Former MP disassociates himself from PN’s ‘contemporary modus operandi’
Loyal backbencher Jean-Pierre Farrugia says Lawrence Gonzi had ignored his 2010 warnings.
12 March 2013, 12:00am
Nestor Laiviera
Nestor Laiviera
2 min read
Jean-Pierre Farrugia: Had my voice been heard, we would have at least gone into Opposition with dignity.
Former Nationalist MP Jean-Pierre Farrugia, who failed to be re-elected on the first district, has announced his withdrawal from active politics on his Facebook profile.
But his parting shot is an email he published today on Facebook, which he had sent to Gonzi in 2010. The message had been leaked to the press and published by MaltaToday by MPs copied in the email, which warning Farrugia today claimed should have been heeded in a bid to save the PN from the humiliating defeat in which 30,000 voters swayed to Labour.
"Today the contents of this email do me the greatest honour... had my voice been heard, we would have at least gone into Opposition with dignity."
In the email, Farrugia had warned Gonzi that: "losing heavily at the polls in three years could result in serious infighting leaving the PN in shambles. This happened in Italy and as I see it there is nothing to stop it from happening to us. Your responsibility does not stop at the state. Nor at this generation. You need a stronger team around you to start picking up the pieces immediately, re-strengthening our roots and outreaching to rebuild again."
Farrugia said his email had been leaked to the press, and that he taken umbrage at the fact that no disciplinary measures had been taken by the party.
In his Facebook message, Farrugia also said that he could not identify himself with the PN's "contemporary modus operandi" while stating that he had "no difficulty in identifying with the PN's glorious past."
"[The PN's] contemporary modus operandi extinguished all my will to keep struggling for equity so that nobody gets left behind."
Farrugia, a family doctor, also said that he would be dedicating himself to his profession and family.
Jean-Pierre Farrugia had broken ranks with the majority of MPs who were to pocket a substantial €7,000 increase in their honoraria, by announcing he will donate the salary raise to the Stefano Borgonovo Foundation for research on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a condition from which his wife suffers.
Farrugia had also said it was a shame for 'GonziPN' to approve a €500 increase per week in salary.
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@Silent Citizen: aren't you ashamed to attack a person who has been honest to his Prime Minister and who is now resigning because he does not believe in the present "modus operandi" of the Party he supported. Was there a block vote against him not to have him re-elected, as is so typical with the PN Clikka? Doesn't the man deserve at the very least a thank you and a handshake and let him retire from politics in peace? His way of thinking is on the side of cleanliness in politics without the absolute arrogance of his piers. Voters did not give him a stern reply (except for the corrupted block voters) but gave his corrupt party the most massive kick out of the scene that any party has ever suffered since the 1950s. That my dear silent citizen is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
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Actually, Dr Farrugia, did not go into opposition, but into the streets. Voters gave him a stern relpy to his way of thinking.
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Dr Farrugia should fight to reclaim the PN from the evil clique and their messangers on notorious hate blogs and on PBS!
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The pudding was in the making. The arrogance and taking the electorate for granted was the result. In simple terms, never forget to remember the people that placed you there in the first place. Just hope the party reconciles its mistakes and rebuilds itself based on proper foundations they previously enjoyed. Until then.....
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Jean Pierre instead of retiring from active politics you should team up with the many dissidents who could not voice their opinion at Pieta and form a credible third party - a centrist PDP- Partit Demokratiku Popolari. Leave the 'hijacked PN' for the klikka who know all about everything and who have led the Party to last Saturday's tsunami.
Anthony Galea •
LJN
It might have escaped your attention, but Dr Farrugia's letter is dated 9 Feb 2010, more than 3 years ago, well before Franco Debono brought matters to a head. But Gonzi was always too haughty to believe that he was not infallible.
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Mr Jean-Pierre Farrugia don't feel left out. Dr Gonzi ignored the warnings of a lot of people because he wanted to stick by the "CLIQUE" and that cost him his job, everybody and anybody can attest to that. Dr Gonzi is still in denial that he lost the election and by a large number. Dr Gonzi should have accepted the resignation of one certain arrogant Minister that introduced the Arriva fiasco to Malta. Instead he said "The Buck stop here" and tried to cover up for this incompetent person. Then to top it all off they left the Arriva scheduling and routes in the hands of the incompetent Transport Malta which I hope the new government will look into very carefully. Then there is the unexplained squandering of almost 200,000,000 Million euros given to Air Malta as a bail out to cover their incompetence and cover the errors that they made in the last ten years. This was a huge waste of the TAX PAYER's expense. Of course who can forget the wasteful millions for the Piano/Gonzi Project? May I also mention the Smart City Project? Sorrrrry running out of room and out of paper, will continue some other time. DR Muscat take note please, don't make the same blunders.
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How prophetic!
Dr. Gonzi, before you step down you have a duty and an obligation to do your utmost and clean up the party that became the shambles it is today under your watch and it would seem, with your blessing.
We need a strong not a weak party in opposition
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BAHRI TAL-BNAZZI! Mur, m'ghandnix bzonn 'bahrin' bhalek! Issa jsiblrk progett Joseph...
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If i were Jean Pierre, i would wait to see who will fill the PN leadership posts before taking the final decision to withdraw from politics. Future politics in Malta will need moderates like him, both on the Government and the Opposition seats.
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Issa kullhadd ha jitkellem, sorry mela vera kellu ragun Franco Debono!!!
