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Maltatoday Special Report Maltatoday Special Report maltatoday special report maltatoday special report Straying from the straight and narrow path In the second ment, we read about the prema- narrow path of episode of the how the personal ture downfall of true socialism chronicles which enmity between the Labour Party and had done so record how Dom Mintoff and in government. while trying to Mintoff Alfred Sant Mintoff felt that remain, at least contributed to served as one of the Labour Party in appearance, a the fall of the the main cata- had strayed from traditional social- Labour govern- lysts that brought the straight and ist party . 16 maltatoday Sunday 16 June 2002 maltatoday special report ‘Mintoff is a traitor he is betraying Ma 15 June, House of Representatives 1998 DOM MINTOFF: After I day, nobody told me: Listen had told him that, he told me: you! Today we’re going to dis- "Don’t you trust me?" I replied cuss! Not that I would have that I did not and he asked gone, but I would have sent me why not. I told him: them a letter so that they "Because you were one of would have known what I was those who maintained that the going to do. There is no need cabinet had not done any- for them to put pressure on thing to hurt the small worker me to force me to go to the – I am referring here to the parliamentary group by force. water tariffs – and so I can’t And they never put pressure know what you’re going to do, on me to go. But on that day, and from today on, I’m not neither Joe Mizzi who is the going to trust anybody. I will Whip – He’ll excuse me if I trust only what I can see with don’t refer to him as Minister my eyes and touch with my Joe Mizzi, but I’m not in the hands." And he took offence habit of complimenting my and said: "After all, not you, friends – and if I did call him nor the Prime Minister provide minister its not to pester him, me with a living; I do what is because I’m meant to call him right." If I’m not reporting Parliamentary Secretary, but exactly what we said to each we’re not going to stay split- other, he can correct me. ting hairs between us – and Then I interjected and told nobody even told me that him: "I’m glad you’re telling there was going to be a meet- me this in front of the deputy ing of the Parliamentary leader of the party, because Group to discuss me. As if for me this is a confirmation somebody who wants to jus- that I’m not trying to bribe tice somebody else and is a you." This is what I told him. serious person doesn’t even Now what would somebody tell that person what he’s plan- else do – that day I did not tell ning to do! I am St Sebastian him this, but I’m telling him who gets filled with arrows! I today – It’s not my business. am the victim. But I would not have expect- ed that when I came here in MADAM SPEAKER: Hon- the evening and asked like a ourable Mintoff, I’m still wait- beggar for the motion not to ing for your allegations of a be voted on that evening but breach of privilege. the following day so that we could discuss it, neither one DOM MINTOFF: Yes, I’m side of the house or the other going to continue. (Interrup- the rules, because he has Then who controls it if not he? from the executiv wanted to postpone it. And tions) Is he taking offence at done wrong. That is why he Do I control it? It has become anybody else, be you are witness to this what I’m telling him? He said did not go in front of the his personal property; he is - He wasn’t Madam Speaker. I am saying this, not I! I repeat, Madam board of discipline, because Nobody else commands in against anyone b this because these things are Speaker, nobody told me any- he has committed a sin. He there. It has become his per- wasn’t there; here not in the minutes, meaning thing. But worse than this, he did not come to speak to me sonal property and he is – let’s see if he’s they are not recorded. To went there, told them that he because he has simmed. He helped by Evarist Bartolo. away from these those who were fooled into wanted to resign and asked spoke on television because Everybody knows this. You all went there and to believing that I was in cahoots them if there was somebody he sinned. He did not post- know this and you laugh! So ple: Mintoff is a tr with the other side, I tell them that could take his place. As pone the debate by one day what right did he have to hold betraying Malta a that had they wanted to use if this is the way things should because he had sinned, a meeting in Birgu, in the party. What reas their heads that day, they happen Madam Speaker! because if he had, nothing heart of where I’ll be…And give? That I voted would have noticed that the Even I had resigned but I would have happened. But it don’t you think that I’m afraid party’s programm most obvious thing that gave plenty of time for people wasn’t enough that he did of going to Birgu! I am only this very same pr proves I was not ganging up to reflect and to think. Not this. The following morning afraid that the party is going in this programm with the other side was the frivolously! This is pretence, he held a so called press to break up, but if he wants to Prime Minister, m fact that they did not want to This is make believe. Natural- conference – I don’t know break it let him; I cannot stop whoever spoke u support my proposal to post- ly the Parliamentary Group what kind of police we have him. You are the ones who are we saying tha pone the vote, like I had told him that there was and whether they really want can stop him; you who are going to hire out asked them to. But the gov- nobody to take his place and to see that things are being there and who are telling him; for ninety-nine ye ernment side of the house had I been there, even I done in the proper legal way Destroy, destroy, destroy. there anything tha were so against me and were would have told him the because when you hold a at this in the prog so gullible that not only did same, because I don’t want conference you don’t come But I was not scandalised Are we, perhaps, they not give me a chance to him to resign, but to change equipped for a mass meeting that day because he held a in the programme talk, but, worse than that, they the path he has chosen . And and neither do you call the meeting, I was scandalised party we are sayi did not even tell me that there he knows that he has chosen Super I crew….And the Prime because off his own bat, ple are not going was going to be a meeting of the wrong path. That is why Minister cannot say that he without a mandate from the allowed to go the the parliamentary group! That he is not acting according to does not control Super One. parliamentary group, either they have to get t maltatoday Sunday 16 June 2002 17 maltatoday special report alta and the party’ Calling Mintoff a traitor - the most abysmal statement Sant ever made Former Foreign Minister and a Labour deputy in the 1996-1998 government, Alex Sceberras Trigo- na talked to MaltaToday on the 17 June 2001 and had this to say about the Mintoff-Sant Saga "I told him that during the first two there could have been an alterna- years in government, we had tive. become ‘PN2’," he says. "I’m not "I was recommending a summer for that, since we would end up break, which would have cooled with a military dictatorship. I don’t off heads and enabled us to estab- think that is at all useful for working lish bridges to help sort out wran- people in this country. Labour is gles," he explains. "This would Labour and should remain so." surely have been a better alterna- I am interested in why he tive to taking a massive gamble believes the former Prime Minis- and dashing to the polls." ter’s decision to opt for a prema- He also believes it was unrealistic ture election was unwise, since of Dr Sant to have expected the Sant himself, along with others, party executive to support him on described it at the time as some of his actions during that unavoidable. time of crisis. "We were elected for five years "Calling Mintoff a traitor - the most and I think the party should have abysmal statement Sant ever held fast, rather than risk abdicat- made - and then coming to the ing early," he answers. "We should- executive of the party in the n’t have denied Malta the three- evening and expecting them to and-half years we still had left.
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