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PN divorce resolution shelved hours after MPs were ‘forced’ to vote by show of hands
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has shelved a PN resolution where MPs were reportedly ‘forced’ to approve by show of hands, rather than a secret vote.
Reacting to Labour’s surprise motion that seeks to counter a PN resolution that effectively kills the possibility of a referendum on divorce, Lawrence Gonzi has now retracted the party’s ‘agreed’ position and announced in a statement, that “should the Opposition move a parliamentary motion calling for a referendum on divorce, PN MPs would be granted a free vote to take their own decision.”
This latest development has irked many Nationalist MPs who are now asking the party to explain what is really going on after they were told to approve the resolution, by show of hands, after a request for a secret vote was defeated by an insistent Austin Gatt.
Gatt reportedly challenged his colleagues to show their hands if they wanted to rally behind the Prime Minister on the resolution, notwithstanding the numerous interventions by MPs and party officials during the meeting that it was imperative for government to stick to its promise of holding a referendum on divorce.
Speaking to MaltaToday, a number of PN MPs vented their frustration that the resolution has now turned out to be a farce, and last Saturday’s document was now transformed into an “ordinary piece of paper.”
According to reliable sources, Austin Gatt – who has taken a hardline position against the introduction of divorce, even threatening to resign his ministerial post should the party come out in favour of divorce – reportedly told MPs and party officials at Saturday’s PN executive committee meeting that: “a secret vote would be ungentlemanly” [mhux irgulija].
As Saturday’s PN executive committee and parliamentary group meeting approved the resolution after Lawrence Gonzi asked his MPs for their support, claiming that his “hands were tied”, given that parliamentary procedure dictated that no referendum could be called before a decision was actually taken by the House, many brought up the risk the PN faced by killing the chance for the electorate to vote in a referendum on divorce.
Parliamentary secretary Mario de Marco, assistant secretary-general Jean-Pierre Debono and PN information secretary Frank Psaila were amongst the most vociferous on the risk the party was taking with its motion.
“I need you all on board,” he told MPs, in a bid to shore up support to explain the process to the public.
Mario de Marco asked what the PN would tell the electorate, should the bill not be approved in parliament, and no referendum called. Jean-Pierre Debono and Frank Psaila stated that it would not benefit the PN to send confused messages to the electorate, and allow Labour to exploit the mess.
But everything changed at the end of this morning's Cabinet meeting, when Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi issued a surprise statement reacting to MaltaToday that revealed that Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat is tonight expected to present a motion in parliament to counter a PN resolution that effectively kills the possibility of a referendum on divorce.
The statement said that “should the Opposition move a motion in Parliament calling for a referendum on divorce, PN MPs would be granted a free vote to take their own decision.”
It added that, “if there was agreement on the question to be asked in the referendum, the Prime Minister would back such a motion in line with his position in favour of a referendum.”
"My position in favour of holding the referendum is consistent since no party has a mandate to introduce divorce," Lawrence Gonzi said in his surprise statement.
"If the Opposition, which was against the holding of a referendum, is now changing its position and wants a referendum instead of the Bill moved by Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Evarist Bartolo, I will grant a free vote on this motion too," the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister added: “If the motion for the holding of a referendum includes a clear, specific and reasonable question to be asked in the referendum, I will vote in favour of it, so that, as I have consistently said, the decision will be taken by the people. However my position and that of the party remains against divorce."
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Is it possible that there are still persons remaining in this country that are so naive and still beleve what the Prime Minister Dr.Lawrence Gonzi says.
With all the U-Turns he made,I will be recommending that the Traffic Control Board should consider removing all No U Turn signs and ammend them to show a picture of Dr.Gonzi with a white diagonal stripe across the picture.
Nothing personal,but a good joke at this time,can make a dull person smile.
Dr.Gonzi, I hope that you can too. After all you are famous for your sarcastic smile.
I bet that even Mrs Gonzi is confused in which direction he is going in a minute time.
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Why is it that the "Beautiful" intro tune kept running through my head while I was reading this?
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Simple explanation worth reading.
In 2008 Joseph Muscat was elected leader of the Labour party and he promised that as a PM he would take a Bill to parliament and his MPs would be given a free vote. This means that once elected there would not be a need for a REFERENDUM !!! That was what he said back then and this is what he's saying now. I fail to see where the contradiction lies in all this.
The Pn promised a referendum yesterday and wanted to scrap the referendum today to suit its anti-divorce-at-all-costs agenda. So much for Consistency and credibility!!
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Hbieb, ergajna lura ghas-snin sebajnijiet meta l-Prim Ministru ta' dak iz-zmien kien harablu r-riegni bil-ministri ta' madwaru jghamlu li jridu li wasslu biex il-PN kien tilef l-elezzjoni u fi ftit taz-zmien wara jitwarrab Borg Olivier minn kap tal-partit. Minn hu ta' l-eta tieghi jista' jinduna li hekk ser jigri il-PN jitlef l-elezzjoni li gejja u jwarrbu lill Gonzi minn kap bhal ma gara fil-hemda ta' Strada Federiku.............
Joseph Pellicano •
GONZI POSTOK FUQ BEJT TAJJEB< GHAX PENNUR BHALEK GHAD IRIED JINHOLOQ> ISTHI LI INT PRIMINISTRU>
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U-turn wahda wara l-ohra. Min jaf x'jghidaw dawk il ponn spinners mercenarji tal PN? Dak it tqanzih kollu biex ipingu lil Dr.Gonzi bhala dak il mexxej ta par idejn sodi u kull ma rajna s'issa kien par idejn tac-chewing gum, naturalment mhux qed nirreferi ghas 600euro fil gimgha zieda li ta lilu innifsu. Hemm idejh kienu ta l-azzar.
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LOLlllllllllllllll min huwa il-prim ministru lawrence Gonzi , jew Austin gatt? lollllllllllllllll
farsi totali ...........
ara x'membri parlamentari ghadna ta..
imma possibli li jekk verament joseph muscat huwa favur il-ligi tad -divorzu ma jinqghdux flimkien i jaghmlu gurnata ta demostrazzjoni fit-toroq ? bi bnadar u banners ? halli jgibuna fuq l-istazzjon Euronews , u mhux darba ghanda issir, la in nies hawn ma jafux jinghqdu flimkien- possible ma hawn leader li kapaci jmexxi lin nies ?
halli ndahku lil nies tal-EU b'certi membri parlamentari :)
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The PN has been trying hard to rewrite Labour history under Mintoff ... and all for the purpose of propaganda in the hope they will frighten the people to vote for them. One thing for certain ... future generations of Maltese will have no difficulty writing about the antics of the PN in government.
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This is indeed a government in crisis. If Malta is a mickey mouse republic, I wonder who is mickey mouse? There are not a few candidates.
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QED JIBZA LI JIDIRLU L'ISQOF GONZI Z-ZIJU TA' MISSIERU W JOHODLU DAK LI HALLIELU FIL WIRT.
GONZIPN IRIDU JIEHDU LILL MALTA LURA LEJN IN 1960'S.
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This is the closest keen advocates of divorce legislation have ever got to actually seeing it implemented. It is therefore likely that many will be ready to vote directly for Labour in anger, if the referendum will fall through.
Keith Goodlip •
PN divorce resolution shelved hours after MPs were ‘forced’ to vote by show of hands---------------
This is EXACTLY how the GonziPN dictatorship operates. Democracy, to this gang of Vatican slaves, is but a word in the dictionary.
Anton Portelli •
qalilna li ma ghandux mandat biex idahhal id divorzju
1) biex jaghlaq id dockyard kellu mandat?
2) biex idahhalna fil Partership for Peace kellu mandat?
3) kellu mandat biex idahhal il ligi tal koabtiazzjoni..... u maghamiliex!
4) kellu mandat biex inaqqas l-income tax u m ghamiliex
come on Gonzi idawwarx id divorzju f ballun politiku biex jakkomoda il biza tieghek u lesigenzi tal partit tieghek
issa qisha il verita tielgha f ' wicc l-ilma
tghid lil KMB kienet tixraqlu iz zero? jew wasalna biex intuha iol xi hadd iehor
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Our PM went from in favour to against holding a Referendum in a week!
Once, the Conservative Premier Margret Thatcher said “U-turn is if you want to...the Lady’s not for turning” (she was referring to her economic policies). In our PM’s case, it’s different. He went from in favour to against holding a Referendum in a week. In 2008 Dr Muscat was talking about when and if Labour is elected he would present a Private Member’s Bill on Divorce. Dr. Muscat also said he was in favour of the introduction of divorce. Therefore, if this happened the people would have known prior that if they elect Labour then Muscat would present such a Bill who he is in favour of divorce. They’d be giving him their approval. Today both Dr. Gonzi and Dr. Muscat are correct in saying that no party has the mandate to decide on divorce. However Dr. Muscat was consistent because after JPO presented his own Bill, Muscat wants to give the voters a free vote to voice their opinion. It is then that the matter should be taken up to parliament. Dr. Gonzi has now gone against PBO’s resolution. Now the PM is in a topsy-turvy and so the Man is for turning
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ghidilna li jekk il pn jivotta favur ir-refferendum tirizzenja austin. ha naraw shabek tal PN bhal JPO xjazzlu jekk hux li jservu lil Poplu jew lil Partit. PN Sar traditur tal poplu
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Gonzi has managed to fritter away all the "positive" politcal perceptions that young people had of PN. To those who were not born in the bad old days of the 60's, its history repeating itself without PN's "little help from its friend" the Church. Gonzi can,t even get into a grip whether its a yes or no on divorce,whether he wants a referendum or not; like every leader who was not chosen on merit but on nepotism, he takes the line of least resistance: salvo the 600 euros a week; in that case, he wavered not an inch! How pathetic.
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Daqxejn ta' tifel idawrekk zugraga Gonz!
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Check MATE by Dr Muscat. Well done Dr Muscat!
Jeffrey Vella •
X'tahwid u tbazwir !
Anqas taqbad kaptu ta' x'qed jigri fil-P.N.
Id-Dar Centrali saret qisha it-Torri ta' Babel !
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Looks like check mate Muscat from here. Gonzi tried to be witty and funny but in the end it might back fire and the joke is on him.
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Round and round the garden, like a Teddy Bear.
One step, two step
Tickly you under there!
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Let me get this straight.....
Divorce will be introduced if it is approved in a referendum
but only if it is approved by parliament
which happens only if approved by the PN executive
which happens only if the PL does NOT move a proposal for a referendum....
Joseph Sant •
So will Austin Gatt be resigning now? I would say that after his shenanigans on Saturday it wouldn't be "irgulija" on his part to accept this U-turn in silence.
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Kemm inthom QADDISIN Dr Gonzi u Dr Gatt int sur PM ma nafx kif ma TISTHIX tidher quddiem in nies meta ghalik hadt ZIEDA ta 600 ewro u wara naqqasthom ghal 500 ewro fil gimgha li XORTA fejn li tajtlilna 1 ewro 16 cents huma HAFNA ghalik sur PM u nafx kif ma STAHTX tghid li SEJJER TIVVOTA MIN QALBEK BIEX JOGHLEW IL KONTIJIET TA DAWL u l-ILMA u int Sur ministru Dr Austin Gatt li min ghalik HADD ma jista ghalik kellma wahda nghidlek meta tasal is siegha tieghek KOLLOX TITLAQ WARAJK ADDIO il QSIES li ghandek u ADDIO kollox Ahna l-ex haddiema tax xatt qedin nistennew lilek biex dak li huwa taghna iITTIJULNA mhux waqt ir riforma li saret fix xatt RICENTI lilna l-ex haddiema tax xatt warrabtna meta taf li hemm l-ABJAD FUQ L_ISWED u li dan Int ma STAJTX TGHAMLU
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Are you surprised, Thorny? Gee, don't you know what people we are talking about? Never came across funnier people than they, if you ask me. Lorry and Austin, bah!
Luke Camilleri •
Ha jdumu jikkumiedjaw?
Dawn mhux Parlament iehor irridu imma Cirku!
