Debono wants PN to annul condemnation, Gonzi says decision was taken democratically

Prime Minister says condemned MPs knew they would have to face consequences for their votes on motions.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said his party's condemnation of MPs was a natural consequence of their actions.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said his party's condemnation of MPs was a natural consequence of their actions.

Additional reporting by Miriam Dalli.

Updated with Nationalist MP Charlò Bonnici's comment at 11:37am.
Updated with Franco Debono's comment at 12:38pm.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi did not rule out the possibility that MPs Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, Jesmond Mugliett or Franco Debono could face some form of expulsion after not supporting government in two Opposition motions.

"It is an internal party matter for the PN to consider," Gonzi told the press when asked whether it was being considered to have the three MPs expelled.

Gonzi defended the party's executive committee's decision to issue a public condemnation of the three MPs.

"It's simple, the party has its democratic rules and the executive is a forum open to all MPs, open to them to defend their position. The meeting had been pre-announced and the MPs did not attend, and the executive explained the circumstances of the events that took place and a public decision was taken. This is the PN in its own democratic forum," Gonzi said.

The prime minister also said that MPs had to face any consequence to the decisions they take.

"They should know that this was a very serious matter that has now brought obvious consequences, and these are the very consequences," Gonzi said.

Backbencher Franco Debono together with backbenchers Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Jesmond Mugliett have been "condemned" by the PN executive council for how they voted separately in parliament.

Debono said he will be asking the PN's executive committee to nullify a decision to condemn his vote in favour of an Opposition motion that led to the resignation of home affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici.

Debono insisted that he was unable to attend an executive committee meeting the party held to discuss the vote taken by Debono, as well as Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Jesmond Mugliett on Monday's motion that resulted in the resignation of Richard Cachia Caruana from permanent representative to the EU.

"The decision was not listed in the party meeting agenda and I was unaware of the discussion... nobody can take a decision on a person without being present for the meeting to defend oneself.

"I have informed the secretary-general that I want to ask for this decision to be annulled."

In a separate comment he posted on his personal blog, Nationalist MP Charlò Bonnici said the PN's decision was "quite soft" when considering the damage inflicted by the MPs' votes.

Bonnici said the party's decision meant the MPs' actions were "not business as usual... The lost votes in Parliament were surely a hard blow below the belt for the Party, so no one should be surprised that it has now reacted. After all the dissent has caused the resignation of a minister as well as an ambassador. Above all, the whole situation has embarrassed the Nationalist Party and it's members.

"If you tell me, I think the Party's approach has been quite soft when compared to the extent of the damage caused. But then I am neither the Party leader nor its secretary-general so I accept that sometimes one needs to see the whole picture rather than just a small part of it. At least with yesterday's press release the PN has sent a signal that no, it's not business as usual."

Debono had voted in favour of an Opposition which called for the resignation of former minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici, while Pullicino Orlando voted in favour of a motion that called for the resignation of Malta's permanent representative to the EU Richard Cachia Caruana. Mugliett abstained on this motion.

The Nationalist Party's executive committee met for the first time following the resignation of Mifsud Bonnici and Cachia Caruana on Thursday and issued a condemnation of the three MPs' votes, without explaining further what measures the condemnation involved.

The PN added that executive council also encouraged Cachia Caruana and Mifsud Bonnici to continue to work for the country "despite the personal attacks against them".

The PN's decision to highlight the "personal attacks" suffered by Cachia Caruana and Mifsud Bonnici highly contrasts with the statements made by Debono and Pullicino Orlando in parliament while justifying their voting intentions.

Both backbenchers in their speech had insisted that their vote "was nothing personal", with Debono insisting his vote was informed by the need to reform justice and home affairs, while Pullicino Orlando insisted that no one should be above parliament.

 

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Fejnhom il-lejburisti? Fejn hu Eddyjoyce tas-CNI ta' KMB? Baqa' jitlob lil Santa Rita bhalma qalulu shabu?
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Jinnutaw il-qarrejja kif jisparixxu l-lejburisti malli jaraw ismi? Anki l-istess Eddyjoyce jitwerwer. Possibbli daqshekk ikrah jien? Il-passat taghhom zgur li ma jistax ikun izjed ikrah, imma jien.....
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L-ghatba tal-Qorti taf tisthi iktar minn wicc is-socjalisti maltin. X'wicc ghandhom dawn l-istess nies li lanqas isem Dr. Eddie Fenech Adami kien jissemma' fi zmien id-dittatura socjalista. Grazzi Eddie. Demmna ncarcru ghal-Liberta`. Il-Lemin u l-Liberta` l-ewwel u qabel kollox. Le ghal malta nord koreana socjalista mintoffjana. 1. Liberta` 2. Liberta` 3. Liberta`
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Ergajna bin-novelli ta zmien il kavallieri.Kieku ghanda x'taqsam mas-suggett ta' hawn fuq lanqas jimporta, izda hlief l-istess diska ma tismax. Tkellmu fuq xhiex tridu u dejjem tiehdu l-istess risposta. Naqta rasi li meta nhar it-tnejn inqumu nitkellmu fuq it taljani u l inglizi jerga jirrispondi bl-istess diska.
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The bottom line is that Gonzi is sitting personally on a political time-bomb. If he has the guts (which i doubt, because this time round, not really knowing where he stood, he did not ask for a vote of confidence) he should expel the three MPs now and resume with parliamentary sessions after the recess and into the budget. Then what? Where's the majority gone? As Joseph Muscat says, the PN is imploding. Gonzi is working himself into a corner.
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Seqer ghandu ragun. Guido u Eddy qed jobdu l-parir ta' ufficjali gholja tal-partit u "jinjoraw lil DeMartino tal-Mosta". Dawn it-tnejn huma zewgt ixjuh bhali u allura anki huma kellhom jghaddu mill-veru nfern tal-passat oxxen tal-partit taghhom. Anki Eddy sab il-Casino maghluq ma' wiccu, bis-suldati ghassa mal-bieb u hu baghtuh jitlob lil Santa Rita. Ix-xjuh kollha jiftakru l-marmalja li kienet tkisser u tahraq il-kazini, tkisser il-kurja preciz quddiem id-depot, id-dar ta' EFA bieb ma' bieb ma' l-ghassa, kollha kriminali protetti mill-ministru taghhom u mbaghad kienu jmorru d-depot jiccelebraw mal-pulizija. Dawn fatti li Eddy jaf bihom. Bhalma jaf bit-torturi u qtil fid-depot, bhalma jaf bin-nuqqasijiet ta' kollox li kien haw, bhalma jaf li l-petrol malli tela' l-lejber minn 4 xelini sar LIRA l-gallun u l-prezz taz-zejt kien xi 12-il dollaru l-barmil. Ghandi hafna u hafna izjed fatti li min ghandu certa eta ghexhom u allura jinjorani. Li gvern jirfes il-kallijiet bilfors. Jekk p.e. trid permess biex tiftah Disco il-Mistar u ma tehdux; jekk p.e. jkun hemm xi xamma ta' korruzzjoni fil-*bini ta' xi pont u ma tehux ministeru, jekk tippretendi xi kariga gholja malli titla fil-gvern, jekk tkun kunsillier u tipprova tikkorrompi ruhek, jekk tkun kunsillier u tisraq xi ritratti ecc ecc, jekk ikollok huk imtella' l-qorti mhabba frodi....u ALLURA MHUX BILFORS TIRRIBELLA KONTRA L-PARTIT? Dawn l-affarijiet Eddy jafhom u allura kif jista' jmerini? Li nistghageb jien kif haw nies ta' certa edukazzjoni, jafu dan kollu, imma mhabba xi grudge kontra p.e. l-PM prezenti, jew imhabba xi ambizzjoni personali taghhom addio rgulija u addio kollox. Min ikun fil-gvern bilfors ikollu jirfes xi kallijiet bhalma kien hemm rifes il-kallu tal-familja demartino fl-elezzjoni tal-kunsilli li ghaddiet (MHUX TIEGHI), allura? Se nichdu l-partit ghaldaqshekk. AHNA M'AHNIEX VAVI AMBIZZJUZI.
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X'tahwid! U Gonzi qal li kien hemm ftehim. Xi ftehim?
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X'tahwid. Tal Gonzi PN litteralment maqsumin f'elf bicca. Kullhadd jaqdef ghal rasu, jakkuzaw lil xulxin, imeru lil xulxin, jivvutaw kontra xulxin, jikkundannaw lil xulxin, insomma addio Flimkien Kollox Possibli, issa saru Ghal Rasna Kollox Possibli, u fl-istess hin il pajjiz miexi wahdu ghax Dr.Gonzi aktar imhabbat idur bil Prim Ministru ghal gurnata u jipprova jifhem x'qed jigri fil PN.
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Alfred Debattista
@Giovanni Demartino Sur Demartino nahseb aktar qed jinjorawk u ma jahlux hin mijak milli jibzghu minnek dawn iz-zewg irgiel.
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Guidaforte l-VAVU u Eddy ic-CHICKEN Ghala tibzghu minni daqshekk?
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l elezzjoni issir meta jitlesta il progett ta bieb bla bieb il belt
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When is this circus going to end? You have chenge the Part colour from blue to...red. RED from the shame you have brought upon it!
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Wow , are these the consequences? Anyway they will be back while others would have made their way out.
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Wow , are these the consequences? Anyway they will be back while others would have made their way out.
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those who voted against the government or else the party for the sole reason to obtain the resignation of their number one enemy, should be expelled from the party. they have to face natural consequences for their behaviour in parlament.
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Din il-kundanna biss ghad m'hix bizzejjed biex trazzan ir-rabja kbira tal-maggoranza tad-delegati tal-PN u ta' hafna partitarji nazzjonalisti li qatt mhu se jinsew x'ghamlu dawn it-tradituri tal-PN, minhabba l-interessi personali taghhom.
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All this is simply a PR exercise to appease the supporters who are after blood. gonzi is a gutless politician because if he had any self respoect he would have asked for their expulsion but that leaves him with a minority government and the president would send for him and ask him to form a majority one. Then the real farce would begin because the three would be in a better positiopn to make demands.
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bonzi - you are right. wara li il parlament jaggorna ghas sajf JPO FD u JP jigu imkeccija mil partit. gonzi ixolji il parlament jew waqt li jkun aggornat fis sajf u ssir elezjoni f'ottubru jew meta jerga jibda jiltaqa u ssir elezzjoni f'novembru. tattika mahduma biex bhekk gonzi ikun irnexxielu itawwal kemm jista.
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@maltesecross. So you're giving Labour your vote just to spite the PN? For me, this is Maltese mentality in its most infantile manifestation. At least try to find out if Labour 'deserve' your vote and then act out of conviction but not simply play the weathercock. It's one thing expecting the government to practice democracy but you also have a vital role to fulfill by making your own political statements and forcing the parties to work on their own credentials to justify winning your vote. It’s the only path for Malta to reach a democratic maturity but only if the electorate can kick start this process themselves. You are probably aware that you cannot expect it from our major political parties, which are driven, first and foremost by their manipulative power play.
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@ truthBtold You have well and truly hit the nail on the very centre of the head.
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F'hiex waqa PN ukoll.
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F'hiex waqa PN ukoll.
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The 3 gentlemen will probably be expelled from the PN with effect from 1st June 2013...
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The 3 gentlemen will probably be expelled from the PN with effect from 1st June 2013...
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Why not let JPO, Franco Debono, and Jesmond Mugliett in turn be Prime Minister for a Day? That would surely appease them!
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I would like to know what happened to a free vote. Surely MPs are allowed to vote as they feel, seems to me to be in the NP you have to vote the way your ordered.
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GONZIPN. Only in Malta. Partit u parlament gibthom farsa. Iktar ma jaghdi zmien iktar jghoddsu l-isfel.
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Guidaforte l-vavu u Eddyjoyce ic-chicken KEMM TIBZGHU MI8NNI. kif taharbu.
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Guidaforte l-vavu u Eddyjoyce ic-chicken KEMM TIBZGHU MI8NNI. kif taharbu.
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Priscilla Darmenia
“Gonzi says decision was taken democratically”. Since when it is democracy to accuse and condemn a person when he is not present to defend himself. It is true that democracy has hit the bottom of the pit. In my opinion GonziPN is acting more like a dictator in a one party state than in a multi party democratic country. The more I read and the more I hear about GonziPN the more I get convinced to vote Labour this time around. Sorry Alternative you were going to get my vote, but voting Labour means minus 1 plus 1 – a difference of 2 votes. I am sure Dr Austin Gatt and Mr Cachia Caruana as party strategists know these mathematics.
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Partit tal frejjeg sirtu. Possibbli ghadkhom ma x`bajtux iddahqu nies bikhom ?...mhux f`Malta ta...imma ma l-Ewropa kollha...
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Zack Depasquale
Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Franco Debono resign from GonziPN, so how can the executive of the party condemn someone who is not even a party member?What right has a political party to condemn non members? As far as I know, Dr Debono never retired his resegnation from the party. Why did the GonziPN executive decide now to take action against dissenters, when this charade, especially by Franco Debono, has been going on for over 6 months? This is what happens when you loose all self respect, as long as you stick to your seat of power. Konna, u ghadna nghixu f'pajjiz tal-Mickey Mouse,(With apologies to Mickey Mouse)
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GONZIPN qed jiehu din l-azzjoni u se jkecci lill dawn it tliet deputati imbghad jaggorna ghas sajf allura mhux se jkollu bzonn dawn id deputati . GONZIPN jaf tajjeb li dawn qatt mhu se jivvutaw kontra l-partit agunija. Wara l-btajjel tas sajf ghal 6 t'ottubru jkolna elezzjoni. GONZIPN jaf juza tajjeb lill min jaqbillu. Il memorja qed tohodni l-bghod hafna fi zmien il Mons,
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Which is the highest institution - Parliament or the PN Executive? One other point to Dr. Gonzi. If you were a man you would remove the whip from those who are defying the whip. You should have done this back in 2008 with JPO. Dr. Gonzi - to my mind you have no backbone. An utter disappointment. You have brought indignity to the office of Prime Minister just as the MLP leaders in the 1981-1987 administration. Although I have rarely agreed with Alfred Sant, he showed backbone in 1998.
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Gonzi msallab bhal San Pirtru, rasu l'isfel. Jobzoq fejn jobzoq jigi f'wiccu.
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The PN is truly in shambles. The current situation reminds one of a democratic dictator. Instead of concentrating on the real problems like airmalta, enemalta and the financial fiasco in the euro zone which are ready to explode, we have a bunch of political merry makers who like to joke and play drama
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Talk is cheap Dr.Gonzi. As a matter of fact if bullshit was music, you and your party will be a brass band. This is another reality that GONZIPN is more interested in protecting their circle of treacherous administrators and civil servants than it is in safeguarding the democratic rights of the electorate. The gullibility of the Maltese people in these last 25 years has no comparison, even our fore fathers living in the 50’s & 60’s were not as dim witted as today’s passive citizens. The scary tactics and the bullying that this and previous PN administrations employed has run their course. The writing on the wall is becoming clearer, there are no more promises to be broken and no more political favors to be sought. In the time that DONZIPN has been at the helm, Malta & Gozo had been turned into an EU servant and slave to appease the cabals and oligarchs. Dr. Gonzi should accept the fact that governing Malta by political fear mongering and religious bullying are over. Maltese society has already proven in the divorce referendum that the citizens of this country deserve and demand that which belongs to Caesar. There would be nothing more appropriate for Maltese democracy if these 3 representatives of the Maltese people (actually 4 since JPO was elected from 2 districts) were expelled from this hideous and unmanageable administration that has come off its moorings. And should they follow through with this threat of expilsion, these 3 politicians should sit amalgamated as independents and form the much needed nucleus of a third political party in Malta. Long live Malta and GOZO, the reign of GONZIPN has reached the peak of that slippery slope of political damnation.
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IT'S ALL BLUFF ON THE PART OF GONZIPN EXECUTIVE ! I AM SURE THAT GONZI & FRIENDS WILL BE FORCED TO EAT THEIR OWN WORDS OF CONDEMNATION, IF ONE OR THE THREE MPs DECIDE TO CHALLENGE THE EXECUTIVE BY STATING THAT UNLESS THE CONDEMNATION IS ANNULLED, THEY WOULD BE ABSTAINING FROM ALL FUTURE VOTES IN PARLIAMENT UNTIL THE CONDEMNATION IS ANNULLED !!! EDDY PRIVITERA
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Issa vera tilef il-boxxla bhal ma kien qal xi hadd!
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Issa vera tilef il-boxxla bhal ma kien qal xi hadd!
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Igor P. Shuvalov
"I think the Party's approach has been quite soft when compared to the extent of the damage caused." Charlo' Bonnici. What did Bonnici expect... that they would be expelled from the party? No way..from a Government whose foremost and principal interest is to cling to power.
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Dan gonzipn u l-klikka tieghu veru qed jitilfu sensihom tafux !!!!! Sa fejn naf jien franco debono qalilna li kien baghat ir-rizenja tieghu mill-partit nazzjonalista u ma kienux accettawha - sew qed nghid jew le? Mela allura hu ried jirrizenja u jitlaq u ma hallewhx - u issa qed jikkastigawh wara li kienu huma stess li ma hallewhx jitlaq !!!! Imma tista' tifhimhom lil dawn in-nies? Jien haga wahda nghid - lil gonzipn jidher car li xi bravu ghadu kif tah parir biex juza id tal-hadid ma' dawn id-deputati u nahseb li kif jghidu bl-ingliz, din it-tattika aktar se tiehdu from the frying pan into the fire !!!! Nistennew u naraw imma gonzipn sajf ta' inkwiet minn shabu stess ghandu quddiemu xejn tahseb ... addio vaganza dis-sena fl-italja ... lanqas haqq is-600 ewro zieda fil-gimgha li ta lilu nnifsu biex ikollu minn fejn ihallas ta' vaganza ...... addio il-par idejn sodi issa !!!!!
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Dan gonzipn u l-klikka tieghu veru qed jitilfu sensihom tafux !!!!! Sa fejn naf jien franco debono qalilna li kien baghat ir-rizenja tieghu mill-partit nazzjonalista u ma kienux accettawha - sew qed nghid jew le? Mela allura hu ried jirrizenja u jitlaq u ma hallewhx - u issa qed jikkastigawh wara li kienu huma stess li ma hallewhx jitlaq !!!! Imma tista' tifhimhom lil dawn in-nies? Jien haga wahda nghid - lil gonzipn jidher car li xi bravu ghadu kif tah parir biex juza id tal-hadid ma' dawn id-deputati u nahseb li kif jghidu bl-ingliz, din it-tattika aktar se tiehdu from the frying pan into the fire !!!! Nistennew u naraw imma gonzipn sajf ta' inkwiet minn shabu stess ghandu quddiemu xejn tahseb ... addio vaganza dis-sena fl-italja ... lanqas haqq is-600 ewro zieda fil-gimgha li ta lilu nnifsu biex ikollu minn fejn ihallas ta' vaganza ...... addio il-par idejn sodi issa !!!!!
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Possibli ma giek hadd fmohhok minn naha ta PL Jew xi hadd vera indipendenti Dan mhux lil Mlata kollha jipresenta SUPPOST ???
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Does a vote of confidence has an expiry date?
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So, expelling three MP's would give GonziPN a two seat MINORITY at worst, right? Go ahead and expel 'em, I love a good show.
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Expulsion from the party? Does this chap know what he is saying? Expulsion will mean that new, separate seats in parliament will have to be found for these three as they would no longer be part of his party. Meaning?? Addio maggioranza!! Meaning the President can make a simple headcount and seeing that Gonzi has lost his majority in the house can effectively offer the seat to the opposition.
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Dik naqra ta' twissija fuq bicca karta. Mela ma jihdux azzjoni kontrihom. Dawn it-tlieta huma 'too hot to handle'.Issa forsi johrog b'xi wahda Edwin Vassallo dak li talab lil Mifsud Bonnici biex ma jirrezenjax ghalvolja l-parlament jisfiducjah. Dan id-demokrazija jikola bil-hobz.
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What do you call this? 3 slow punctures, 2 punctures and a slow, 3 punctures? Refer the matter to a vulcaniser or scrap yard asap please!!
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Ghaggiltu tikkundannawhom minn wara daharhom bil-mohbi kif kienet inhmiet it-tnehhija ta' Gorg Borg Olivier!
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VERU PAR IDEJN SODI, KIEF TRIDOM JIHDUNA BIS SERJETA IL PQIJA TA LEWROPA META JARAW DAWN IL BUSULOTTI KOLLA.GONZI WAQQAJTNA AZZUFJET MAD DINJA.
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Whatever Gonzipn decides no parliamentary member can be forced to resign from the parliament.
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Whatever Gonzipn decides no parliamentary member can be forced to resign from the parliament.
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I smell a rat. If these 3 are expelled, they will become independent members of parliament and can vote as they wish, even on money issues. On the other hand, if they are not expelled, they would have to vote with the party no matter what. Are FD, JPO and JM prepared for this?
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L- ironija li meeting tal- ezekuttiv sar fil hin li tlett deputati kienu fil- Parlament. U ma tarax li mhux se jitkeccew mil - partit. U jekk ma jissapportjawhx aktar, GONZI u shabu jitilfu s siggu li imwahhlin fuqu. Iddahhaqx prim