
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Ghalissa l-president ma jistax la jikkummenta u lanqas jiehu xi azzjoni. Il-parlament ghadu maghluq u sakem jigru l-affarijiet hemm dan ma jista jghamel xejn skond il-kostituzzjoni.
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Bhal ma qal Victor Laviera il President ma jista jghamel xejn qabel ikollu evidenza ta vot fil parlament.Il President Abela li huwa l-President tal Poplu kollu mhux se jibza min hadd jekk tinkiser il kostituzzjoni.
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Apell lil partitarji Laburisti...noqghodu fuq dak li jighdina leader JOSEPH MUSCAT..napella ghall kalma...nistenew u naraw
Krista Sullivan •
You can fool people some of the time, but you can't fool them all of the time
Krista Sullivan •
L-AHWA IBQAW KALMI U TITLFUX RASKOM DAWN QED JIPROVAW JIPROVOKAWNA HALLI JSIR PASS HAZIN U JKOLLOM BIEX JATTAKAW.....OQODU GHAL DAK LI JGHIDILNA LEADER XEJN AKTAR U XEJN ANQAS DIN LOGHBA TAL-PN......BIEX IKOLLOM BIEX JATTAKAWNA GHAX IL-PASSAT MAR U MIET.............
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In Italy President Napolitano does intervene and speaks out when he feels that something very wrong is happening that threatens democracy or the Italian Constitution. Why should it be different in Malta ?
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Aktar nemmen li hu Carm Mifsud Bonnici li hu " eager" li ma jitlifx is-siggu u l-eluf kbar ta' ewros li qed idahhal mknkejja li qed jghamel froga f'kull ma jaghmel!!
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The Gonz huwa falliment wiehed wara iehor. Qalilna l-onorevoli Carm sejjer it tour issa fl-aqwa tal-problemi! Ghalxejn jipprova jimxi fuq il passi ta' EFA li wiehed ma jridx jinsa sab il kaxxa ta' Malta mimlija mhux bhalissa li mhux talli battluwha talli anke l-qiegh nehhewla! U l-poplu jahsbuh iblah
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il-benjamin taghna qed nifhmu jien.... qed itih il-habel halli iktar jissikka ma ghonqu fis-siegha tal- mmument.
Dak li qed jahseb li hu xi Gulia, nesa li hemm David lest ghalih.
u biex tghaqad sew din id-darba hemm ukoll it-tifel l-imqareb li lest biex jghatih il kiss of death ukoll, mhux hekk Franco?
Maghmula tieghu in-neputi ta' Mikiel ta hal-barka.
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So what does his serene highness think about this situation? He is supposedly there with the power to dissolve government if need be - or is presidency just another way to fleece the tax payers and get free holidays ?
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hmmmm qed iqajjem rixu qiesu dan Mifsud Bonnici, sewwa jghidu li min jitfa fil borma ikun jaf x fijha, iktar kemm jafgu iktar jikonvincu lin nies min qed jghid il verita jekk hux gonzi u il-klikka, jew MP Franco Debono.!!!!
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Leave the H.E. President George Abela out of it. I cannot vouch what is being done behind the scene. But so far there has not been any formal vote of no confidence in PN Government. And why should the President intervene now, when for Gonzi it is only a PN political issue, no national/constitutional crisis, and there are other important things to settle before dreaming of moving a motion of a vote of confidence in his Government. He can also wait for this confidence to be confirmed or not when the 2012 implementation of budget measures are voted upon. Tunisia and Qatar seems to be more of a priority to Gonzi. And before there is the nationalist party general conference next sunday. Do not expect anything special, more than full confidence in Gonzi and the way he and his Ministers are administrating the country. But in his hear of heart Gonzi knows the solution, but his arrogance keeps him for taking the necessary decision in the national interest.
Ian George Walker •
@ Alex: I'm sure that President Abela is making his views known. However, officially, he cannot move unless is is shown IN THE HOUSE that the Government is in crises and Gonzi has no majority. Declarations in the street, after meetings in the papers or on TV are not enough - only votes in the house count.
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Bl-ikbar rispett lejn il-President ta' Malta. Il-Prim Ministru u l-Kap ta' l-Oppozizjoni ghandhom ma marrux ikellmu l-President. Spiccajna li l-President izuruh biss b'xi cekk ghal-istrina. Il-giren taghna l-Italja kull meta jkun hemm l-icken krizi, hlief il-President Napolitano tiela u l-President niezel ma tismax. Iva ahna possibli ma ghandniex min-nies? Nahseb li l-Prim Ministru sejjer il-Qatar u Tunezija biex jerga igibilna xi progett granduz minghand l-Arab bhal ma kien ghamel bi Smart City (b'dawk l-eluf kollha ta haddiema bil-pagi value added) u b'hekk f'Malta ma jibqa hadd minghajr xoghol. Nice one Gonzi.
Alex Grech •
May I ask a simple question, Where his excelency Dr Abela in all this?
good question matrix!
do we have a president of the republic for l'strina?!?!
Isabelle Borg •
Just do it! We need stability in this country and only you and the PL can guarantee that at the moment.
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GOOD THEN MOVE JOSEPH BEFORE WE ALL HAVE A BLOODY HEART ATTACK FROM THIS STRESS!!
Zack Depasquale •
May I ask a simple question, Where his excelency Dr Abela in all this?
