Ftit aktar minn għaxar snin ilu, waqt il-kampanja elettorali tal-2008, sħabi lumuni li ħallejt għal tard wisq l-iskandlu tal-abbuż lampanti li kien qed jikkommetti d-deputat dak iż-żmien PN Pullicino Orland fil-Mistra. X’aktarx ma kienx se jkun hemm żmien biżżejjed biex in-nies tagħraf is-serjetà tal-biċċa, wissewni.
Biss iddeċidejt li nieħu r-riskju għax qabel intellqu l-akkużi, ridt li jsiru r-riċerki kollha possibbli ħalli nkunu mija fil-mija ċerti milli qed ngħidu. Fin-nofs kien hemm ir-reputazzjoni ta’ persuna li sa dak il-mument kont qiestha kapaċi u integra. Mill-Oppożizzjoni trid tkun sod, sod ħafna, imma wkoll prudenti u kawt.
Fil-każ tal-Egrant, l-aqwa dnub tal-Kap tal-Oppożizzjoni ta’ sena ilu kien li ħalla l-preġudizzji ta’ dawk li fada u lill-istess xewqatu jiġru bih. Reġa’ bena kollox fuq gidba, bħalma l-PN għamel fil-każ ta’ Pullicino Orland. Did-darba, minflok rebaħ, il-PN ikkraxxja bil-kbir.
Doppjament, għax tilef l-elezzjoni tal-2017 u llum intwera li bena programm politiku fuq frodi.
***
XOGĦLIJIET FIS-SAJF
Mingħalija li jinżamm moratorium fis-sajf fuq xogħlijiet publiċi fit-toroq ta’ inħawi li huma turistiċi: ix-xogħlijiet jieqfu. Għadu jeżisti jew le?
Għax milli nara, jekk jeżisti, qed jiġi injorat bil-kbir.
Toroq jingħalqu ta’ spiss, inġenji jibilgħu l-kantunieri, torbien u binjiet ta’ injam u kanen jiddeffsu fit-toroq u l-pjazez.
M’għandix dubju li l-kwalità ta’ vaganza fis-sajf Malti tinsab sejra lura. Inħossu l-effett ta’ hekk meta uħud mill-kompetituri tagħna fil-Mediterran, mhux l-anqas it-Turkija u t-Tuneżija, jirpiljaw.
***
BREXIT
L-inkwiet dwar li n-negozjati fuq il-Brexit mhumiex se jitlestew b’wiċċ il-ġid qed jiżdied. Min-naħa Brittanika, l-inċertezzi żdiedu mhux naqsu matul ix-xhur. L-ispekulazzjoni li l-gvern ta’ Theresa May m’għandux ħajja twil tqawwiet.
Waqt li hemm kurrenti fir-Renju Unit favur li l-pajjiż joħroġ mill-Unjoni bla ftehim, minn Brussell u kapitali ta’ pajjiżi kontinentali, din il-possibiltà qed tittieħed b’serjetà dejjem akbar. Il-Kummissjoni Ewropea f’dokument li ppublikat ġimgħa ilu, daħlet fil-fond ta’ kif għandhom jitmexxew l-affarijiet jekk ma jintlaħaqx ftehim u r-Renju Unit jaqbad u jitlaq. Il-ministru l-ġdid Brittaniku nkarigat min-negozjati reġa’sostna (kif ilu ma jsir) li mingħajr ftehim sodisfaċenti, r-Renju Unit ma jkollux għalfejn iħallas il-fondi li jkunu baqgħu pendenti mis-sħubija.
Ftehim għandu jinstab malajr kemm jista’ jkun (Ottubru ta’ dis-sena kien ix-xahar li ssemma) sabiex il-Brexit jitwettaq sa Marzu tas-sena d-dieħla. Ħafna jaraw li dal-kalendarju ma jistax jintlaħaq.
Ħaġa li ma tissemmiex wisq, imma li tidhirli naturali hi din: jekk il-pajjiżi membri kollha jaqblu, t-terminu għaż-żmien biex jintlaħaq ftehim jista’ jittawwal. Għaliex le?
English Version – Hard with caution
A little more than ten years ago, during the 2008 election campaign, my comrades chided me for having left till too late to open up the scandal about the incredible abuses that was were being committed at Mistra Bay by then PN MP Pullicino Orland. Probably not enough time would be left for people to comprehend how serious the whole matter was, they felt.
Still, I decided to take that risk. Before launching the Mistra claims, I wanted to carry out all the necessary researches to ensure hundred per cent that we were on the right track. Being targeted was the reputation of a person who in my view, up to that point, had shown ability and integrity. From the Opposition, one needs to be hard, very hard, but then also prudent and cautious.
In the Egrant case last year, the worst sin of the then Opposition leader was that he let the prejudices of those he trusted as well as his own wishes, overrule everything else. Once again, he built his claims on a lie, like the PN had done in the Pullicino Orlando affair. This time, the PN did not win, but crashed very badly.
On two counts, because losing the 2017 election it has also been shown up as having again launched its political agenda on the basis of fraud.
***
Construction works in summer
I believed that a summer moratorium is inforce on construction works being publicly carried out in the streets of touristic locations: such works were to be kept on hold. Is this still in existence or not?
From what I can see, even if the moratorium still exists, it is being ignored on a big scale.
Frequent closures of residential streets, construction machines that occupy strategic corners, dust and scaffoldings made of wood and steel pipes infiltrating roads and dowtown squares, all these have become part of the scenery.
There can be no doubt that the quality of a holiday in the Maltese summer is deteriorating. We will get the blowback when our Mediterranean competitors, chief of which Turkey and Tunisia, recover.
***
Brexit
Anxiety is on the up regarding the possibility that the Brexit negotiations will not end with some agreement. On the British side, uncertainties have grown over the months, not declined. Speculation that the Theresa May government is in its death throes has continued to spread.
While in the UK, political currents have emerged that would like to see the UK exit the Union without any agreement, in Brussels and other continental capitals, that possible outcome is being taken more and more seriously. In a document it published last week the European Commission went quite deeply into the repercussions of how things would pan out were no agreement to be reached and the UK would just depart. The new British minister in charge of the exit negotiations again emphasized (something which had not been done for a while) that without a satisfactory agremeent, the UK would not be bound to pay the funds left pending to its debit under membership conditions.
An agreement needs to be found as soon as can be (this October was the month indicated) for Brexit to come on stream by March of next year. Many believe that this milestone cannot be reached.
One point that is rarely mentioned but which seems commonsensical goes as follows: if all member countries agree, the time set for an agreement to be reached could be extended. Indeed, why not?
Post a comment