The days Dom Mintoff roared and Alfred Sant trembled maltatoday special report maltatoday special report It was a sultry We watched really going to go slowly set out to June four years breathlessly as the so far as to pull the demonstrate with ago. The tension little man spoke rug from under devastating clarity, of the World Cup carefully, deliber- their feet. Then, that nobody, but only served to add ately, ever-playing sensing a rising air nobody, tried to to the heat. All his audience to of expectant buoy- sideline Dom and ears were glued to derive maximum ancy from the side put him out to pas- their radio sets, lis- impact from every of the foe, he ture and got away tening to the syllable uttered. would deftly turn with. games. All ears? He knew – we all what he had just With the passing One might ask. knew - that this said on its head days, it began to Surely you was his last and deflate the transpire that per- meant…? No. All moment of glory. enemy, causing haps, the grand old our eyes were Slowly, unswerv- everyone to lick patriarch of Mal- glued to the local ingly, he plodded their dry lips as the tese politics was, national TV radio on in that inim- uncertainty started Samson-like, actu- station, where a 83 itable style of his. to mount, for the ally going to pull year-old man once First he would umpteenth time, down the temple again held the tease his side, from square one. about his head, nation in his iron making them doubt Everyone was held burying his ex-col- grasp. whether he was in thrall as he leagues with him. 16 maltatoday Sunday 09 June 2002 maltatoday special report The day Dom Mintoff competed with 15 June, House of Representatives 1998 DOM MINTOFF: Madam he was following what was Here I would like to make a Speaker, I would like to raise mentioned in the electoral small parenthesis because I a breach of privilege. I shall programme and whether he have been accused of not quote legal sources was following party princi- something which they know because it is up to your dis- ples, not to see if the party is not true. I have been tinguished office to check if wanted him removed from accused of having gone there has been a prima facie the post of prime minister. abroad on purpose so that breach of privilege. He did not do this and acted when it came to voting for a I am raising a breach of as if nothing had happened. bill over a loan of 20 million privilege against the Prime liri, I wouldn’t be here to vote Minister Alfred Sant who, Now what did I say in and therefore constrained over the last eight days has November? I said that this you, Madam Speaker, to done everything, including was not a budget that did vote in my stead. This is a threaten me, so that when I credit to the Socialist Party blatant lie. Whoever said came here, not only would I and that it was not true that it this is a liar. And if it was the not vote against the motion – was not going to affect the Prime Minister who said this, and this he had the right to small worker adversely. But then he is a liar as well. do. But that I would resign. the Prime Minister as well as Why? Before I went abroad, This is something that has the ministers - since they I told the Whip to be careful. never happened before in chose to go along with him - I told him: "You left me here the history of democratic used to deny the veracity of on Friday the whole day long parliaments in Europe or the what I was saying. Later on stand-by for nothing world. It has never been that they admitted that the small because you told me there a prime minister gathers all worker was going to be was going to be a vote of his strength, including the affected and they spent confidence in the govern- police force and all he has in months negotiating with the ment. Now are you sure that a district and threatens to two unions and in fact some this vote is not going to hap- resign, and even scares amendments were made. pen on Monday or Tuesday? people if a member of parlia- But they did not only carry Because I’m not likely to be ment does not vote as he out amendments which were here." And he told me: "You wishes. If this does not con- going to influence only the can go." And then, on my stitute breach of privilege, small workers, but also the return nobody attacked me then this house has hotels. I’m saying this or told me: How dare you go absolutely no privileges. If because the Prime Minister abroad when there is a that is how things stand, hardened his head and did money vote? As I said, I then privileges have come to not allow me to speak and thought the opposite was an end. were it not for the opposition true. I knew that there was that gave me a chance, I not going to be a money Now let me continue to would not have been able to vote, not that there was expand this argument, so speak. I am referring to going to be a money vote. that everyone will know why when this issue cropped up When I saw the Whip, I told I’m raising a breach of privi- for the first time. Now one him: "What is this story?" he lege. What was the prime would imagine that from that told me: "Don't worry about minister’s theory? What was time till now, something it, we've arranged the mat- his justification in perpetrat- would have happened, but ter." This is what happened. ing this act, the likes of neither the Prime Minister, But let me go on about the which has never been seen nor his ministers tried to con- Cottonera episode. in Europe. His justification sult me regarding anything. was that I had been hamper- What I am saying – this is I have to admit that I am ing him for a long time. He important as background - is sick a lot of the time and that said that I had been interfer- that I was never consulted I am not always in a position ing since the last election about anything, especially to follow affairs. I never and not only since this issue when it came to the Cotton- acted as if I were not ill. In not talk about this to any- Did I do wrong because I regarding Cottonera arose. era project. But in spite of fact I tell everyone not to body, not to Gonzi, not to de spoke to them about He did not say, however, that this and in spite of the fact depend on me, because my Marco, even though had I divorce? To those who have he, as head of the party, that they used to do every- health fluctuates from day to spoken to them, it would condemned me without lis- when he convened the gen- thing to try and avoid me. day. But when I'm healthy have been perfectly within tening to me - I am referring eral assembly, could have here I’m not going to men- let nobody think that they my right. Since when do I to all the members of Parlia- hauled me in front of the tion what they did to annoy can use me to work against not have the right to speak ment - I ask: board of discipline to inquire me personally to force me to the party and the nation. At with other members of Par- "Do I have the right to do whether or not I had broken either tow the line or else this point in time I'm healthy, liament to seek their opinion this or not" Did I break any- the disciplinary code of the leave Parliament. I will refer but I don't know what I'm about things that have to do body's code of discipline by party. He had a legal right, a to this at a later date so that going to be like tomorrow with Parliament? Since doing this? Those that are democratic right and the I won’t mix what is personal morning, like anybody else. when has the right been hearing this now deserve to right conferred by the party with affairs that have to do Let me repeat, I did not taken away that somebody blush! to do this. But what did he with the nation, but if they know anything about the from this side speaks to do instead? He went on and dare me to I will mention it as Cottonera project, I knew somebody from the other I reiterate, Madam Speaker, said during the conference: well. absolutely nothing, and side of the House? And this that until Friday I knew noth- "Give me a vote of confi- when I read about the is no plotting; I did not speak ing and I called the deputy dence," and expected that I Madam Speaker, I knew of amendments that were pre- to them because there was leader, as I was bound to. who did not give a vote of no nothing, but I remained sented by the Nationalist no time, because there was Were it true that I wanted to confidence against him, but watchful and when I saw Party and when I saw that no need to speak and start trouble in the party and had only told him that what things that went against the what they were saying was because I did not want to that I wanted to topple the he was doing went against interests of the nation, true, I did not come here and involve them and not government, as they are the fundamental principle of against the interests of the inform all of Malta through because I was going to do saying, I would not have the party, that it is not in the party, against the pro- the television that the any wrong by speaking to called anyone - I know how party manifesto nor in any- gramme, against everything, Nationalist Party was right, them about these matters.