Who is aiming to be top dog at the PN?

Browsing the Internet, I saw that despite the awful heat, people are still very interested in the current spate of political shenanigans. On 24 June, I commented that I shall have to reach out for a bucket if I see yet another photo of Franco Debono. Now it is Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando’s turn to turn my stomach over. Although it must be said, JPO is better looking. But as they say, looks are not everything. JPO might do well in that department, but when it comes to credibility he loses out to Franco. Despite his blundering, the latter has not yet quite reached JPO’s level of amateur dramatics. We have not seen any crocodile tears from Franco, yet. His calls for reforms were genuine and needed. He just handled the political manoeuvring rather badly, demonstrating incredible naivety coupled with an inflated ego. He must be panicking now, since, I believe, his thinking was that people disenchanted with the current administration, but who do not favour Labour, would vote for him as the PN saviour and he would have reached his objective. The PN executive has scuppered that. The latter had a tough decision to make, particularly with regard to two of the barred from standing under the PN banner at the next election, since they can cause havoc in this legislature. JPO is creating confusion over Richard Cachia Caruana and will no doubt not stop there (although he had announced he would not be standing at the next election, the executive obviously did not believe him. Besides, he has been sleeping with the enemy − his partner is a Labour activist) and FD is claiming he did not know what he would do in Parliament, although it would be difficult to support the government, a step further. Meanwhile, as much as JPO lost all credibility with me since the Mistra saga and I am sceptical about his current allegations, it is disgraceful and unacceptable that his family is being threatened. “We have four children in our household and this is not an easy time for us. Nothing can justify what we are being put through,” he said. He is right in saying that if people wanted him expelled from the party for exercising his democratic right in Parliament; they should do so without resorting to vile, bullying tactics. It is ironic that it is the Labour Party that is providing the family of a Nationalist MP with round-the-clock private security and that one of the claims he is making against RCC is that pressure was applied on a new Labour administration to continue providing him with police protection after he was nearly killed in a murder attempt. It is the allegations that RCC “tried to exert, via a high-ranking member of the 1996-1998 Labour administration, pressure on Hon. Mizzi, then Minister of the Interior, to replace the head of the Security Services for personal reasons”. And that “Mr Mizzi has implicated Mr Cachia Caruana in alleged interference with the course of justice in relation to a cocaine party organised by individuals who were close to Mr Cachia Caruana,” that need to be substantiated. Now for the gist of my heading, seeing as Franco Debono’s hopes have been dashed. The list of the new candidates who will be seeking election under the PN banner held few surprises. So far only three women’s names have appeared − Dolores Christina, Therese Comodini Cachia and Caroline Galea. I am sure that Giovanna will be back, but until the PN decide to apply gender quotas, women will still be under represented in that camp at least. As for the men, the rising PN stars are Chris Said, Beppe Fenech Adami and David Agius. Carm Mifsud Bonnici will be back, but I doubt that Alexiei Dingli will get there. As Valletta mayor he has failed the residents, especially the elderly, badly putting commercial and his party ambitions first. As for Manuel Delia, if his Arriva grand fiasco does not hold him back, the electorate truly deserve any bad decisions a government will dish out. It will be interesting to see if old stalwarts Francis Zammit Dimech and Censu Galea get back in and if cardiac surgeon Prof. Albert Fenech makes any leeway in politics. Now for a different kind of current climate and real dogs. The weather is kind of hot and beaches and even more the sea are both places we humans need in a heat wave. We are lucky to have clean seas and so far, at least where I swim, no jellyfish. But recently people started arriving with their dogs and although I don’t mind dogs, I don’t like swimming with them. I also don’t like being sprayed by a dog shaking itself dry or having my clothes sprayed, and that could also be a smelly kind of water. Now, the least dog owners can do is ensure that their dog is on a lead and that they station themselves at a reasonable distance from other people’s towels and clothes. But of course some are completely oblivious that their beloved pets are not accepted as a family member by everyone on the beach. It is not a relaxing swim when one has to keep an eye on a roaming dog on the beach to see that it does not decide to pee on your towel. I remember reading about a new law on dogs and beaches and I also recall the outcry by many dog owners, but by no means all. There was also a warning about the health risks posed by dog faeces by the Minister of Health no less, which landed him with some prize comments, some appropriate, especially those referring to pigeons and horse dung in Valletta (the road to Marsamxetto, Triq L-Assedju L-Kbir, should be renamed “Horse Shit Street”). However, whatever his failings, he was right about dogs on beaches so he should take action and ensure the law is being enforced. Published in the Malta Independent on Sunday July 15, 2012