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Franco Debono says Gonzi ‘risks Christmas Eve election’
Budget is no forgone conclusion, Nationalist MP Franco Debono reminds prime minister.
28 September 2012, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Franco Debono is using his blog to send timely reminders to the Prime Minister that the budget may not pass - ostensibly by him not voting in favour.
Nationalist MP Franco Debono has sent yet another reminder to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi that he is keeping his intentions on passing the next budget a closed secret.
Debono, who is banned from running on the PN ticket after voting for a Labour motion that forced the home affairs minister's resignation, this time has dubbed Gonzi a 'gambler' for taking the country to an unsure budget instead of resolving his 'unstable' government by going to the polls.
"Weren't [he] a gambler, he would be seeing what even Fitch has clear seen: the Budget may not pass. If Gonzi weren't a gambler he would go to the polls immediately and then only if he wins [would he] present the Budget," Debono said, referring to a recent credit report from Fitch that warned the Budget was not a foregone conclusion.
The MP, whose threats from his personal blog confirm that the prime minister has lost his majority after Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando turned independent, said the next Budget can only be legitimate with a new government confirmed by fresh elections.
"Is Gambler Gonzi recklessly risking a Christmas Eve election? I have been telling him for weeks if not months to take his decisions. But he gambles on, horrified by the negative polls. Negative polls which have been getting even worse. The gambler drags his feet hoping for the turn of a friendly card; in the meantime the country waits with bated breath and great fatigue."
Parliament will be reconvening in October, with a budget scheduled for mid-November.
Debono, who declared back in January he would not support government after a cabinet reshuffle - in part prompted by his threats - left him out of promotion, has so far claimed he cannot support the government while Austin Gatt stays transport minister.
Debono had already abstained on a no-confidence motion against Gatt, who has now taken a senior role in the PN's electoral strategy team together with former EU ambassador Richard Cachia Caruana.
Both Labour and the Nationalist parties have taken their unofficial electoral campaigns to the streets on billboards, while the PN has announced its prolific MEP Simon Busuttil will be contesting the 11th district, while possibly also fielding him in Gozo.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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Sur Toni Botta
Mela qtajt qalbek min tal-Malta Star sibt wens mal-Malta today.
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The PN must get immediate action and nominate good candidates on the seventh, ninth and thirteenth districts. The list of candidates on those three districts is pitiful. The Party needs new candidates and not recycling from the sorry lot we have seen for the past five years. Simon Busuttil at least is a breath of fresh air.
Zack Depasquale •
Jien m'hiniex xi fan kbir ta'Franco Debono. Kif jghidu l-Inglizi 'empty vessels make most sound'. Imma zgur kulhadd jammeti li r-reponsabilita ta' Gvern hija tal-Prim Ministru. Iva nibza u nemmen li ser ikollna elezjoni fix-xahar tal-Milied u dan ma jkunx tort ta'Debono Imma tort tal-Prim Ministru Gonzi li is-siggu tal-poter u l-interess tal-klikka ta'madwaru gabu fi stat li anki tilef kull rispett anke lejh innifsu. Il-kitba ila fuq il-hajt imma Gonzi ma jridx jara dak li huwa car kristall.
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Jekk Franco se ikompli hekk: sieq wahda l'hemm u l-ohra 'hawn se jinfetaq u ibati.
Make up your mind, ghax inkella se tkun biss parti mill-problema : mhux parti mis-soluzzjoni!
Dan GonziPN tafu llum; qatt ma zied l-minimum wage-anzi ha minn tal-foqra bix jgholli tieghu 500 ewro fil-gimgha minn taht, waqt li Tonio Fenech, bhal ma qed jidher hawn fil-youtube tal-Malta Today-ftit xhur ilu qal li mhux sew tgholli l-mimimum wge: 'trappola' qal!
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Dear Dr. Debono, if what you are doing is for the best interest of our islands do it now without further delays. On the other, hand if what you are doing is for your own personal benefit; please CTRL ALT DEL yourself.
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Elections whatever happens are now round the corner and FD is now more than disposable to the PN and no longer useful to the PL. Indeed I think that the best situation for the PN is to present an overambitious budget and then trust and hope that it is defeated through the vote of FD . They can then claim that their budget was stymied and cannot be implemented through a final act of disloyalty by FD . They thus hope that this situation will win them a substantial sympathy vote across the undecided floater base. However I seriously doubt that at such a late stage of the legislature the PL will play ball with FD. I suspect that in no way do they want to be seen at this stage as achieving government partially through the "good offices" of FD.
Luke Camilleri •
With Laurence Gonzi the PNtomime season never closes and goes on and on from one Christmas to Another …..
Usually the characters in a pantomime are about 8 and practically the same for Gonzi PNtomime with him in the lead role or His Choice as
1.the villain who always enters and exits stage left!-
2. A woman playing the male lead – DCG , who else?
3. Damsel in distress, sometimes a princess or vulnerable girl destined for greatness. Not Giovanna Debono and neither Dolores Cristina…..
4. A man playing a woman, usually a bit of motherly character who is somewhat outrageous and comical – Chris Said?
5. A magical mechanical (such as a fairy) who always enters and exits stage right.- Simon Busuttil?
6. An old and silly man.- could be anyone from Gonzi’s CHOICE of characters from his pool of limited talent!
7. A young and silly man. .- could be anyone from Gonzi’s CHOICE of characters from his pool of limited talent!
8. And, often, a comic foil for the villain, such as an assistant, animal, magical mirror, etc….. anyone
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Paroli kemm trid ghandu. Ilu b din il-kantaliena minn Jannar. Issa jghamila f lejliet il-Milied!!
Halluh johlom. Anqas jikkunsidrawh ma huma.
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franco kemm int politikament arroganti. int min tahseb li int biex tordna il leader tieghek sahansitra prim ministru x'ghandu jghamel. ara vera tlift kull irgulija. @quovadis u bella kumpanija....gonzi diga qal u dahhluha go mohhkom li elezzjoni issir mhux meta jrid franco jew joseph muscat jew intom, imma meta jrid il prim ministru jew jekk jitlef vot ta fiducja fil parlament. franco qed jibza li se jkollu jivvota kontra il budget u ma jridx jghamel hekk ghax inkella ikun meqjus bhala traditur bhal mintoff. IMMA MIN HEMM IKOLLU JGHADDI.
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vcas 1......I suggest you read Dr Max Ganado's article in today's The Times. It should enlghten you.
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Franco,
Who the hell do you imagine you are? You are responsible for the future of our beloved country.
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Veru dan FD ma jisthiex imissu jisthi mhux taghlli qieghed jabuza mil-pozijioni tieghu li akwista bis sahha tal PN imma qieghed jabuza min dawk in-nazzjionalisti kolla li ivutawlu biex wasal sa hawn.
Anki nazzjionalisti li forsi illum il-gurnata jistabu il-boghod mil PN ghandom jersqu iktar qrib lejn il kap tal partit ghax dan bniedem li mhux talli qieghed jaghmel hsara lill kap presenti imma anki qieghed jattaka il gid kollu li ghamel il PN ghall dawn l ahhar 20 sena.
Grazzi ghall FD il-partit laburista illum il gurnata qieghed jistahba warra il problemi interni tal PN (li qalla FD), u il-poplu malti ha jispicca inganatt mil PL......jekk inharsu lejn dawn l ahhar granet nistu nitebhu min huwa il-LP warra dawk il weddiet kolla illum il gurnata qieghed jerga immur lura min kliemu issa daqshekk living wage mhux talli hekk talli naqas minimum wage ma tizzdiet qabel ma jaddi dan l-inkwiet ekonomiku barra min Malta.
Alla jbierak ilna hames snien nisimu lill kap ta l-opposizjioni jikritika lill gvern qadt ma semma fuq l inkiwet ekonomiku li hemm barra min malta issa ghax wasalna biex nivutaw f daqqa wahda issa hemm l inkwiet barra min malta
Allura kellu ragun il-PN meta qall li ma setax inaqas l-income tax minhabba l inkwiet li hemm barra min malta.
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Veru dan FD ma jisthiex imissu jisthi mhux taghlli qieghed jabuza mil-pozijioni tieghu li akwista bis sahha tal PN imma qieghed jabuza min dawk in-nazzjionalisti kolla li ivutawlu biex wasal sa hawn.
Anki nazzjionalisti li forsi illum il-gurnata jistabu il-boghod mil PN ghandom jersqu iktar qrib lejn il kap tal partit ghax dan bniedem li mhux talli qieghed jaghmel hsara lill kap presenti imma anki qieghed jattaka il gid kollu li ghamel il PN ghall dawn l ahhar 20 sena.
Grazzi ghall FD il-partit laburista illum il gurnata qieghed jistahba warra il problemi interni tal PN (li qalla FD), u il-poplu malti ha jispicca inganatt mil PL......jekk inharsu lejn dawn l ahhar granet nistu nitebhu min huwa il-LP warra dawk il weddiet kolla illum il gurnata qieghed jerga immur lura min kliemu issa daqshekk living wage mhux talli hekk talli naqas minimum wage ma tizzdiet qabel ma jaddi dan l-inkwiet ekonomiku barra min Malta.
Alla jbierak ilna hames snien nisimu lill kap ta l-opposizjioni jikritika lill gvern qadt ma semma fuq l inkiwet ekonomiku li hemm barra min malta issa ghax wasalna biex nivutaw f daqqa wahda issa hemm l inkwiet barra min malta
Allura kellu ragun il-PN meta qall li ma setax inaqas l-income tax minhabba l inkwiet li hemm barra min malta.
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To sum it all up....I think Franco Debono is in the lead and Dr Lawrence Gonzi is at his mercy. Should he vote Yes? Should he vote No. Or should he ABSTAIN? Right now it is anybody's guess and to be honest, Franco Debono is holding GonziPN and maybe the whole country hostage.
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@ Briffi ect,,ect..This is a simple answer for all your questions.....BECAUSE HE WAS, HE IS, AND HE REMAIN NATIONALIST....bhalek, demmek......u demm il GonziPN.DCG.
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@briffy: Can you please let the readers of this e-paper when your next book on principles of thick democracy out for sale? I'll surely be lining up to be the first to purchase it (sic).
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when is this upstart going to realise that he doesn't count. Please stop wasting our time, we are no longer interested in what you say, Dr Franco. You forfeitted that right when you decided to play ''Prime Minister in waiting'' Go back to you village office and try to earn your living as a nonentity
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@briffy@maltanet
Why are you surprised by the behaviour of Dr.Debono? After all your beloved gonzi gave him instructions to spit venom everyday towards PL, but instead it worked out like a boomerang! It great to taste your own medicine!!!! The PN is just a binch of hypocrits and was and always will be the party who always distort the facts to try to gain political advantage! but maybe by now many Maltese people have seen the light and opened their eyes wide open! Speak to you after the polls, whenever they come!!
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@ Briffy - it's not Franco Debono that is behaving like a drowning man and clutching at straws, it's PM Lawrence Gonzi and his bunch of incompetent ministers. Malta should be proud to have someone like Franco Debono who is showing up the government for what it is: a bunch of hypocrites hell-bent on clinging to power as they have too much to lose. Franco may not have a future career in politics but he has certainly etched his name in Malta's history and will be remembered long after Gonzi's name drifts into oblivion .
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Briffy, I think that the PM is the drowning man. He can hurt the PL as much as he likes. I don't care but he is playing with our well being for political ends. He is laying a poison pill to the PL which will hurt not just the PL but we the common people. The collective agreement with the Govt employees is highly irresponsible especially at a time of burgeoning deficits and cuts to welfare to meet targets. The PM is giving govt employees 12.5% over and above inflation without explaining where the money is coming from.
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Il granet li nisimaw iktar b;ismek dejjem qedin jonqsu. Jigri jasal halli QATT aktar ma nisimghu b'dan Dr Franco Debono ( forsi xi darba l'hawn u l'henn b'xi kaz kriminal il qorti) u niddubita ghax il kazijiet kriminali jaharqu dejjem l-istess avukati (kbar) ikunu diffensuri taghhom.Franco ghandek 40 sena u ghadek idahhak in nies bik jahasra. Tista jdum tghid lil Priministru jew tfakkru biex jaghmel elezzjoni ( mela hsibta xi tindifa go xi kamra din jew) ghax id data ta elezzjoni jehoda Huwa biss u bl- ebda theddida ohra ( specjalment minn ghandek). Int thossok superjuri wisq jahasra pero ghadek ma indunajtx li nahseb issa qazzizt lil kulhadd kemm nazzjonalisti u kif wkoll dawk lajburisti. Call it a day and have a break.
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Onor Franco Debono, please decide once and for all what you want to do. This dithering is not helping anyone. The PN with its actions is laying a trap to the next administration which it expects will be run by the PL. The PN with actions such as the increase in the pay of Govt employees is setting up the next PL government to fail. This is the poison pill being laid so that the PL will be faced with ballooning deficits and it would have to apply unpopular austerity measures. The PL administration would either not complete its term or else lose the following elections. The PN is laying a fine trap so that the PL will be a one term Government and the PN will return after 5 years if not earlier. This is a cynical ploy which hurts not only the PL but us ordinary citizens.
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It's amazing the gall this rebel has. He knows no bounds and he apparantly spends his time spitting his venom on his blog. Doesn't he have anything better to do? Who gave him the right to dictate matters to his leader? Doesn't he realise that his behaviour is despicable? Doesn't he realise that a backbencher is not responsible for the nation's well being and that only the PM carries this responsibility? Doesn't he realise that he is behaving like a drowning man, not only desperately clutching at straws but intent on drowning anybody within his reach? When will this man see the light?
