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[WATCH] Muscat accuses prime minister of holding back parliament
Opposition leader says Lawrence Gonzi trying to buy time by not convening parliament when he is abroad; PN insists parliamentary sittings will be held when all government MPs are in Malta.
30 January 2012, 12:00am
Miriam Dalli
Miriam Dalli
2 min read
Joseph Muscat emerging from parliament after the 26 January no-confidence vote. (Photo: Ray Attard/Mediatoday)
Adds reaction by the PN
Opposition leader Joseph Muscat has accused the prime minister of keeping the country hostage, after parliament was suspended today because Lawrence Gonzi is in Brussels for the European summit discussing a new fiscal treaty.
"It was customary that parliament still convenes when ministers or the prime minister go abroad. We see no reason why parliament should not convene as usual just because the prime minister is abroad," Muscat said in a press conference at the House of Representatives.
Muscat said Gonzi was playing for time following a no-confidence motion in which he failed to get the backing of his one-seat majority, after Nationalist backbencher Franco Deboo abstained on the motion.
Gonzi has put his leadership to a secret ballot within the Nationalist party after Sunday's party general council.
"The prime minister has lost the majority of his MPs in parliament, but in the last 24 hours he has tried to gain the confidence of his party rather than the parliament's, and his problem is not his party majority," Muscat said.
"We are complaining that while there is so much parliamentary work pending, Gonzi is dragging his feet on this for no reason at all. Parliament, and the country itself, is being held hostage by Gonzi much as he is hostage of his own inner circle."
In a reaction, the Nationalist Party said that the relationship between government and opposition in Parliament has now "changed".
"Despite the fact that his no confidence motion was defeated, Muscat thinks he can use maneuvers to win votes in Parliament.
"Because of this, government will be convening parliament when all government MPs are in Malta," the PN said.
The party also lambasted Muscat for "placing his partisan interests before that of the country".
The PN went on to say that the Opposition had already tried "to gain power through other parliamentary maneuvers" in May 2010: "Even though government and opposition had initially agreed on not taking votes during a sitting because a government MP had been abroad, the Opposition had later insisted on taking votes during that same sitting."
Miriam Dalli joined MaltaToday.com.mt in 2010 becoming assistant editor f...
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If Dr Gonzi was not afraid and really has the majority he would not have prevented Parliament from meeting when he is not here. According to the PN Parliament will only meet whenever all the PN MPs are in Malta. Is this the majority that you have in Parliament Dr Gonzi? I wonder if you felt ashamed in front of the other Prime Ministers Yesterday when they knew that you have lost your majority and is still occupying the chair when you have no right to it.
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DR Muscat hallina ngawdu ftit taz-zmien ta qabel l-elezzjoni. Jekk qed tibza milli ser issib ghidilna minn issa u mhux tweghedna li ser trahhas id-dawl u l-ilma. Jalla, jekk il-poplu jaghzlek, tkun kapaci thalli lil pajjiz ghaddej kif inhu ghaddej u jkollok il-power of incumbency li ghandu Gonzi.
Jekk trid tirbah l-elezzjoni ghandek bzonn tibni strategija biex tirbah...minghajr il-voti tan-nies ma nahsebx li tista tkun fil-gvern.
Tieghi tliftu meta qed tghid li l-MLP kellu jcedi fil-l981. Skond jien, naturalment opinjoni tieghi, il-PN kien dizonest u ghamel il-hsara lil pajjiz biex idawwar in-nies kontra l-MLP u rnexxielu ghax fl-MLP imtela bit-tradituri (nehhew il-gakketta biex juru l-flok tal-PN li kienu jilbsu taht)
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I agree with "kalamita" and what's more: the motion of no confidence was a strategic mistake in the first place (he strengthened Gonzi's position and weakened his own - and he should have known that FD was not going to vote himself out of the limelight). It does not bode well that the future PM is so hot headed.
Anette B Cassar •
Ghaliex il-PN hareg stqarrija u mhux il-leader of teh house? Mela veru kollox deciz fil-partit.
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Mr Muscat, when PL is in power, you should do the same thing.
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Dr. Lawrence Gonzi mar Brussels bhala mexxej ta' Malta Ewropea. Qeghdin hemm mal-mejda tad-decizjonijiet mhux kif riduna is-socjalisti nibqaw 600 sena lura. Le ghal Malta nord koreana socjalista. Le ghal Malta komunista bil-Qrati kostituzzjonali sospizi, jitfaw il-gass tad-dmugh lejn il- Maltin. Viva Malta libera, 'il boghod kemm jista' jkun mid-dlamijiet ta' Malta tal-misthija 1981-1987. Araw hbieb min irid iparla illum! Il-pett taz-zarbun ta' maratonista jisthi ferm iktar minn wicc is-socjalisti maltin
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Dr. Lawrence Gonzi mar Brussels bhala mexxej ta' Malta Ewropea. Qeghdin hemm mal-mejda tad-decizjonijiet mhux kif riduna is-socjalisti nibqaw 600 sena lura. Le ghal Malta nord koreana socjalista. Le ghal Malta komunista bil-Qrati kostituzzjonali sospizi, jitfaw il-gass tad-dmugh lejn il- Maltin. Viva Malta libera, 'il boghod kemm jista' jkun mid-dlamijiet ta' Malta tal-misthija 1981-1987. Araw hbieb min irid iparla illum! Il-pett taz-zarbun ta' maratonista jisthi ferm iktar minn wicc is-socjalisti maltin
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Muscat said Gonzi was playing for time following a no-confidence motion in which he failed to get the backing of his one-seat majority, after Nationalist backbencher Franco Deboo abstained on the motion.
--- excuse me mr muscat but the motion of no-confidence was brought forward by you and it is you who failed to get the backing of the majority of members of parliament. it is true that debono have abstained but he did not vote against the government, thus gonzi is not in a minority. furthermore who knows how franco will vote in the futures. in 1998 sant have waited 9 months trying to solve the problem with mintoff before calling the elections.
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With 500 Euro a week deducted their paypackets, you don't expect them to hold daily sessions, do you???
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With 500 Euro a week deducted their paypackets, you don't expect them to hold daily sessions, do you???
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All of a sudden we will be seeing a number of State visits by our beloved President. The Hon. Tonio Borg, as Foreign Minister, is expected to accompany our Head of State (although he failed to do so last year due to the Libya crisis).
Hence, if Dr Borg travels on official business then according to PN press release we should not expect any parliamentary sittings for the next few months.
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@sanpawli - Franco Mhux Ministru imma skont l-id il-leminija ta' Gonzi BICCA deputat. Ok.
issa nigu ghas-serjeta.
Parlament dan ix-xaghar ser ikun iltaqa biss 4 darbiet. Jista xi hadt jghidli ghala qed jithalsu il-ministri u deputati nazjonalisti. Forsi biex ihabtu il-biebin u jweddu l-Ilma jiżfen jekk nergu nivutawlhom !!! Haluna u aqdu dmierkhom, jekk mas tistux tmexxu morru ghal elezjoni ghax qażistu lil kullhadt anke lil min anqas qadt ta' każ ta' politika!!!
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U hallina minnek Dr Muscat. Din l-ghaggla ghalfejn? Mela int qatt tista' tkun ta' kalibru bhal Dr Gonzi taghna? Int kif qatt se tkun kapaci tghatti dak li jaghmlu l-ministri tieghek? U kif qatt se tkun kapaci tinsa lin nies komuni u ttihom Euro u 16c fil gimgha u tiehu ghalik u ghal klikka tieghek 600 euro fil gimgha? U xi nghidu ghax Xlukkajri... kif se tigik hniena minnhom u tasal biex ma tibnix Power Station li tahdem bil Heavy Fuel Oil? Possibli li se tkun kapaci ma tigix taqa' u tqum mill haddiema tal-Air Malta u ta' intraprizi ohrajn bhal ma ghamel il mahbub taghna Prim Ministru hallata ballata? U x'se taghmel bis-siggu tal poter? Possibbli kieku se thalli lil min johodulek? U int se tkun kapaci tivvota kontra r-rieda tal-poplu f'referendum bhal ma ghamel is-salvatur taghna fil kwistjoni tad divorzju. Le, Dr Muscat ahna l Maltin kuntenti b'dal Prim Ministru u mhux se nibdluh ma hadd. Hallieh isawwatna u jkazbarna ghax hekk jixirqilna. U biex tkun taf, se nkomplu ncapcpulu meta jghidilna li ha jgholli t tariffi tad dawl u l-ilma u kull meta jkompli jgholli l prezz tad diesel u l petrol. Iva, Dr Muscat, Il poplu jghajjat "Viva l-ingann u l korruzzjoni. Viva Gonzi PN!!!"
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@Kalamita ....i totally agree
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WE WANT PARLIAMENT TO MEET AND DISCUSS OUR FUTURE
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Gonzi nahseb li jaf li jekk il Parlament jiltaqa meta ma jkunx hawn hu jew xi ministru Franco Debono se jerga jastjeni u allura jekk l oppozzijoni tivota kollha il vot ikun 34 LP, 33 PN u 1 asstenzjoni. Din tfisser li il PN ikun tilef vot fil Parlament. Zgur li ma tinzilx tajjeb ma kul min jivota PN.
Forsi ta min jikkonsidra jekk fil prezent il Parlament hux maqsum 34 PN 34 LP u 1 independenti??? Ghax jekk hu hekk dan tfisser li fil parlament hemm izjed min 2 partiti u allura is siggijiet zejda ghandhom intilfu!!!!?????
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Joseph Muscat is playing in the hands of the PN clique by issueing these statements. Anybody with half a brain cell knows that the GonziPN machine is playing for time, time the coutry can ill afford. However any lamentations on this issue by the PL will be viewed as power hungry aspirations rather then just a statement of the blatently obvious!
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So we have NOTHING in our constitution to deal with this scenario? A real disgrace if so!!
