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Michael Asciak elected to Parliament, to take oath this evening
Michael Asciak returns to Parliament after absence of four years, takes seat vacated by new EU commissioner Tonio Borg.
5 December 2012, 12:00am
Jurgen Balzan
Jurgen Balzan
2 min read
Michael Asciak
Former Nationalist MP Michael Asciak was returned to Parliament on Wednesday morning, following the casual election held to fill the seat vacated by Tonio Borg.
In comments to MaltaToday, Asciak said that he spoke to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi straight after his election and it has been decided that Asciak will take his Parliamentary Oath this evening at the Palace in Valletta.
Asked whether he will relinquish his seat to newly elected PN deputy-leader Simon Busuttil, Asciak said: "I have always maintained that I will do what the Prime Minister asks of me. The seat does not belong to me but belongs to the Nationalist Party. I will therefore do what I am asked to do by the Prime Minister."
He added that as an MP he will be "at the service of the nation."
This could prove to be the shortest Parliamentary career since there is a strong possibility of Parliament being dissolved next week.This could mean that Asciak attends for just two Parliamentary sittings before elections are called.
With the first budget vote earmarked for Monday 10 December, Parliament could be dissolved next week if Nationalist MP Franco Debono follows through with his consistent threats to vote against the budget. Once Parliament is dissolved, the Prime Minister is granted a minimum 5-week window and a maximum of three months to hold an election. The current legislature's natural lifespan comes to an end in August 2013.
In today's casual election, Asciak obtained 1,930 votes from Tonio Borg's 3,750 votes on the third count after candidates Mario Schembri and Josianne Cardona Gatt were eliminated. Martin Fenech and Ian Castaldi Paris were the other two contenders.
In the 2008 election, the ultra-conservative Asciak had inherited the largest number of votes from Tonio Borg's first preferences and was the last candidate to be dropped before Beppe Fenech Adami took the last seat.
Asciak had served in Parliament in two legislatures, between 1996 and 1998 in the 2003 -2008 legislature when he was elected in another casual election held in 2004 to fill the seat vacated by Eddie Fenech Adami.
Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.
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We should rename our Parlament to Jurassic Park . We got rid of a dinosaur (as discribed by a Euro MP )and re-elected another one .
Luke Camilleri •
Ghazla li certament mhux qabza fil-kwalita, qatt ma impressjona la meta kien Sindku u lanqas bhala deputat..!
Forsi kien jimpresjona meta kien ikun f'zewg postijiet fl-istess hin - fil-Polyclinic u fl-istess hin jghamel il-vizti ta' pazjenti privati daqs kemm hu ruh tajba!
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ROLL ON ELECTIONS!!! Let's get started on the long, winding road to recovery.
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Mhux ahjar nifirhulu u nixtiequlu xoghol produttiv bhala MP?
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TAGHMEL LI JIDGHLEK IL prim ministru, TAGHMEL DAK LI HU TAJJEB. IS SIGGU TAL POPLU, KEMM SER IDDUMU SEJRIN BIHA DIN IL FRAZI. ARA VERU GIBTU PAJJIZ DITTATORJALI TAGHMEL DAK LI JIDGHLEK TA FUQEK. VERU PAJJIZ TAL LAGHQA GIBTUH
David Bongailas •
Oh how nice........another "wicc gdid" that will bring about "so much change"!
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This is the guy who is part of the 'OPUS DEI', which is like a secret srevice of the Vatican! From the first statement he has made, he immediately shows what type of person he is! I wonder if he has recovered from the pain that the introduction, by his GONZIPN government, of divorce has caused him! He shood change profession, and instead of being a doctor, he must turn into a priest, or even a monsignor!!!!!
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Dan id-dinosawru ultra-konservattiv mhux l-istess wiehed li meta kien suppost jahdem mal-Gvern u kien suppost jaghti servizz fil-Polyclinics kien ikun jaghmel visti privati,u warrab wahdu qabel keccewh?. Ajma hej, biex qed jarma l-Parlament!!.
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Prosit Dottore , issa ser ikollok ir-rekord tal-membru parlamentari li għamel l-anqas perjodu fil-parlament tul il-legislatura . Nispera li hadd ma jiksirlek dan rekord .
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Another dinosaur elected to parliament against the wishes of the people.Another farce of the Maltese Constitution because in a true democracy a true election should be done for the vacated seat.
Considering the GONZIPN has lost an MP who sits as an independent, an MP who has declared his intentions to vote against the budget, 4 MP's whose presence inparliament is in question because the PN has lost their popular vote majority and now this comedy with an elected MP because he inherited 1930 votes from Tonio Borg.
Fantastic Maltese Democracy at it's best.
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A member of the OPUS DEI which accounts for his ultra conservative beliefs. As mayor of Birkirkara he had installed what was supposed to be an "Early Flood Warning" system which to my knowledge never works, money literally down the drain. Let's just say he is no earth mover never mind shifting mountains.
