Author: Jacques René Zammit

More Push The Wrong Button antics in today’s Times. This time it is Nationalist (sic) candidate Vince Farrugia who accidentally sent an email directive from Stefano Mallia intedned to guide all PN MEP candidates to the Times.

“I am very taken up with the demands of the election campaign” and so am unable to give “a comprehensive and proper account of the expenses incurred for the election campaign which is still underway… Once the election is over I will ensure that all accounts are properly done.” Dr Mallia also instructed candidates to say: “I am also committed to abide by the transparency rules as adopted by the Nationalist Party… These rules regulate PN elected MEPs with the highest standards of accountability and are unprecedented in Malta with no party committing itself to transparency rules other than the PN.”  – Times of Malta

Thanks to Sully for pointing this out. The Times of Malta is running a story about how the Nationalist party MEP candidates (the same who signed a Simon Busuttil drafted document about transparency in accounting and expenses) have been asked to stonewall any queries about their campaign expenses. It appears another button pushing error by Nationalist (sic) candidate Vince Farrugia resulted in the Times of Malta having a copy of the standard reply instructions dictated by Stefano Mallia.

There is,as yet, no sign of this information appearing on the blog of the purveyor of all things “expense-related” (read Joseph Muscat’s car) even though, as Sully pointed out there would be an “in the family” source who could provide all necessary information. 

Meanwhile, back to the email sent out instructing PN candidates to basically give no information until the election is over. Now what kind of picture is being painted here? It was said recently of Joseph Muscat that he is of the “do as I say don’t do as I do” type. Looks like Simon and his  pick’n’mix companions might be of the same ilk. What’s the use of committing yourself to unprecedented transparency rules if you cannot even stick to them in campaign mode? What are the electorate supposed to do? Take your word for it? Like what? Mistra? Caravan sites?

And how will the rules be implemented? Conjointly? In Stefano Mallia style? With all the candidates having the same blooming excuse at the same bloody time?

Here’s what happened with regard to the PN candidates:

Most PN candidates, including MEPs David Casa and Simon Busuttil, followed the party’s directive and disclosed nothing, sending only the prescribed text. Three PN candidates stood out for their transparency, however: Rudolph Cini listed his personal expenses as €2,110 and another €3,600 by supporters; while Alan Deidun said he spent around €4,500 on direct mailing, fliers and business cards. Edward Demicoli did not list his expenses but was the only candidate to admit that he has exceeded the legal spending limit.

The Labour party candidates’ replies are about as believable as Pinocchio on ecstasy. Then there were the “small parties”:

Alternattiva Demokratika sent The Sunday Times a detailed breakdown of expenditure, even money received through donations, totalling around €14,300 and signed off by the party’s treasurer. John Zammit of Alleanza Liberali was the first to answer with a detailed list of expenses amounting to approximately €6,300. Independent candidate Cecil Jones also sent a list expenses totalling €1,576, including hairdresser appointments.

I’m not saying vote John Zammit or Cecil Jones… but they seem to have got the hang of accountability to the electorate much faster than the PN with all their “unprecedented transparency rules”. As for Stefano Mallia and Vince Farrugia… there goes all the Pushing the Right Buttons propaganda… down the slippery slope of candidates for political expediency…

Yes We Can. It seems.

“You will not read about this in J’Accuse even though at one point it seemed that the man could not get enough reminding us that the Nationalist slogan for the 2008 general election “Flimkien kollox possibli” was plagiarised from Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential campaign slogan. Sarkozy’s slogan, by the way, was “Ensemble tout devient possible” (”Flimkien kollox isir possibli“) not “Ensemble tout est possible” (”Flimkien kollox [huwa] possibli“) which Jacques regularly uses. But I guess some freedom with translation should be allowed when such an important point is being made.” – Malta9thermidor, e-day -6

It’s election time so you may forgive Fausto’s keyboard if it turns into a frenetic shade of blue as he prepares for that regular appointment of becoming a PN stalwart through and through. He believed that we would let this one go by. He actually thought that you would not read about this in J’accuse but the opportunity was as succulently appetising as yesterday evening’s viennetta and strawberrries and we could not really let it by.

I will let readers savour the above introductory paragraph in “Reduce, Re-use, Recycle“, Thermidor’s latest attempt at Green-bashing while ignoring the blemishes of the party he tends to find most pleasing among his voting options. Thermidor is still convinced that J’accuse is on some green backhander due to the fact that for the third election running we conclude that a voters’ number one should go to a green candidate. Not quite, Fausto. What is really really exciting right now are Fausto’s logical somersaults in ordr to justify the doings of the men and par condicio women at Stamperija.

This article and accompanying Bertoon appeared in yesterday’s edition of the Malta Independent on Sunday.

The next time you will be reading this column there will be five new Maltese MEP’s and one MEP in waiting. The people will have spoken and the verdict will have been read out. In all probability everyone will claim a victory of sorts. Joseph Muscat will once again show extreme naïveté and proclaim that “without any doubt” the election result is a clear indication for a change of government, Lawrence Gonzi will probably claim that given the odds this is another victory for the nationalist cause and Arnold Cassola… well Cassola will probably be mulling about his ambitious statements late in the campaign.

Far from the Trade Fair Grounds in Naxxar, where every vote has been counted, another parliament and another set of parliamentarians are still reeling from the shock caused by the uncovering of expense claims much to the general amazement of the public. Certain constituencies in the United Kingdom fell just short of stripping the shamed Westminster MPs naked and covering them with tar and feathers. The majority seem to think that these expense claiming MPs deserve extreme punishment for making such ridiculous claims from the Exchequer for such frivolous items as moats, fancy wallpaper and pornography.

Suddenly the whole ship of the political class is sinking and – funnily enough – the Lib Dems and Greens find themselves in a relative advantage. That’s bloody typical isn’t it.? They are miles away from an election, very little seems to be done in terms of immediate retribution and the people obviously poll in favour of the minor parties as the only trustworthy bunch of the lot. Even Holy David Cameron seems to have go quite a battering and he’s looking less like the Tory version of Invincible Tony Blair of late.

In all likelihood the UK voters will return to the fold of the main parties come next election. As a friend of mine likes to say, the closer they get to an election the more likely are the Lib Dems to have some earth shattering scandal and the more likely are the English voters to confirm the Tory-Labour duopoly. Still. The MEP Expenses shake up might have had a sobering effect on the electorate – particularly in realising that when the rules of the house are left in the hands of the masters of the house there is always a high probability that the masters of the house will be partying away with your money.

And Now the Gravy Train in Brussels

Tito Fernandez – El Temucano

Is it just me or does the idea of a ‘naturalist’ enjoying the sight of a ‘painted lady’ conjure up weird images in everyone’s head? Apparently the ‘painted ladies’ reported to have invaded the Maltese islands in their thousands are not tattoed babes but rather colourful insects.

It’s been a bit hard finding time to blog about all the things I read about recently thanks to a particularly work-intensive return from Barcelona (city of Campeon – boo to you Sir Alex). I guess it’s time for an I.M. Jack style roundup of what most tickled our fancy insofar as EP election run up in Malta is concerned.

1. Deidun’s Thunderous No to Divorce

“ I am proud to be called a conservative or a traditionalist, even though I am still 30 years old, and to call for respect by all candidates of Christian values, such as those of marriage, which is indissoluble ” 

The PN rainbow coalition of variegated colours concept is sort of backfiring. Pick’n’mix is beginning to resemble a complicated game of Jenga: your mind almost settles for voting for one candidate that might have been tailored to your liking when he or she opens her mouth and destroys any chances you would ever have of voting for him.  Take Deidun, the PN sheet’s  green giant, he might have been a.o.k in the environmental department but suddenly he’s gone all Gonzi-like quoting papal bulls or whatnot and announcing that divorce is a Nyet Nyet issue. Mind you, it should not matter much what Deidun or any other MEP candidate has to say about divorce but seeing how we cannot really count on parties and we are reduced to chosing fine, upstanding individuals, this hardline stand by the eco-warrior turned intolerant conservative makes Alan join the unvoteable ranks of the Ellul Bonicis and Casas.

2. Those Slippery Values

While Deidun the young conservative conservationalist was proudly proclaiming his christian badge of faith other soldiers of Gonzi were busy asserting a Jumbo Pack of values all over the place:

Google (Europe) has hooked onto the spirit of tonight’s Champions’ League. Google.it and Google.fr both sported a special logo for tonight’s occasion. It seems (at least from here) that the main Google page did not deem the World’s greatest sporting event of 2009 sufficiently important. Hell, after all it ain’t the Superbowl isn’t it?