A weak and opportunistic Lawrence, an opportunistic and weak Joseph
I tried to understand the significance of the words ‘weak’ and ‘opportunistic’.
I guess we have all been, and at one point will all be, a little bit opportunistic and weak.
For example, how would you describe someone like Joanna Drake? Surely Drake is neither incompetent, nor stupid.
But how would you describe someone who ran the delegation for the European Union in Ta’ Xbiex for four years without leaving any significant mark in the local scene?
If anyone can tell me what function or impact this delegation had, or what role it played in informing or disseminating useful information about the EU, please raise your hands now.
Judging by her sterling transition from PN candidate, to sceptic Nationalist, to IVA chieftain, to MEP candidate, to EU ambassador and now to EU top civil servant, I would say that Joanna Drake is surely not weak, but clearly an opportunist.
Nothing wrong with that but, just like all those who fly off to Brussels – and note my words, ALL – they are motivated by first: by the money, second: by the money, third: by the money, fourth: by the prestige and fifth: by the work.
Surely it cannot be because of the neon-lit rooms; the long boring meetings; the synthetic surroundings; the reams of paper; the sumptuous cholesterol-rich meals or the rain, cold, sleet, humidity and greyness of unsightly Brussels.
If one can talk of opportunists or weak people, another person that springs to mind is Dominic Fenech. I was once accused by a certain Bondi (of all people) that I was in cahoots with Dominic Fenech when Fenech was a member of the editorial board at PBS (appointed to the board, needless to say, because at the time he was not exactly an Alfred Sant fan).
The former was of course gallivanting in Canada when lesser mortals were fighting Dominic Fenech as secretary general of the Malta Labour Party, when that party was run like a brigade of brownshirts.
Well, Dr Fenech, who on the other hand is a fine and diligent historian, wrote this week that he understands the move by Joseph Muscat to remove the position of secretary-general. The buzzword used repeatedly here is progressive. As if being progressive means positive or forward-looking.
Well, I can understand that in this very particular episode we have a combination of weak and opportunistic. On one hand, we have a weak Dominic Fenech who does not have the metaphorical balls to stand up and criticise the Labour party for this opportunistic stand; and on the other, we have an attempt by Fenech (who, it has to be said, had captained George Abela’s leadership bid for the Labour party and is a very close friend of Lino Spiteri) to gain some brownie points from Muscat by uttering this peculiarity for the abolition of the post.
Which of course brings me to the real point of this convoluted opinion column.
Last Friday, Parliament decided to pass a legal provision which gives the right to people under arrest to consult a lawyer prior to police interrogation.
The legal notice was not planned and it was opposed to by Police Commissioner John Rizzo – as stated very clearly when replying to an opinion column penned by former PN minister Michael Falzon.
So strong was this opposition, that Home Affairs minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici never agreed to the idea of having a lawyer present during interrogation. Indeed, there was no sign that it was to be discussed in parliament at any stage.
Now somewhere in this long saga, enter PN maverick Franco Debono, the young lawyer who has made it his mission to be the centre of attention in the political arena. He has stated that his bone of contention with the Prime Minister is that backbenchers are ignored and are not involved.
And in a clear reaction to this complaint, the Prime Minister appears to have taken concrete steps to appease Franco Debono and ram his demand for this legal provision down Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici’s throat.
Carmelo is not amused.
In the meantime, Joseph Muscat realises that Franco Debono is explosive material and tries to steal the show by moving a surprise motion to allow detainees to consult a lawyer before they are interrogated by the police.
Joseph is trying to steal the show and create a ‘situation’. Now it is up to the Prime Minister to decide what to do. So to avoid having a motion discussed and dirty linen hung for everyone to see, the PM jumps the gun and simply moves the legal amendment in parliament to upstage Labour.
What a bloody mess. Both political leaders have turned parliament into a partisan playing ground to suit their needs and play power games.
This is not the first time we have seen the Prime Minister changing tack on a decision. The case of the extension of St John’s co-Cathedral is probably a good example of the PM’s reluctance to ruffle feathers – this time with Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Robert Arrigo.
But I have a feeling that what we interpret or read as opportunism is really weakness, or vice-versa, or a little bit of both.
Gonzi gets rid of Dalli by sending him as Commissioner to Brussels. He thinks that, in this way, Dalli is out of the way and definitely not a threat to his leadership... I am not quite sure about that.
Similarly Muscat gets rid of Jason Micallef by exiling him to Super One. He believes that he has broken his political resolve and removed his former friend from his centre stage... I am not quite sure about this either.
Gonzi and Muscat are strangely becoming more and more similar… to be fair to Gonzi, Muscat is becoming more of a Gonzi.
Both are keen on removing all opposition in order to keep their power base intact. Both leaders are motivated by a pragmatism that is based largely on democratic deficiency. Both leaders abhor a democratic structure around them, and both are surrounded by a gang of wise men.
In Muscat’s case it is Mario Vella, Paul Lia and Keith Schembri.
In Gonzi’s case it is Edgar Galea Curmi, Tonio Fenech and George Pullicino.
The parallels are dark and the revelations frightening, perhaps as dark and frightening as the north-east Gregale that is hitting the island at this very moment!
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