Updated | 1,600 apply to be prime minister for a day

Mother of three wins an iPad 3 and will be spending next Tuesday touring the corridors of Castille with the Prime Minister, meeting the press and also discussing policy ideas with Lawrence Gonzi.

The four finalists, including winner Marija Hammett (second from left)
The four finalists, including winner Marija Hammett (second from left)

Marija Hammett, 37 of Zabbar, has won the competition 'be Prime Minister for a Day'. The mother of three proposed that every couple - including those who'll be adopting or fostering - should be asked to attend parenting skills course before having kids.

It was less that a month ago when the Nationalist Party, gearing up for the general elections, launched its latest social media initiative 'Be Prime Minister for a day'.

Described as the largest crowdsourcing effort so far in Maltese politics, the initiative apparently worked as some 1,600 - according to the pmforaday blog - applied in hope to be the lucky contestant.

After having submitted their ideas and nominated their own members of Cabinet and MPs from their acquaintances, four finalists - a male and three females - have been chosen. But the winner this morning must pass the scrutiny of three judges - Chris Peregin from The Times, di-ve.com editor Chris Sultana, and Xarabank's Norman Vella - before being proclaimed Prime Minister for a day.

The four finalists are 56-year-old Antonia Borg Bonaci who suggested that sports should be given more priority and streets made safer; 18-year-old Darren Carabott who said that government should keep on working to better the financial income of citizens and improve their quality of life. Carabott also nominated a total of 103 persons from his friends to be ministers and MPs.

24-year-old Joanne Ellul Lanfranco proposed that a 24-hour medical treatment centre against eating disorders should be opened.

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@rcasha ....... Good one mate, after all it is banal suggestion.
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I would like to reccommend that Mrs.Maria Hammet would be awarded the "The Prime Minister's Puppy Award" or "The Buffu Tar-Rahal Award". Kemm tahseb li ser iddum titmejjel bin-nies,Sur Prim Ministru? Ma kienx bizzejjed li waqajt fil-baxx dan l-ahhar. Ma stajtx tkun aktar hamallu meta fil-Parlament ghamilt dawk id-diskorsi kollha hdura kontra l-oppozizzjoni . Prim Ministru tal-Carry On ' It-tmiem mhux wisq il-boghod , Gonzinu .
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In order to ensure she gets a full experience of being PM, Franco Debono will now vote against her proposal :)
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X MISTHIJA TA PAJJIZ!! X GHARUKAZA!! FIN NEJ MOHHOM U IS-SERJETA FEJNHI?? JEKK GHADA TEZISTI. TISKANTA IMMA KOLLOX J HEMMEN IL-POPLU. JIEN DIK LI JIDDISPJACINI LI GHAD HAWN MIN JHEMNU LIL GONZIPN, AVOLJA XABA JITNELLAH BIN NIES. F IDEJK JA POPLU, INT TAF.........
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What a charade. We can transfer the Christmas Pantomime to summer.
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Jekk min rebah dan il-konkors stupidu rebah (!!!) b'suggeriment daqshekk banali u simplista, nista' nobsor kemm gonzipn wasal fil-qiegh tal-ixkora ... dan kien hemm ghalfejn konkors ta' gurnata ma' MR GONZIPN biex tohrog b'dan is-suggeriment? Mhux ta' b'xejn li gonzipn u l-klikka ghandhom ghaxwa kbira fuqhom biex jisimghu l-proposti tal-partit laburista ghall-elezzjoni li jmiss la huma daqshekk fqar fil-hsibijiet taghhom!!!
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Tghid se jippublikaw il-kummenti ta' dawk li applikaw ??? Min jaf kemm se jkun hemm min iddizappunta ruhu jew ruha, ghax ma ntaghzlux, meta dik li rebhet issuggeriet xi haga li ma taghmilx sens ghax trid li tkun BILFORS INFURZATA fuq kull koppja li jkun se jkollha l-ewwel wild !
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Even a simple contest organized by gonzipn/pn is based on a lie. It was supposed to be "BE a PM for a day" when in fact the "lucky" winner will only shadow gonzi for a day.Will have executive powers, will not make decissions and will not explain government policies but simply follows gonzi for a day like an obidient little puppy.I bet that Ms Hammet the winner will not be asked to be a candidate for gonzipn for the next elections. Ny the way Ms Hammett suggested "COMPULSARY" courses which says more about the suggestion, just imagine if PL comes up with a "COMPULSARY" idea what the apologists army would say, commiunism, dictatorship,tyranny, autocracy ...............
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Jeffrey Vella
Another pathetic attempt by the PM to attract public sympathy. I am pretty sure any of these candidates can do a better job than the incumbent.
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Issa wara " Kun Prim Ministru ghal gurnata "ser jaghmlu " Kun Gurnata flok Dr.Franco Debono " u tifhem kif tkun gurnata l-infern.
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Is this the way to govern this country, I pity mysely and you all, incluse you Ms Hammett to spend a day with that man.
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Nawguralek Marija Hammett. Naguralek li l-gurnata li ghandek ma' Gonzipn ma tkunx tinkludi xi tahdita ma Franco Debono ghax tispicca twieghed biss. Nawguralek li l-gurnata tkun meta Gonzipn imur isarraf ic-cekkijiet.
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Sur Darren Carabott b'kull rispett lejk imma il-prim ministru il-financial income tiegħu u ta' sħabu ħa ħsieb mela taċ-ċittadini!!
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Nawguralek sinjura Hammett. Xejn ma nghidlek, hu xugaman mieghek halli timsah l-gharaq ghax il-Prim dejjem ghaddej gas down ghal gid tal-pajjiz. Forsi jkollu xi laqgha urgenti fuq il-krizi tal-euro (m'Alla dhalna fl-euro kien qalilna) u jiehdok mieghu Brussels ukoll. Ajma xi pjacir. Bilhaqq tinsiex tghidilna x'kolla juza mas-siggu please.
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Only 1600? Obviously the majority of us have much better things to do with our lives than to succumb to this kind of non-effectual nonsense.
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Tajba din...mela biex tilhaq trid tigi nominat minn xi habib...mela veru Malta tal-klikkek ghax anki bicca loghba u hela tal-hin trid tlahhaq il-hbieb tal-hbieb...veru pajjiz tal-biki...allura din is-simulation tintuza biex titghallem anki meta tigi fil-prattika. Viva Malta!!
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Gonzi will be running another show of his own that day. It will be called 'NOT A DICTATOR - for one day'.
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With all due respect to the persons who participated in this PN bash, your report shows that mediocrity still rules OK in Malta
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What a pity this contest was not held during last year. He would have also garnered 71e (500e/7) as an extra bonus together with the new iPad i guess.
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Patricia Marsh
Lili m'ghazluniex ghax issuggerejt 500 ewro zieda fil-gimgha lill-impjegati tac-civil. lili m'ghazluniex ghax tlabt li naghmlu bhal bqija tal-ewropa u nibnu tejatru bis-saqaf. Lili m'ghazluniex ghax tlabt li minflok 80 miljun f'parlament gdid itaffili ftit mill-kontijiet tad-dawl u tal-ilma. lili m'ghazlunix ghax tlabt sabiex il-prezz tal-fuel ikun tassew jirrifletti dak internazzjonali. Lili m'ghazluniex ghax fuq kollox ma kontx se nkun Prim Ministru ta' gurnata biex nintghogob mal-Prim Ministru tal-granet l-ohra.
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Jien tassew ma nistax nifhmu lil dan gonzipn - veru m'ahniex, la hu u lanqas ta' madwaru !!!!! Jekk illum il-prim ministru effettivament hu franco debono, il-loghba biex tkun prim ministru ghal gurnata kien ikun aktar xieraq li semmewha BE FRANCO DEBONO THE PRIME MINISTER FOR A DAY - illum kulhadd jaf li gonzipn hu biss BICCA DEPUTAT u li tkun gurnata ma' gonzipn kulma tkun qed taghmel hu li tahli gurnata ma' bicca deputat - Imbaghad hemm haga ohra: jekk tqatta' gurnata ma' gonzipn, tahseb li se jaghti kasek jekk tghidlu li l-parlament il-gdid ma ghandnix x'nambuh? jekk tghidlu li l-assistenti parlamentari ma hemmx bzonnhom u ghandu jtajjarhom? jekk tghidlu li ghandu jaghti zieda lil kull haddiem daqs iz-zieda li hu ta lilu nnifsu u lil shabu? jekk tghidlu li dahak bil-haddiema tat-tarzna, tal-air malta, tat-trasport pubbliku? jekk tghidlu li kellu jnaqqas it-taxxi? - U X'TAHSEB LI JAGHMEL JEKK ISSAQSIH KIF MA JISTHIX JIDHER QUDDIEM IL-MALTIN WARA LI FRANCO DEBONO MESAH L-ART BIH U NEZZGHU MINN KULL DINJITA QUDDIEM IL-PAJJIZ KOLLU? ....
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Hsiebek hemm ja poplu. Lilek stiednet tkun gurnata prim ministru imbaghad hu qed jara kif jaghmel biex jaghmel hames snin ohra. Tbissima ta brukkun.
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Let's try to find the Best Prime Minister out of these 1600. GonziPn should abdicate from his post and hold General Elextions in another 1600 days. I don't mind we pay a days Salary to each of these 1600 "prime Minister on Teas". I am sure they will handle the current situation more than the so called "World Leader".
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HAS FRANCO DEBONO APPLIED FOR THE JOB. PRIME MINISTER FOR A DAY, THE JOKE OF THE YEAR, ONLY IN MALTA.
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Ara kif GonziPN irid inessi lill-poplu l-problemi li holoq lil tant familji.
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Joseph MELI
with each and every one of them capable of doing a better job tehn the incumbent
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L-AKTAR HAGA LI KIENET TAGHMEL SENS, PERO, KIEKU XI HADD KITEB LI L-EWWEL HAGA LI JAGHMEL BHALA PRIM MINISTRU TKUN, LI JMUR IQATTA GURNATA MA XI HADD LI MA JAHDIMX, JEW JAHDEM BIL-PAGA MINIMA, JEW GHANDU XOGHOL PREKARJU, JEW PENSJONANT BIL-PENSJONI MINIMA !!!!!
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TGHID KIEN HEMM MIN KITEB ILLI KIEKU HU JEW HI ,JKUNU PRIM MINISTRU , JIDDIKJARAW LIN DAWK IL-€500 ZIEDA FIL-GIMGHA, M'GHANDHA QATT TERGA TITTIEHED ! TGHID KIEN HEMM MIN KITEB LI L-EWWEL HAGA LI JAGHMEL JEW TAGHMEL BHALA PRIM MINISTRU, TKUN LI TRAHHAS IL-KONTIJIET ESAGERATI TAD-DAWL U ILMA BILLI TARA LI L-INEFFICJENZI F'ENEMALTA JISPICCAW. U LI L-PREZZ TAL-GASS U TAL-MEDICINI, JKUNU BHAL DAWK LI JEZISTU F'PAJJIZI OHRA FL-UE LI GHANDHOM L-ISTESS LIVELL TA' PAGI U PENSJONI ???
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Does this mean that now there is no need to hold a General Election because with 1600 contenders to be Prime Ministers for a day , we can manage for more then 4 years . With one (?) , we have a rebus . With 1600 we will have a catastrophic situation .