So Gonzipn feels like being generous and conceding that for the time being the Hon. Carmelo Abela is to continue carrying out his functions as Deputy Speaker. But there is a catch. This generosity is dependent upon the new MLP leadership's agreement to grant this government pairing, otherwise Dr. Gonzi expects Mr. Abela to resign. How cheeky! Where I Mr. Abela, I would not even contemplate accepting this largely ceremonial role as of now. Where I the MLP, I would loose no time in telling Dr. Gonzi to stop this endless whining about pairing. If this government wants the opposition's co-operation, it must earn it, and let's face it so far things are not looking very rosy on that front. Let us not forget either that back in 1996, when the MLP also had a one-seat majoirity in the House, although having obtained an absolute majority of some 8000 votes, the Nationalist opposition, amongst which was Dr. Gonzi as General Secretary of the PN, did not grant pairing to the Labour Government, so why should it expect the MLP to treat it any differently now?
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3 comments:
First of all, welcome to the blogosphere.
Secondly, you have already got one historical fact wrong. There was a pairing agreement in 1996 which fell through the following year thanks to a silly interpretation by Madame Speaker of what was agreed between the Parties.
Fausto majistral, Madame Speaker and her rulings have nothing to do with the pairing issue. Pairing is an agreement reached between the political parties represented in Parliament. It is, if you want, a gentleman's agreement, that is not government by any of the formal rules of procedure. The fact remains that the PN opposition, when it deemed it to suit its interests, withdrew its agreement to pairing. My point is that now that it is the PN that is enjoying a one seat majority in the house, it should not expect the MLP to act any differently that it did back in 1997-1998.
Pairing was withdrawn because Labour decided to do the dishonourable thing, and drag Eddie Fenech Adami out of his sick bed against doctor's orders at serious risk to his health. So in fact it was the MLP in government who first withdrew pairing. Madame Speaker's ruling comes into it because she turned down the PN's request.
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