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Online poll – majority felt Debono gatecrash was ‘cheap stunt’
But equal amount feel Simon Busuttil shied away from debate with Franco Debono.
21 December 2012, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
1 min read
Debates can be harmful to political careers...
Who would have ever imagined that the cataclysmic cancellation of TVM's Xarabank over Anglu Farrugia's no-show would have led to his political demise?
A stunt pulled by Labour in the run-up to the much-anticipated debate between Farrugia and Simon Busuttil led a showdown inside the Where's Everybody studios in Qormi, with Nationalist MP Franco Debono demanding that he takes Farrugia's airtime instead and face off the PN's newly elected leader.
The last-minute gatecrash arguably left mixed feelings with the TVM audience: an online poll on maltatoday.com.mt shows 1,813 users (37%) felt this was a "cheap stunt" so that Farrugia does not face Simon Busuttil. Another 1,755 (36%) took the Labour line that Simon Busuttil had decided not participate in a Xarabank debate so as not to face Franco Debono.
A different view from 20% of the poll's 4,917 respondents felt that beyond the stunt, Lawrence Gonzi and Busuttil should answer to Debono's justified complaints on the PN leadership.
Just 8% said they did not care about the Xarabank gatecrash.
Luke Camilleri •
Simon Busuttil shied away .... that's an understatement!
He was scared shitless and was even seen sweating under his heavy make-up as he made his getaway whilst Peppi kept Franco busy mumbling away and NOT LETTING FRANCO HAVE HIS DEBATE!
Anette B Cassar •
37% was only a relative majority. You can play around with statistics anyway you want I guess. In fact one can argue that a vast majority would have preferred the debate so that Busuttil and Gonzi can face the music (or Debono's rants).
