Updated - Debono views PM's appeal as 'belated and hollow'

Updated - adds comments

Franco Debono said today that the Prime Minister's appeal for personal attacks to stop was 'belated and hollow'.

The MP was reacting to the appeal made yesterday by Dr Gonzi, who urged his supporters to stop to personal attacks, insisting that the PN respected the democratic game and everyone's individual dignity.

"A prime minister, rather than making such belated and hollow statements, should ensure that adequate laws are in place which while ensuring freedom of expression, also ensure respect for the dignity and reputation of the person, something which is considered as an extension of the physical person," Dr Debono told timesofmalta.com.

"Clearly in this country, this has not been done, notwithstanding repeated calls from various people including myself.

"The declaration is surely not motivated by any compassion towards the victim or victims of the attacks, but rather driven by convenience and self-defence due to the disgust expressed by society at large towards declarations made by people close to the prime minister.

"He is not defending me, he is defending himself".

"In such a situation the prime minister's calls are basically meaningless and this is another area of responsibility which the prime minister must shoulder."

He added that the prime minister was actually not in a position to condemn because the situation was a result of his failure to reform the archaic libel laws and the outdated Broadcasting Authority Act which led to a public broadcasting system which left much to be desired, and party broadcasting stations. It was better, he said, if Malta had  better public broadcasting, and political parties got rid of their stations. Such stations made sense in the early 1990s but not today.

"The prime minister should not blame the people for his failures."

On Friday, Dr Debono said he is the victim of a bad political system but it was society as a whole, which was the victim, not just himself.

NO DEVELOPMENTS

Dr Debono, who has warned he will vote against the government in a confidence vote, said there have been no developments in his impasse with the government or the PN. He acknowledged that there have been contacts' but gave no further details.

He said that the current situation exposed a government consisting of people who were ready to jeopardise the whole government instead of assuming political responsibilities in accordance with established and accepted political practices in western parliamentary democracies.

"Who shouldered responsibility for the situation in the prisons and the fact that reform is still on paper? Who shouldered responsibility and resigned for the fact that probably all police statements prior to 2010 are in breach of fundamental human rights?

"Who shouldered responsibility for the situation in the law courts?

"Who shouldered responsibility for the fact that we had an acting director in the prisons for three whole years? Who shouldered responsibility for the fact that a police union is still on paper in 2012 and the police are still without a union?"

Dr Debono also asked shouldered responsibility and resigned for the fact that the setting up of a system of mandatory arbitration has been ruled by the court to be unconstitutional and in breach of fundamental human rights.

"Where is our legal system heading? Why does no one shoulder responsibility and resign?"

Dr Debono said a prime minister's discretion in a democracy was very different from the absolute power of the medieval kings, and this distinction should be clear to all. Prime Ministerial decision and discretion  had to be understood within a whole constitutional set-up and where discretion existed, it should be exercised responsibly.

"This is especially the case where the parliamentary group is just 35 individuals in a small parliament in a small country where the  leader should see that team spirit prevails especially from those who have the power to decide and implement, Dr Debono said, saying he was referring to the front bench.

"As far as I know the doctrine of the divine rights of kings had been replaced by parliamentary democracy and government for the people by the people not by the king and his clique."

"A prime minister should not be in a position, through his decisions, to be held hostage by some cliques. He should neither favour his ministers nor fear his backbench.

"Even those lurking behind the scenes, maybe for far too long, giving wrong advice to the prime minister, should show their faces and assume their responsibilities," Dr Debono said.

Meanwhile, no announcement has been made on a petition circulating in Dr Debono's district, calling for his resignation from Parliament. The petition is said to have collected some 3,000 signatures. There are just under 25,500 registered voters on the fifth district.