In his maiden speech, Nationalist MP Franco Debono took a leaf from the Guido de Marco book of oratory when he described Malta as “a parliamentary democracy worthy of a place in the sitting room of the best democracies in Europe and the world”.
The Ghaxaq MP, who is known for his penchant for publicity as he chases hapless court reporters to give them court judgements of inane cases in which he would have appeared as defence lawyer, said that “the exercise in democracy that we have recently passed from revealed us to be an educated, disciplined and mature nation.”
True to his pretentious self, Debono used pompous imagery and shoddy metaphors to make his point, comparing the exercise of coming up with new ideas with “quarrying for thoughts”.
“I therefore thank all the Maltese people, of whichever political opinion they hold, for the mature way in which they behaved in the last few months. We competed. The people won. Respect won. Democracy won,” Debono said.
Debono added that “surely, the time has arrived for our country to have, as there are in all European nations, a law not only about the financing of political parties but also about the organisation and internal functioning of political parties as an association of constitutional relevance for the country.”
Debono also called for convergence on electoral law, especially regarding the revision of electoral districts. “The spirit of the law should always be that that the will of the people is reflected in the most faithful manner possible in the composition of Parliament and in the respect of governability.”
“Malta does not have human resources, however we have inventive minds and industrious hands. With the hammer of ambition, let’s forge on the anvil of humility ideas that distinguish us. Ideas that we can sell to others.
“After all, that’s what some of the greatest people ever managed to do. They managed to create ideas from the wide quarry of thought,” Debono peronated.
In a twist of fate, Debono made his maiden speech in front of Speaker Louis Galea, who was eliminated from the Fifth Electoral District by the Ghaxaq MP himself.

czahra@mediatoday.com.mt