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[WATCH] Prime Minister failed his own test of certainty – Joseph Muscat
“Prime Minister does not have certainty, stability or clarity – call general elections”, Labour leader says.
26 January 2012, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Opposition leader Joseph Muscat said the Prime Minister had lost his majority and was "political and morally wrong" in clinging on to power, after a no-confidence motion was defeated by the Speaker's casting vote when Nationalist MP Franco Debono abstained from supporting the government.
He likened the prime minister's situation to the 1981 election where Labour won government with a majority of seats, and not votes: "In the same way Labour was politically and morally wrong, the prime minister today is politically and morally wrong and he has lost his majority."
The Labour leader also said he did not expect the President of the Republic to intervene but that the prime minister should call a general election.
Muscat refuted claims that Labour had lost out on a strategy that depended on Debono voting against his own government.
"We did not go fishing for this no-confidence. We asked for certainty when the prime minister did not want to ask the House for this confidence. And it is this that will have repercussions on the country.
"The prime minister abdicated his duty by not going in for this test, and take responsibility for calling this motion... today the prime minister does not have certainty, stability or clarity."
Muscat said Gonzi was clear about his actions when he said he wanted a vote that would take him to the end of the legislature and without any conditions.
"I think today's vote has failed the prime minister's own test. By his own yardstick, the prime minister has to go for a general election. We have no haste in going for an election, but the people cannot be allowed to wait by this 'wait-and-see' prime minister. Every day is a wasted day for our families."
Muscat also said Gonzi was preparing his party for any eventuality, and trying to win time.
He said that the prime minister's legalisms, referring to the Speaker's casting vote that defeated the no-confidence motion, still left the country with a democratic deficit.
"The prime minister has a political crisis and an enormous problem of governance. He is locked in his ivory tower with the clique that brought about this crisis, believing otherwise."
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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DR FRANCO DEBONO'S WORD IS NOT WORTH ANYTHING ANYMORE AND THEREFORE HE SHOULD BE IGNORED COMPLETELY BY THE PL AND LEFT TO HIS OWN MUDDY DEVICES TO DEAL WITH HIS 'CLIQUE OF EVIL' FRIENDS IN THE PN. ANYONE WHO CONTRADICTS HIMSELF SO BLATANTLY IN PUBLIC OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS NOT WORTH THE PEOPLE'S EMPATHY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS GAME HE IS PLAYING AND THE WHOLE NATION IS LOSING AND STANDS TO LOSE EVEN MORE OUT OF IT. SO THEREFORE, THE PL MUST REMAIN FOCUSED ON ITS FINE TUNING OF ITS POLICIES FOR WHEN THE APPROPRIATE TIME COMES AND SHOULD COMPLETELY IGNORE PEOPLE CONTRADICTING THEMSELVES WHEN FACED WITH THE TIME TO PROVE THAT THEY ARE NOT BLUFFING AND REALLY MEAN WHAT THEY ARE SAYING.
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@JGalea - il-Malti jghid li min jidhak l-ahhar jidhak l-ahjar. GonziPN may have won the battle BUT what is important is winning the war. All in good time. U ohra, lil "Bambin" toqghodx iddahhlu fin-nofs. L-istess "Bambin" li qed tirreferi ghalih darba kien semma wkoll l-OQBRA IMBAJDA. Hu nifs 'il gewwa habib u kkalma ftit. Dan l-ecitament kollu mhux tajjeb ghal sahtek.
Anette B Cassar •
All these weeks one sentence has been forgotten. May be not in it's entirety. The PM said that he and his ministers will not receive the Euro 500 honoraria IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE WHO WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH SOME THOUGH TIMES IN THE YER AHEAD. What re the hard times? One month of shilly shallying and we have not been told. Only that his minster of finance allegedly cocked up the original budget plan by Euro 40 Million. We have a right to know.
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Rummienu - we will go to the polls and we WILL WIN AGAIN but not when muscat wants but when Gonzi wants. How many times the PL said that he is ahead of the PN and finally lost the elections.
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Maltese , If you really beleve what you have just said in your comment ,that the PN have all the maltese people behind him , why are you so afraid to go to the polls ? With all the track record that your leader said that he is proud of , why is he afraid to face the electorate in a general election ?
Let me tell you why , because as Dr.Debono said , the track record is nothing but arrogance , corruption , cliques of evil .
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Halli infakkar ftit lil Joseph Muscat li kien ghadu gurnalista u lil laburisti li ghandhom memorja qasira. Ghax nahseb li ilkoll insejtu li:
5 Nov 1997 – Mintoff jikkritika il budget u wara jivvota kontra il gvern ta Sant.
11 Nov 1997 – Mintoff jirrifjuta li jivvota favur il gvern u jikkritika il budget imressaq min alfred sant.
13 Nov 1997 – Mintoff jerga jastjeni.
19 Nov 1997 – Mintoff ghal darb’ ohra jerga jastjeni.
20 Nov 1997 – Mintoff jastjeni.
21 Nov 1997 – Mintoff jastjeni darbtejn f’seduta wahda.
22 Nov 97 – Mintoff jerga jastjeni.
25 Nov 1997 – Mintoff jivvota kontra il gvern ta alfred sant.
Dicembru 1997, Jannar 1998, Frar 1998 u Marzu 1998 – 4 xhur ta instabbilita parlamentari u politika. Tispikka il kritika kontinwa ta mintoff kontra il politika ta sant u t-tghajjir kontinwu ta sant u shabu fil konfront ta mintoff.
L-ebda membru parlamentari laburista ma jitkellem fuq l-instabbilita li nholqot. Il partit nazzjonalista ma jressaq l-ebda vot ta sfiducja u jhalli lil sant isolvi il problema li kien hemm bejnu u bejn mintoff.
18 Mar 1998 – Mintoff jerga jirrifjuta li jivvota mal gvern.
8 May 1998 – Mintoff ma jivvutax ghax ikun imsiefer barra mill pajjiz.
8 Jun 1998 – Mintoff jivvota kontra il gvern.
7 Jul 1998 – Sant iressaq ligi fil parlament u jorbota ma vot ta fiducja. Jisfida lil mintoff li jekk jastjeni jiehu l-astenzjoni bhala vot ta sfiducja. Mintoff jivvota kontra.
3 Aug 1998 – Sant ixolji il parlament u jsejjah elezzjoni generali ghal Settembru 1998.
DISA XHUR TA INSTABBILITA PARLAMENTARI U POLITIKA LI HADD MILL LABURISTI MA TKELLEM DWARA.
IL PARTIT NAZZJONALISTA MA RESSAQ EBDA MOZZJONI TA SFIDUCJA U HALLA LIL PARTIT LABURIST ISOLVI IL PROBLEMI INTERNI BLA EBDA TFIXKIL.
SKOND IL LABURISTI ALFRED SANT KIEN DEMOKRATIKU U MHUX MARBUT MAL POTER GHAX SEJJAH ELEZZJONI – 9 XHUR WARA IMMA (DAQSHEKK DAM IMWAHHAL MAS SIGGU TAL POTER).
TGHAJJIR SFRENAT FIL PARLAMENT U BARRA KONTRA MINTOFF. SAHANSITRA MGHAJJAR TRADITUR.
ILLUM F’CIRKUSTANZI KWAZI SIMILI:
JOSEPH MUSCAT U L-MEMBRI PARLAMENTARI LABURISTI IL HIN KOLLU JITKELLMU LI M’HAWNX STABBILITA POLITIKA.
IL PARTIT LABURISTA RESSAQ MOZZJONI TA SFIDUCJA GHAX RIED IWAQQA IL GVERN BIEX JAHTAF IL POTER.
GONZI IDDIKKJARA LI KIEN LEST ISSEJJAH ELEZZJONI JEKK IL MOZZJONI TA SFIDUCJA IGGIB IL MAGGORANZA TAL VOTI. DAN MA SEHHX U GHANDU ID DRITT KOSTITUZZJONALI LI JIBQA JIGGVERNA.
DIBATTITU CIVILI FIL PARLAMENT FEJN KULLHADD KELLU IL LIBERTA JITKELLEM U JGHID LI JRID MINGHAJR BIZA.
X’DIFFERENZA BEJN 1997 U 2012. IL PARTIT LABURISTA JBIDDEL BNADAR EMBLEMI KULURI KEMM IRID GHAX L-ISTESS JIBQA. QATT MA JACCETTA TELFA U DEJJEM JGHID LI REBAH U GHANDU RAGUN.
SKUZAWNI GHAX KTIBT FIT TUL. NGHALAQ DAN IL KUMMENT BILLI NGHID LIL JOSEPH MUSCAT LI GHANDU U NAWGURALU FUTUR SABIH FIL POLITIKA. IMMA ILLUM IL GURNATA GHADU POLITIKAMENT IMMATUR BIEX IMEXXI PARTIT U PAJJIZ.
Mark Fenech •
Imma kif dawn in-nazzjonalisti l-anqas biss jafu jistħu. Tilfu l-maġġoranza ġol-parlament u jgħidu li għamlu rebħa. L-anqas nofs kwota ma kellhom maġġoranza u issa l-anqas dik ma bagħqet għax sparixxit.
Mela nsejtu x'qal il-PM nhar il-Ħadd ġo Ħaż-Żebbuġ. Issa ma għandkomx maġġoranza l-anqas fil-parlament, imma inthom x'impurtakom kemm qiegħdin u sejrin ibagħtu n-nies, l-aqwa inthom biss. Tliftu l-maġġoranza u l-PM jammetti li ma għadux "business as usual" u tridu tgħidu li erbaħtu. Iva anke l-verita tridu tmeru, u l-buffu tal-ispeaker li ma kellux għalfejn jivvota għamilta ta' pulċinel biex taparsi tidħqu bin-nies. Imma l-barranin jafu li inthom gvern - bħal karozza li għandha puncture u allura wieqfa.
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Fir-realta,kull min ghandu ftit melh go mohhu jaf illi Dr Muscat jirbah il-vot ried. Kieku kien jaf illi Franco kien sejjer jastjeni zgur ma kien sejjer iressaq din il-mozzjoni!!!..tant hu hekk illi fil bidu qal li mhux sejjer iressaq mozzjonijiet imma ghal xi raguni rega bdielu....strategija hazina li mhux sejjra tinzel tajjeb mad-delegati tal-Partit..
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Skalda f'subajh is-zghir, fil-mizbla tal-istorja tal-PN, u l-aggettivi kollha li qalu fuq Franco Debono in-Nazzjonalisti dan l-ahhar xhar kollha joqghdoulu. Dear Franco, from today until election day the PN will be your lackeys because they'll need your vote. Come election time, you will be dumped. Where, i do not know. Perhaps in the mizbla tal-istorja tal-PN.
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Ala hadd ma jiprotesta?Fejn huma xogholijiet li tant tiftahru bijom?U morru l'hemm is salarju ta'bejn wiehed fl-Ewropa u l iehor f Malta huma differenti, nistennew sakemm jerga joghli l-kont tad dawl jerga issa.Malta gaba it-tapit tieghu!!!
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Ala hadd ma jiprotesta?Fejn huma xogholijiet li tant tiftahru bijom?U morru l'hemm is salarju ta'bejn wiehed fl-Ewropa u l iehor f Malta huma differenti, nistennew sakemm jerga joghli l-kont tad dawl jerga issa.Malta gaba it-tapit tieghu!!!
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@maltese how can you say the crowd booed Joe Muscat when only a handfull of Pn staunch supporters where crying out loud, on the left hand side of the Palace there were plenty of labour supporters calling labour, labour, calling Joe Muscat to resign is absolutely insain, today it was the Pn Govt being judged by parliament if it can hold a majority, this morning Autin Bencini an expert on the constitution, said that the speaker can never cast his vote as it stands at 34-34 the vote did not pass but it stands as the Government has still no majority in Parliament, The speaker has no right to cast his vote.
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@maltese how can you say the crowd booed Joe Muscat when only a handfull of Pn staunch supporters where crying out loud, on the left hand side of the Palace there were plenty of labour supporters calling labour, labour, calling Joe Muscat to resign is absolutely insain, today it was the Pn Govt being judged by parliament if it can hold a majority, this morning Autin Bencini an expert on the constitution, said that the speaker can never cast his vote as it stands at 34-34 the vote did not pass but it stands as the Government has still no majority in Parliament, The speaker has no right to cast his vote.
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I agree that Dr. Gonzi has lost his slim majority in parliament. He says that he will be taking ''initiatives'' to ensure that he has the entire P.N. flock of sheep behind him. But how can he do that?
Will he give them taxpayer money as he gave ex-Ministers on beginning this administration. Will he give all his M.P.s ten thousand euros to shut them all up - as he shut his grumbling backbenchers when he gave them this sum of money ANNUALLY and seconded them to the Ministries to do ''part-time work'' there?
Sorry P.M. time to call that election if you wish to address the instability issue. Don't be a dictator please!
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Nahseb kull minn ghandu daqsxejn melh f'mohhu induna minn ghandu kilba ghal-poter issa..Muscat seta jistenna ftit iehor sal-elezzjoni generali u mhux ghaggel , ghax it-tigrija sal barkun.
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@Maltese A small crowd booed Joseph Muscat, it turned out on the right hand side of the Palace, but on the left hand side of the palace there was a bigger crowd that were chanting labour labour, Joseph Muscat cannot resign cause he was not the one who had a vote of no confidence set upon him, it was Franco Debono that stated that Gonzi should resign, somewhere some how Debono ubstained, Debono has changed his mind to abstain, what caused to change his mind, we will no later for sure.
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One can say the motion was defeated. I hope it means that we can start the election campaign to recover what was lost otherwise it is another election to be won by PN.
Last time it happened exactly like the story of brer rabbit when the PL was ahead.... slept..... and was overtaken.
PL wake up; you lost this one do not lose the race. PL lost this battle and the war just started..
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@Maltese I don't get your point, It is stupid typical of a ignorant partisan, grow up and learn to think critically.
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Erm...excuse me but who is the boss now? Debono, he Speaker, the PM or the PM in waiting? I felt today that JM could wear them out if he wanted too, seeing Debono is a total PUSSY!! All this BS about DEMOCRACY AND COUBTRY LOVE!!! HAHAHAHA...so let's carry on till the country CRASHES!!!
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We infront of the Parlament building really enjoyed the show, seeing Joe's sullen face, after PN's victory. Msiken is socjalisti. Losers. Grazzi Franco. Il Bambin ikompli jbirkek, u jkompli jigwidak biex tkompli tappogja il Gvern tal Maggoranza. Cioe il PN :)
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Il-PN il-partit DEMOKRATIKU KRISTJAN...Il-kelma Kristjan mill-partit ilha li telqet. Wara li gara llum in-naqra ta' Demokratiku li kien fadallu wkoll spiccat. Ir-referee spicca jilghab mal-partit fil-gvern. Jien kont nahseb li fil-futbol biss hemm it-tahwid. Qed nipprovaw naghttu x-xemx bl-gharbiel. Tghidx kemm se nkunu stmati fuq il-mejda ta' l-EU. Fl-Ewropa l-gvernijiet kollha b'xi haga hazina, biss hawn Malta qeghdin l-ahjar...qeghdin draw.
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Is the PM going to take J. Muscat with him on monday after all he has 34 as much as the PM! Sur PM please tkomplix thammgina wiccna
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN;- When I was studying the senior managment abroad I was thaught that who ever substain is not quolified to be sitting around this table!
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The crowd in front of parliament booed Joseph Muscat. Jospeh Muscat should resign. Gonzi has the backing of the Maltese and the Pn always had the backing of the Maltese since 1981 with the exception of 1996.
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@J galea - nahseb ahjar terga` tmur l-iskola , ghax skond il- Maths 34=34 , mhux qieghe nara numru akbar , u aktar u aktar meta tghid kolossali , imma nikkumpatik.
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All those PN who are jubilant at this vote should realise that what happenin today is a lose /lose situation for everyone. The Govt has lost its majority to govern and a decent PM( the one whose conscience was so active during the divorce saga) would be morally bound to call an election to establish majority and political stability; the PN lost becuse it is hanging on thanks to the Speakers benevolent vote; the PL lost the motion; Franco Debono lost all credibility and will soon find out that the very party he helped out today will spit him out, the first chance they get for exposing all the warts of the PN; the country lost too, as countries do when there is instability; democracy lost becuase we have a group of parasites clinging on to power like its going out of fashion and refuse to see that there time is up. And Franco Debono will be rememberd inhistory as as Prima Donna whos enjoys being a protagonist and who deceived us all into thinking he has balls. When push came to shove he behaved like a scared pussy.
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@ jgalea
Ikkalma ftit man, ma nahsibx li din kienet xi rebha ghall pn, inzommu saqajna ma l- art ghax jekk ma noqghodux attenti il- partit tant mahbub tghana u li tant hdimna ghalieh jista jigi fix xejn, dan il- glied intern kollu zgur mhux qed jghamlilna gid.
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@J galea sewwa qed tghid ta in nies lil Gonzi iridu .Anqas ghandu l appogg tal membri parlamentari tieghu stess ahseb u ara tan nies ta hemm barra.gvern minghajr maggoranza.
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IT'S NOT OVER YET! U IL-KLIEM TA DR.DEBONO LIL PRIM MINISTRU U KLIKKA 'EVIL' TIEGHU MHU HA JHASSRU HADD! ILLUM SIRNA NAFU MIN VERA IRRID IL POTER...EVEN IF THIS COSTS THE COUNTRY STABILITY!!! SHAME ON YOU PRIME MINISTER GONZI! MAYBE IT IS TIME FOR US PEOPLE TO GO IN THE STREETS PROTESTING...ITS OUR RIGHT...OUR DEMOCTRATIC RIGHT! ALL EUROPEAN DO IT, WHY NOT US???? IL-POPLU MALTI GHANDU BZONN IQUM U JWAQQAF LIL DAL ROBBLU LI GHADDEJ MINN FUQU!
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Jekk xejn l-instabilita issa giet ufficjali u mhix biss bla raguni! 34 versus 34 votes huwa stalemate ghal GonziPN u ghal pajjiz. Jekk se nibqghu bl-istalemate, ma nistghux nimxu l quddiem u ikun ifisser krizi politika li se tkisser il-pajjiz jekk ma tigix indirizzata. Ma nistghux nibqghu nilghabu il-bzallu, bi Franko daqqa jghid haga u imbaghad jaghmel ohra! Se Mai, il-PL jibqa miexi, il-PN li ghandu puncture li minghajr tyre gdid ma jistax jimxi, u tyre gdid jigi biss b-elezzjoni!
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Nixtieq nistaqsi lill-partitarji nazzjonalisti. Intom bis-serjeta' qed titkellmu?? Joseph Muscat ghandu jirrezenja? Il-buzzieqa nfaqghet f'wicc Dr Muscat? Il-fatt hu wiehed u inutli tmeruh. Il-Gvern zamm bil-krozza tal-ispeaker u xejn izjed. Il-Prim Ministru issa jrid jara kif ser jghamel biex jghaddi l-ligijiet li hemm bzonn. Gonzi m'ghandux maggoranza fil-parlament u dan kulhadd jafu.
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According to the Nationalist front bench, we have stability because people are not out on the streets protesting!
These failed individuals are so blinded with their arrogance that they do not realise that it's thanks to a responsible opposition that people are not protesting in the streets.
The opposition has kept a very cool head in the national interest.
A general election should be held in March.
Malta needs to move on.
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According to the Nationalist front bench, we have stability because people are not out on the streets protesting!
These failed individuals are so blinded with their arrogance that they do not realise that it's thanks to a responsible opposition that people are not protesting in the streets.
The opposition has kept a very cool head in the national interest.
A general election should be held in March.
Malta needs to move on.
Luke Camilleri •
The Prime Minister not only FAILED to address the situation.... but also CHICKENED OUT and was afraid to meet the journalists after such a vote!
What was e waiting for, for the ex-JPO Coach to provide him with written questions and answers?
He is a hopeless case! There is no escaping such a situation and will continue to haunt hm till the time, the next vote, ......
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It seems Mr Muscat has to wait some more time to walk up the steps at Castille and sit on the PM's chair. Franco may be a bluffer but he is wise enough to determine political paramenters. He teased his competing school mate Joseph making him think he can grab glory by default and without any sweat but then surprised him on the last minute making him look a loser. If you want to win you will have to participate in the race Mr Muscat you may finally be the winner but you would have to sweat and show you capibilities during the race.
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Typically Labour crying victory before they lose. Will they ever learn. The cheek is that even after Dr.Musact's balloon exploded in his face he is still crying victory. Dr.Muscat has been very amateurish in his actions - imagine him trying to safeguard jobs in the country. Will he resign now?
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All I want is to work in a decent job that matches my skills, earn my deserved pay, share prime time with my family and be able to spend the money earned decntly getting the right value to what I pay. Currently this is still a dream!
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Sur Joe M. IRRIZENJA. HADD MA JRIDEK. LA LILEK U LANQAS IL PARTIT SKADUT MARXISTA TIJEK. REBHA KOLOSSALI GHAL PN!!! MOZJONI MELUBA!!! GRAZZI FRANCO :)
