==> Going away <==

I'm going abroad tomorrow, won't be posting for a week.

When I come back:

There won't be any more posts about which party didn't get elected or which party failed to get a seat. I'll just blame the 22,000 dumbasses who weren't arsed to vote and move on.

Unlike the papers, I won't waste time on JPO. I was already sick of the Mistra Disco story 2 weeks ago; couldn't care less about the latest revelations that inevitably come up when someone is guilty. I'm sorry for the PN candidates in his district who didn't get elected because of him. The thousands who voted for JPO, simply because he's good at crying, should feel sorry for those PN candidates as well.

AIDS amongst illegal immigrants (part 3)

Like Michael Corleone, just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in.

I was going to post about another topic but this article appeared on the Times today:

World TB Day today

Today Malta will join countries around the globe to mark World TB Day through a forum that will discuss the way forward for further improvement of tuberculosis control in Malta.

The main aim of the day - under the slogan I Am Stopping TB - is to increase awareness of the disease, by informing the public on how it is transmitted and how it can be controlled.

Last year 38 cases of tuberculosis were notified in Malta, 24 of which were among foreigners. Nineteen of these cases were among irregular immigrants.

Charmaine Gauci, the head of the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department, said that since irregular immigrants come from countries where TB is highly endemic, they are screened for the infectious type of the bacteria when they arrive in Malta.

"Any active cases are admitted to a special ward in hospital for treatment until they are no longer infectious."

Moreover, she continued, those working with irregular immigrants are regularly screened, adding that no active cases of TB have been found among staff working with irregular immigrants.
___________________________________________________

So the Health Department screens immigrants for TB, because TB is highly endemic in Africa. But not for AIDS, no. After all, Africa is only the AIDS capital of the world.

The Health Department makes me sick (pun intended).

Read part 1 and part 2.

AIDS amongst illegal immigrants (part 2)

My last post was deemed by some to be controversial. In it I quoted a 3-year-old Torca article called "AIDS fost prostituti suwed" where it was made clear that illegal immigrants are not screened for HIV and AIDS. The result? Some insinuated that I am a racist, others insinuated that I go whoring. Seems those are the only two kinds of people who could be concerned about infectious diseases in Malta.

All illegal African immigrants are already being tested for tubercolosis. Since 68% of people with HIV/AIDS in the world live in Sub-Saharan Africa alone, why shouldn’t they be tested for HIV/AIDS as well while they're at it? I can conclude that if Birdflu were to explode in Russia, the Malta Health Department wouldn’t be testing/treating inbound Russians.

Not only is the Health Department's way of dealing with this problem incompetent for the well-being of the country, but it is also inhuman towards the illegal immigrants. I’d hazard a guess that they aren’t tested for HIV/AIDS because CZT pills are very expensive and the government doesn’t want to spend money on treating illegal immigrants. So they let them go sick and untreated: to die quicker, I guess. In between, the disease spreads of course.

Am I the only who thinks they should be screened for HIV/AIDS? No, a huge humanitarian aid organisation called Medecins du Monde agrees:

"French medical organisation “Medecins du Monde” (MdM) has slammed the living conditions in Malta’s closed detention centres as “detrimental” and “incompatible with a minimum of respect of human rights”, while at the same time expressing concern regarding the lack of any screening policy for infectious diseases such as HIV and AIDS", from MaltaToday.

Read part 3.

AIDS amongst illegal immigrants (part 1)

AIDS fost prostituti suwed
minn Victor Vella u Kurt Farrugia

...Ghal zewg mistoqsijiet diretti lill-Ministeru tas-Sahha dwar jekk hemmx persuni fost l-immigranti irregolari f’Hal Far li ghandhom l-AIDS jew l-HIV, il-Ministeru naqas milli jkun specifiku u qal li “l-informazzjoni mitluba fil-mistoqsija t’hawn fuq tista’ twassal biex jigu identifikati persuni individwali.”

Din ir-risposta prattikament tikkonferma li hemm persuni li qed isofru l-marda trasmessa sesswalment ta’ l-AIDS jew l-HIV.

...Fatt interessanti li hareg mir-risposti tal-Ministeru tas-Sahha ghall-mistoqsijiet li ghamlet it-TORCA kien li id-Divizjoni tas-Sahha ma taghmel ebda screening ghal mard infettiv, hlief ghat-Tubercolosis, fuq bazi regolari lil ebda persuna li tidhol kemm legalment kif ukoll illegalment.

Intant, it-TORCA ghamlet mistoqsijiet diretti lill-Ministeru tal-Familja u Solidarjetà Socjali dwar il-prostituzzjoni f’Hal Far u dwar rapporti li hemm uhud minnhom igorru l-marda ta’ l-AIDS/HIV. Ir-risposti tal-Ministeru kienu evasivi ferm minghajr risposti konkreti.
___________________________________________________

This Torca article is 3 years old. You can tell because it wasn't yet taboo for a journalist to use the word "black" to describe an illegal African immigrant. Nowadays it is also politically incorrect to use the word "illegal" to describe them, with journalists opting for the word "irregular" instead.

Why were they screened for Tubercolosis but not HIV/AIDS?

Has the screening process changed since 2005?

This is what has certainly changed... "in 2007 Sub-Saharan Africa contained an estimated 68% of all people living with AIDS and 76% of all AIDS deaths, with 1.7 million new infections bringing the number of people living with HIV to 22.5 million, and with 11.4 million AIDS orphans living in the region. Unlike other regions, most people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa in 2007 (61%) were women. AIDS continued to be the single largest cause of mortality in this region. Life expectancy has fallen dramatically; for example, in 2006 it was estimated that it had dropped from 65 to 35 years in Botswana", from wikipedia.

Today, the folks at the Health Department were kind enough to tell us HIV home test kits should not be used. Now how about they tell us how many of the thousands of illegal immigrants in Malta do have AIDS or HIV, and how they are being dealt with?

Don't we deserve to know?

Don't we deserve to know if the Health Department is incompetent?

Read part 2 and part 3.

Gay voters in Malta

Excerpts from PinkNews.

Labour are generally considered to be more liberal than the winning Nationalist Party.

...the difference between victory for the Nationalists and the Malta Labour Party was decided by a few thousand votes.
Malta's gay community accounts for about 5% of the voting population. Generally considered to be MLP supporters, many decided to vote for the AD.

Dr Patrick Attard, Malta's only gay political candidate ran a tireless campaign for AD.

...some in the MLP are certain to feel that they lost because they could not secure the gay vote.

Xarabank vs MLP

The subject of last Friday's Xarabank was the aftermath of the national elections, namely the upcoming change in leadership of the Malta Labour Party.

Someone from the MLP insinuated that the TV programme always favours PN. Presenter Peppi Azzopardi took offense and listed a few shows they did about unemployment and other subjects which put the current administration under a negative light. Then a pissed-off Peppi said, "today's show has been planned for weeks. The guests were invited before we knew the outcome of the elections. Had MLP won, and if we'd have still been here today, the show would have focused on PN's loss instead."

A counter-productive comment if ever there was one. Insinuating that a newly elected MLP government's first move would be to shut Xarabank down, gave the viewers reason to believe Xarabank would have a very valid reason to be biased in favour of the Nationalists. Temper, Peppi, temper.

Naxxar Explosion

A man illegally stores a ton of fireworks in an inhabited area in Naxxar.

He fiddles with them, they blow up, killing him, as well as a young mother of two, bringing down three houses, and damaging other uninsured houses.












How many people knew he was storing explosives there?

Some neighbours did.

The drivers who deliver the ingredients for the tahlita did too.

So I surmise, the Fireworks Comittee knew as well.

Everybody turned a blind eye.

Towards an MLPN dictatorship

Yesterday on Dissett, Prime Minister Gonzi said that, since MLP got the majority of seats, it would have been a disaster if a member of a small party or an independent candidate got elected. He said the constitution must be changed quickly to avoid this problem in the future. In other words, he'll make it impossible for "dawk il-grieden" (as NET TV's Pierre Portelli calls them) to elect 1 candidate.

5800 people voted for small parties and independent candidates on March 8. The ex-leader of Azzjoni Kattolika could care less about the 150,000 people who didn't vote for his party. "Poplu wiehed", my ass.

Lawrence Gonzi: Party Leader first and foremost, forever.

PN needs 2/3 of parliament to agree with this change: MLP has to agree. Will it?

MLP depends on votes moving from PN to AD or to AN to maybe get elected someday. Such is the situation. Will the folks of MLP see they'd never get elected if they accept this change in constitution? Do they know disgruntled PN supporters will never ever vote for MLP? Find me a disgruntled PN supporter who voted for AD last Saturday, and is willing to take the plunge and vote for MLP next time. Go on, I dare you.

This country’s democracy depends on MLP. You hear that, you who celebrated PN's victory in the streets? Then again, a dictatorship would suit you fine, as long as it's a PN dictatorship. Wouldn't it? You know it's true.

Will MLP help PN amend the constitution that will ultimately bury it once and for all?

Will MLPN bury true democracy in this country?

PN voters

Francis Zammit Dimech? Not elected. (Co-opted)

Michael Frendo? Not elected.

Every single solitary PN candidate accused of corruption got elected, however. I can understand PN winning the elections, but with clean or new faces, not this way.

George Pullicino? Elected.

Giovanna Debono? Elected.

Jesmond Mugliett? Elected.

Jeffrey Pullicino Orland? Elected from 2 districts.

Alfred Sant's smear campaign against Pullicino Orlando was so successful in getting him re-elected that I'm starting to think it was JPO himself who sent Sant copies and receipts of the Mistra disco application.

In the voting booth:

“X’jismu dan? Eh iva… Smajt bih dan dal-ahhar… “Pullicino Orland”… Jissemma fil-gazzetti… Tajjeb dan nahseb… ha ntih il-1″


U morru xxejjru!

MLP is dead and buried

From now onwards, the Malta Labour Party will never get elected. A new charismatic leader won't be enough to get MLP out of the hole it dug for itself. Read on...

Soon the Nationalist Party will be given €855,000,000 by the European Union to spend. Prime Minister Gonzi said €300,000,000 will be spent on the environment. Therefore, the Maltese people will be able to look around and see where the money is going, and they will thank the current PN government for it.

SmartCity will open and a lot of jobs will be created. The current administration will take credit for all that.

By 2013, the deficit will have stopped increasing, so some taxes might be brought down.

The majority of the Maltese won't want a bidla in 2013. This was the last chance for a change in government and MLP blew it. Had MLP won the elections, it would have been the party in this extremely advantageous position. Unfortunately for Sant and his cronies, that didn't happen.

MLP RIP

Blogging vs Journalism

"To journalists, bloggers are self-appointed town criers who like the sight of their own voice."
Matthew Vella, MaltaToday 09/03/08


Unlike a journalist, I only publish when I feel there is something worth writing about. When I have nothing to say, I don't write about subjects I don't really care about in order to justify a salary.

When I do have something to say, I don't need the blessing of my employer to write about it. I don't have to fight with other journalists over the hottest story. Furthermore, my posts don't get edited by anyone.

To conclude, Mr. Vella, I know journalists whose opinions differ greatly from yours. Some had very nice things to say about my 1-month-old blog. You are not the end-all of journalists; you're just one in the crowd. Get off your high horse.

Alfred Sant, the new KMB

2008 Elections in Malta


Strikes against PN:

• the arrogance that comes with 20 years of almost uninterrupted rule


• Jesmond Mugliett, George Pullicino, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando


• the fact that Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi defended all the above ministers


• a leaked cabinet memo regarding charges in Health Care


• the resignation of a MEPA board one week before elections


• a shameful attack on Harry Vassallo 2 days before elections

Strikes against MLP:

• Alfred Sant

Outcome = PN won the elections.
[PN 49.3% MLP 48.9% Other 1.8%]
Says a lot about what people think of Alfred Sant. This situation reminds me of another Labour party leader...

Conversations with Maltese Voters

These conversations took place a few days before the elections:


CONVERSATION 1

MADAME X
I'm against the introduction of divorce.

THE DEFIANT ONE
But you agree we should hold a referendum about introducing it or not.

MADAME X
No, I don't.

THE DEFIANT ONE
You're afraid the majority of people will disagree with you.

MADAME X
I don't want divorce to be allowed.

THE DEFIANT ONE
Don't you want the will of the people to be heard?

MADAME X
It would be bad for the country to introduce it.

THE DEFIANT ONE
We shouldn't have joined the European Union, right?

MADAME X
What???

THE DEFIANT ONE
Because a lot people didn't want Malta to join. Using your rationale, we shouldn't even have held a referendum, to respect those who voted "No" that time round.

MADAME X
That's not what I'm saying. All I'm saying is that divorce is bad.

THE DEFIANT ONE
Oh, I misunderstood you. The EU referendum was okay because you wanted Malta to join. A divorce referendum isn't because you don't want it. Should we even vote on March 8? I mean, you don't want MLP in the government. We should just re-elect your PN, because you're deciding for all 300,000 of us here.

[That kind of killed the conversation]


CONVERSATION 2

THE DEFIANT ONE
What do you think of [Candidate 1]?

MRS Y
I don't vote for [Candidate 1]. He's the type who does favours in exchange for votes.

THE DEFIANT ONE
What about [Candidate 2]?

MRS Y
I'm not voting for him either - I needed a favour from him once and he didn't help me out.

Spiridione Sant, Tal-Farfett, Abacus Operandi

Some blasts from the past...


ABACUS OPERANDI



Electoral proposal: To see if the parliament is working correctly

Memorable quotes:
It-tieni darba [li hrigt ghall-elezjoni tal-kunsill] kienet daqxejn ahjar. Hadt il-vantagg mill-Abacus Operandi li issuggerejtu minn-dizzjunarju, sibt id-dizzjunarju, sibt il-kelma ta fuq, u sibt li hemm xihaga teknika li fil-vot li meta tohrog bhala individwu, taht l-isem bhala partit ikollok it-top place fil-vot u hadt il-vantagg totali minnu. U sibt li kelli hafna repercussions biha din, ghax sibt li kelli tfixkil hafna iktar minn ghajnuna mill-kontestanti l-ohra. M'ghogbithomx l-idea. Ovvjament tiehu vantagg bhal-dak kienet kwazi daqqa ta' harta ghall-kontestanti l-ohra...

...Dan jirraprezenta il-karta principali li huwa il-joker. Jekk jigilek dan waqt rummy ifisser li inti ghandek karta hafna iktar qawwija minn haddiehor u ghalhekk huwa il-favorit tieghi...


TAL-FARFETT



Electoral proposals: Read below.

Memorable quotes:
Ser nitkellem fuq ir-racecourse tal-Marsa. Jien inweghedkom, in-nies tal-Marsa, li jiena naghmililkom dritta u filfatt jekk nitla fil-Gvern jiena naghmililkom dritta u nghollilkom ir-railing. U anke it-tinda jekk tixxarbu nirrangahilkom ukoll. Infaqtu Lm150,000. Taqtghux qalbkom nies tal-Marsa! Hawn Richard Sultana jaqbez ghalikom! Naghmel tinda ghall-monti gol-Belt biex ma jixxarbux ukoll...

...Naghmel tinda kollha Ta' Qali u naghmillhom ic-central heating kollha biex meta jkun il-ksieh ma jhossux ksieh...

...L-amerikani jidhlu u johorgu. Bazi ma hadd u rbit ma hadd. Jekk tivvutaw, tivvutaw hekk: Richard Sultana Partit Demokratiku Indipendenti tal-Farfett. Ghamlu in-number 1 fin-nofs tal-kaxxa, tmissux mal-line ta' fuq u lanqas ma ta' taht. Wara il-vot ikun ittimbrat. Jekk ma jkunx ittimbrat dak ma jiswa xejn. U ghidlu, jekk tiehdu zball, ghidlu hadt zball u jtik iehor. Naghtu ic-children's allowance lit-tfal kollha...


Saved the very best for last. The man who said in 1987 that the Maltese people were as united as they were under La Vallette...

SPIRU SANT



Electoral proposals:

• improve the rights for gamblers ("laghbha li jilghabu")


• increase the size of the army/airforce to 36,000 people


• introduce the death penalty to avoid receiving letters of complaint regarding criminality

Memorable quote:
L-edukazzjoni hemm bzonn hafna x'isir fiha. L-edukazzjoni hija haga infinita. U jiena ser insemmi wiehed mis-surmastijiet li kien jghallimni u meta dan kien jghid, kien jghidli, jghallimni l-iskola, "Yonni, jew Spiridione, il-ktieb titilqux minn idek ghaliex ghada tinsa dak li ahna ghallimnik." Servizzi civili. L-isports in generali. U li permezz tal-isports ghandna IL-FOOTBALL! U HADNA PJACIR ILLUM LI IT-TIM TAL-HAMRUN BIL-KOOPERAZJONI MAT-TIMIJIET L-OHRAJN TA EZEMPJU GHALL-INKORAGGIMENT BHAL MA KIENU JAGHTU IL-FLORIANA FIL-PASSAT TA' ZMIEN BOND U VICKERS, HARRY EDWARDS TAS-SLIEMA U IL-??? KOLLU. U GHALDAQSTANT JIENA PERMEZZ TAL-FOOTBALL, IT-TLIELAQ, U IS-SWIMMING POOL ET CETERA DAWN LI AHNA NIZVILUPPAW GHALL-EKONOMIJA BIEX AHNA INHADDMU LIL KULHADD GHALL-GID NAZZJONALI BIEX MAGHNA JAQSAM IL-POPLU U KULHADD!

Debate: Gonzi vs Sant

Watched the electoral debate tonight between the leader of the Nationalist Party and the leader of the Malta Labour Party.

Nobody came out a winner.

Nobody came out a loser.

However, I'd like point out that according to the Ministry of Finance, Harry Vassallo was handed arrest warrants because he did not fill in some VAT forms, not because he collected VAT from clients and forgot to pass it on to the VAT department as the Prime Minister stated in the debate. Not paying VAT you collect is an entirely different ballgame.

Harry and the Seargent

I can't comprehend how they expect us to believe this. Read below...

A seargent forgets he has had Harry Vassallo's arrest warrants in his drawer for 5 months.

Cleaning out his drawer, he finds the documents on March 5th - 2 days before the elections. What a coincidence!

Wouldn't you believe it? March 5th is the day he was thinking about talking to Harry about some nieghbour's burglarized house! What a coincidence! It makes a lot of sense to decide to talk to the busy leader of a political party about a neighbour's burglary 2 days before the national elections. "I'll take the documents with me and take out two birds with one stone!", says the seargent.

He gets to Harry's house and before he can speak, Harry tells him, "You're here to hand me an arrest warrant." The seargent is astonished, "how did you know?" Harry replies, "A NET TV journalist told me 4 hours ago." What does the seargent reply?

[altogether now]

What a coincidence!

Thankfully this whole story is more believable now that a video of this policeman has surfaced.

The Night of the Long Knives

Press Release issued by Alternattiva Demokratika this afternoon:

Waqt konferenza stampa f’tas-Sliema, Dr Harry Vassallo, Kap ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, qal li il-kampanja elettorali waslet fil-qiegh taghha meta llum gie infurmat minn gurnalist tan-Net TV li multa imposta fuqu mill-qorti kienet giet ikkonvertita f’sentejn habs. “Din kienet ahbar ghalija ghaliex id-decizjoni tal-qorti li ttiehdet hames xhur ilu biex il-multa ssir prigunerija avzawni biha l-pulizija erba sieghat wara li kien telaq il-gurnalist tan-Net television” qal Dr Vassallo. “Din in-nasba ilha tinhema ghal hames xhur billi minflok gejt avzat immedjatament b'li kien sehh il-qorti, il-fajl thalla f’xi kexxun ghal meta jkun utli ghall-Partit Nazzjonalista fl-izjed kampanja elettorali moqzieza li qatt mexxa.”

“Mhux veru dak li deher fil-website tal-Partit Nazzjonalist li dawn il-multi gew imposti fuqi ghaliex ma thallsitx taxxa tal-VAT minn kumpanija jew minni personalment. Dawn il-multi gew imposti fuqi ghaliex kumpanija li ma kellix x’naqsam mat-tmexxija taghha ghal ghaxar snin naqset li tibghat ir-returns tal-VAT. Waqt li kont nahdem maggha u kont immexxi din il-kumpanija, dejjem inbaghtu r-returns u thallset kull taxxa dovuta. Minhabba li ismi baqa’ jidher bhala l-persuna li tibghat dawn ir-returns il-proceduri ttiehdu kontrija u wehilt il-multi jien.

Illum fl-4.15 gew zewg pulizija l-ufficcju u tawni kopji ta’ zewg Dokumenti Biex Persuna Tinzamm il-Habs it-tnejn li huma jgibu d-data ta' l-10 ta’ Ottubru 2007. F'12:00 kellna konferenza stampa fl-istess ufficcju li ghaliha ghall-ewwel darba f’din il-kampanja elettorali attendew gurnalist u kamerman tan-Net TV. Wara li saret il-konferneza stampa il-gurnalist tan-Net talabni kumment u staqsieni kontx naf dwar kundanna biex jien nintbaghat il-habs. Fil-fatt ma kont nafx bl-ebda kundanna bhal din, ghaliex il-pulizija ma kienux ghadhom kellmuni, u minn meta jidher li saret id-decizjoni tal-qorti hames xhur ilu jien ma gejt mgharraf b’xejn.

Madankollu bsart li dak li kien qieghed jirreferi ghalih il-gurnalista kellu x’jaqsam ma’ kaz ta’ multi imposti fuqi bhala l-persuna registrata mad-Dipartiment tal-VAT peress li ma kienux gew ipprezentati r-returns ta’ kumpanija. Jien kemm il-darba tlajt il-qorti dwar dan il-kaz u spjegajt li ma stajtx nipprezenta kontijiet ta’ kumpanija li ma kellix x’naqsam maggha ghal izjed minn ghaxar snin. Bil-ligi kif inhi bhalissa l-qorti jidher li ma kelliex ghazla hlief li timponi l-multi u ghalhekk tlabt il-mahfra tal-President billi kont qieghed nigi mmultat eluf ta’ liri, mhux ghax ma thallsitx taxxa, izda ghax ma gewx ipprezentati r-returns fi snin meta jien ma kellix kontroll fuq din il-kumapnija li minna kont rrizenjajt bhala direttur.

Fil-fatt il-mahfra giet michuda u jien ipprezentajt rikors ghar-rikonsiderazzjoni tal-kaz. Minn meta sirt kap ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika ma kellix hin nipprattika l-professjoni tieghi u wisq anqas li nkun involut f’attivitajiet ta’ negozju. Id-dhul tieghi sar ta’ Lm400 fix-xahar bhala impjegat tal-partit. M'hemmx mezz li jien inhallas dawn il-multi li jlahhqu mas-Lm6000. Illum sirt naf li l-multi mhux imhallsa jissarrfu f’sentejn habs.

Waqt li huma mijiet ta’ nies li ghaddew minn inkwiet bhal dan u ohrajn hallsu multi kbar meta ma kellhomx jaghtu centezmu f’taxxa, nahseb li jien biss sibt ruhi mgharraf minn sitwazzjoni bhal din minn gurnalist tan-Net TV gurnata qabel elezzjoni u 5 xhur wara d-decizjoni tal-qorti.

Jien kont u ghadni tal-fehma li mhix haga ragonevoli li xi hadd jigi mmultat l-eluf tal-liri ghaliex il-burokrazija titlob li jimtlew ir-returns vojta fil-hin u lanqas li xi hadd jinbaghtat il-habs meta fil-fatt m’ghandux jaghti ta xi taxxa li gabar jew fuq dhul li kien ghamel. Jien ma qlajt xejn u ma gvart l-ebda VAT fis-snin kollha li ghalihom gejt immultat eluf ta’ liri.

Sa llum ghamilt il-battalja tieghi fil-privat b’inkwiet kbir ghalija u ghal xhur u snin shah. Ma stajtx naghmel kampanja pubblikka dwar din is-sitwazzjoni minhabba li ghandi interess personali u dirett fiha. Izda llum li l-Partit Nazzjonalista ghogbu jinqeda b’din is-sitwazzjoni personali tieghi nifrah li saret haga pubblika u li b’hekk nista nwieghed li naghmel kampanja biex l-infurzar tal-ligi jsir b’mod ragonevoli u fejn tkun nieqsa xi bicca karta ma jigi ttrattat hadd bhala xi kriminali vjolenti.

Rigward l-ordnijiet biex nintbaghat il-habs jien rgajt tlabt li tigi rrikonsidrata t-talba tieghi biex dawn il-multi ezagerati ma jkisrrunix u ma jaghmlux hsara lill-familja tieghi. Bien nhallashom meta ma kkommettejt l-ebda reat, ma sraqt l-ebda centezmu taxxa, u ma ghamilt ebda qliegh jidhirli li hi piena tal-wahx u kontra r-raguni.

Ma nafx il-President tar-Republika joghgbux li jikkonsidra l-kaz tieghi jew le. Jekk ghal darb ohra jkun jidhrilu li haqqni nmur il-habs ghal sentejn ghax haddiehor ma mliex formola tat-taxxa, jien immur il-habs. Li nista’ nghid minn issa hu li jigri jigri f’din l-elezzjoni, mmurx il-habs jew le, jien ser naghmel kampanja biex burokrazija qattiela bhal din tispicca darba ghal dejjem.

Harry Vassallo


POPPPPP! That's Alfred Sant opening a 1952 bottle of Dom Perignon.

If PN had any brains at all, the documents would read 5th March 2008, not 10th October 2007.

To quote Dr. Pullicino Orlando, "tistenna sa 4 ijiem qabel l-elezzjoni biex thammeg in-nies?"

Prosit PN.

You just lost all the floating voters.

You just lost all your disgruntled supporters again.

You just gave us 5 years of Fredu Sant as Prime Minister.

The only logical explanation I can find for this is that, from their polls, PN realized they lost waaay too many votes to AD, they realized they didn't have a chance in hell of winning this election. Also, 3000 more voting documents than usual went uncollected this time round, most of which from PN stronghold districts. So PN figured they had nothing to lose by pulling out this hidden card.

Now we can REALLY rule out a PN-AD coalition, that's for sure!

Note to those passing comments in the Times website:
Saying this is the work of MLP makes as much sense as saying it was the work of the Zionists! Dik il-qarnita sewda! Dawk l-ghedewwa taghna! Catch my drift?

Typical Maltese Voters

Who will you be voting for this Saturday?


Typical Maltese pensioner #1:
I will vote for MLP obviously, because way back in the 50s MLP created the middle-class. Before MLP, we had the feudal system, the country was run by fascists. If it weren't for Mintoff, the Saviour of Malta, I couldn't have put food on the table for my kids back then.

Typical Maltese pensioner #2:
I used to vote Labour but started voting PN when a Labourite Minister I used to vote for didn't give my son a job. That man had given my neighbour a job, so why not my son? Then the sister-in-law of my aunt's husband's mother talked to a PN Shadow Minister who gave my son a job in return for my vote. This was 30 years ago. I will always give the number 1 vote to that Nationalist for what he did. When he retires I will give it to his son.

Typical Maltese adult #1:
I will never ever vote Labour. Labourite cops beat me to a pulp 25 years ago. I don't want it to happen again. Mark my words, if MLP is elected, the day after... most Nationalists will end up without a job, or in the morgue.

Typical Maltese adult #2:
Do you need to ask? Labour all the way! With GonziPN, poverty and corruption everywhere. Didn't you hear them say so on the radio? What do you mean "which station"? Super one radio. Why, is there another one?

Typical Maltese adult #3:
As long as it's a party that will let me shoot down birds...

Typical Maltese youngster #1:
This is my first opportunity to vote. I'm going to vote for PN because thanks to them I have an EU passport. For that, I think I will vote PN forever and ever. No matter what.

Typical Maltese youngster #2:
Alternattiva Demokratika for me. Why? To be different.

Typical Maltese youngster #3:
Who gives a **** about politics, man?


The majority of eligible voters think along these lines.

Are you one of them?




APPENDIX 1:

Kemm il-darba f’dawn l-ahhar gimghatejn ippruvajt nuri lil membri tal-familja tieghi jew hbiebi li bil-PN m’ahniex f’genna tal-art. Jibdew jisimghuni imbaghad jghiduli xihaga tipo “imma kieku taht il-labour inkunu ghar” jew “hemm il-korruzjoni vera, imma taht il-labour ikun hemm iktar” et cetera. Hemm xi certezza fuqha din? Issa qed nghidha jien li iddecidejt li mhux ha nivvota Labour, imma nistghu nieqfu nitnejku b’ina nfusna?

Hawn wisq nies jivvutaw f’certu mod minhabba xihaga li grat jew meta kont ghadni qas twelidt, jew meta qas kienet ghadha twieldet ommi. U hemm wisq tfal ta’ dan-nies li jivvutaw kif ghallmuhom jaghmlu il-genituri taghhom, li jhallu haddiehor ibellghalhom l-opinjoni taghhom.

Kulhadd jiswa vot wiehed biss f’elezzjoni. Tista tmur ixxejjer il-bandiera f’elf meeting, jew tiehu il-kafe ghand il-ministru ghax xorta vot wiehed biss tiswa. Il-vot huwa tieghek u tieghek biss. Ghamel dak li huwa l-ahjar ghazla ghall-pajjiz mhux ghall-partit. Partit Politiku mhuwiex bhal tim tal-football li tibqgha zzomm mieghu bilfors, anke meta jinqabdu jixtru ir-referees u jispiccaw inizzluhom Serie C2.

Bnedmin intelligenti huma floating voters biss. Issa jekk wara hafna hsieb floating voter kull 5 snin kumbinazzjoni dejjem issib ruhu jiffloatja lejn l-istess partit, ma jimpurtax. L-aqwa li l-ghazla ghamilha oggettivament.

Mela tivvota MLP ghax imnalla kien Mintoff fiz-zmien ta’ wara il-gwerra?

Mela tivvota PN ghax tawk xeba il-laburisti meta kont student fis-77?

Daqshekk iebsa tivvota ghall-5 snin li gejjin?



APPENDIX 2:

Sandro Vella:
Tliftha it-tama li l-affarijiet jistghu jinbidlu [fuq kif jivvutaw in-nies] jien.

Keith Chircop:
Jien ghandi tama imma fil-generazzjoni tieghi u ta’ warajja u dawk li ghad iridu jigu.

Fi kliem iehor iridu jisparixxu hafna xjuh u nies tal-mezza eta qabel il-maggoranza tan-nies ikunu oggettivi. It-tfal ta’ dawn in-nies oggettivi x’aktarx jitilghu oggettivi bhall-genituri taghhom. Probabbli nkun sirt xih qabel jasal dal-jum fejn inkunu poplu fejn il-maggoranza tivvota f’mod inteligenti.

Qabel dak iz-zmien ha jkun ghad hawn wisq nies li jahsbu li tal-Labour kollha hamalli u njoranti tas-South, u wisq nies ohra li jahsbu li tal-PN kollha ghanjin tal-pepe mic-centru et cetera et cetera.

Sant vs JPO (part 2)

This saga is getting ridiculous.

Part 1: A New Hope?
Part 2: JPO Strikes Back
Part 3: The Return of the JPO
Part 4: The JPO Menace

Stay tuned for "Part 5: The Attack of the Green Politicians" and "Part 6: The Revenge of the Sant"...

Why this farce from JPO? Was Gonzi going to make Mr. "Green Politician of the Year" the new Minister of Environment? If that is so, JPO can probably kiss that position goodbye. Sant exposed JPO's conflict of interest, and all the shenanigans in the world aren't going to change what we know.

I have a question to ask the Broadcasting Authority:

Q.

Is it written in black on white that a person who is contesting the elections cannot attend a press conference, even if he is a registered journalist?

Bugger it, I'm gonna answer myself.

A.

If no, you should have told Alfred Sant to decide whether to hold the press conference or not... up to him.

If yes, you should have never let JPO enter the press conference room. Or at least you should have kicked him out when Sant objected to his presence.

That's all there is to it.

In the words of Jeremy Clarkson, "how hard can it be?"

Sant vs JPO (part 1)

Let met get this out of the way first: Dr. Sant waiting for Dr. Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando to be absent before slinging mud at him is totally spineless. Not worthy of a party leader. Surely not worthy of a Prime Minister.

Dr. Sant has exposed a story featuring Dr. JPO and some land he owns outside the development zone, which he'd like to use for a disco. The application has not been approved yet, unlike Dr. Sant is saying. I don't doubt for a second there is a controversial conflict of interest. However, Dr. Sant is screaming CORRUPTION!

There is a huge difference between a conflict of interest and corruption. Let me use an example to explain this to the feeble-minded... if a member of a non-profit organization that safeguards birds gets an opportunity to make money by selling T-shirts with "STOP HUNTING" written across the front, that is a conflict of interest. As Dr. Sant would put it though, "He's using his reputation as part of that non-profit organization to make loads of money! CORRUPTION! CORRUPTION! CORRUPTION!"

Wrong:

Dictionary.com Unabridged
cor·rup·tion [kuh-ruhp-shuhn] – noun
1. the act of corrupting or state of being corrupt.
2. moral perversion; depravity.
3. perversion of integrity.
4. corrupt or dishonest proceedings.
5. bribery.
6. debasement or alteration, as of language or a text.
7. a debased form of a word.
8. putrefactive decay; rottenness.
9. any corrupting influence or agency.

Had Mepa approved the permit to turn that land into a disco when it shouldn't have (as it did with Caqnu's supermarket), that might have been a case of corruption or favoritism. A side note for the feeble-minded: if a referee helps a football team win a match because he's a fan, that's favoritism. If he gets paid to do that it's corruption. Different words have different meanings. Don't be afraid of dictionaries. Dr. Sant (mis)uses the word "corruption" because that word sells, whereas "conflict of interest" and "favoritism" don't.

With regards to JPO's tears... Crying for such reasons shows weakness, and won't get my vote. If every person whom Sant alleges is corrupt were to start crying, the streets would be flooded.

Read part 2 here.

Illegal Immigration Pre-Elections

The first boatful of illegal immigrants lands in Malta one week before elections, to remind us that nothing has been done to solve this problem. I call it a problem because, according to a recent episode of BondiPlus, 9000 immigrants came to Malta illegally by boat in total; 3000 of them were repatriated. That means the population of malta increased by 1.5%. That's only counting those who came illegally by boat, not counting eastern europeans or asians who outstayed their visas. According to PN and MLP's electoral programmes, nothing will be done about this problem.

When someone from Azzjoni Nazzjonali does so much as call it a "problem", like I have done here, he is immediately labelled a racist by the MLPN-controlled media. That includes TVM, which has just censored an independent candidate's 5 minute speech to the nation. This man had two strikes against him:

1) he mentioned the taboo illegal immigration problem repeatedly

2) he is Norman Lowell.

PBS probably knew it wouldn't televise the speech before it was even recorded. God knows I disagree with Mr. Lowell's solutions and ideologies, but unless his speech (which can be seen here) incites racial hatred, an independent candidate should be allowed those 5 minutes to speak his mind.