Puli calls Marlene a viper over ‘F’għoxx Il-PN’ chant during Ħaż-Żebbuġ feast

No love lost between the PN’s erstwhile ‘coalition’ partner Marlene Farrugia and an enraged Clyde Puli.

The PN secretary-general has called out Marlene Farrugia over a viral video of the Democratic Party MP celebrating during the St Philip feast of Haz-Zebbug, to a scurrilous chant against the Nationalist Party.

In a Facebook post, Puli took umbrage at a video showing Farrugia enjoying herself inside the band club, while the crowd appears to be chanting ‘F’ghoxx il-PN’ (fuck the PN) to the tune of Gigi d’Agostino’s L’Amours Toujours.

While it is unclear if Farrugia herself is singing to the same chant, the mobile phone footage shows Farrugia held aloft by festa revellers inside the St Philip’s band club while the chant is taking place.

PN secretary-general Clyde Puli used the video to take Farrugia to task on Facebook. “We gave [the PD] a stage, the media, and two seats in the House. She even had the cheek to say she wanted to be our party leader. And when we wanted to cede a seat from our bench for the co-option of our leader, she wanted a PD candidate to contest it,” Puli said on Facebook.

“Today they dance to the rhythm of their hate towards us. She’s an albatross around our neck while the PN tries all it can to gain ground.”

Puli also hashtagged the post with the words “Trojan Horse” and “viper in our midst”.

MaltaToday sent the Facebook link to Marlene's partner, and PD leader Godfrey Farrugia. “We were nowhere near whoever was filming… Puli is trying to divert attention from his own problems.”

Farrugia said he was unaware of the video but said he had no recollection of people singing “f’ghoxx il-PN” around him during the celebrations. He suggested that people might have been chanting in the vicinity of whoever was filming and not necessary near the couple. “Puli is only trying to deflect attention. I have always viewed the feast as a celebration of the community during which I meet people of different opinions and from all walks of life.”

Reacting to Puli’s remarks in a Facebook post of her own, Marlene Farrugia accused Puli of acting out of panic following the disastrous election result “he and his friends” had brought upon the PN through their “incompetence”.

“As I always do, I have fun during feasts, real fun, celebrating with friends, both new and old,” Farrugia said, adding that in her life, she had never insulted anyone.

She added that she had also spent a considerable amount of time at the Żebbuġ PN club, as well as others.

Puli, she said, was clearly threatened by her. “They are right to do so because they are as corrupt as the government they want to remove.”

In a subsequent post, Godfrey Farrugia accused Puli of doctoring the video clip.

“Clyde Puli’s deceit. Clyde dirt and evil is exposed. The video clip was manipulated to put a bad light on Marlene because they know she is loyal to the nation and will continue to insist on the country having a strong opposition so we can have an alternative government that is loyal to the people while we have a corrupt government in office. Fake video,” Farrugia wrote.

In her own post, Marlene said that Puli had “made a mistake” in uploading the video but added that she forgave him.

“What has to happen now is that those who are standing in the way of unity and the rebuilding of the PN, or the entity which is to evolve from the PN, to be quiet, reflect and understand that we allowing Muscat’s corrupt government to continue steamrolling over the people that has again placed its trust in him, because we aren’t offering a viable alternative,” she said.

Farrugia urged PN supporters not to waste any more time and to work with the PD to create a viable Opposition.