Functionless presidency?

As a legally lay person with no knowledge of our constitution I found lawyer Victor Zammit’s article (Presidency and the constitution, February 18) most interesting, particularly so two points, that “we follow the Westminster model”, and “to rid the presidency of the ceremonial myth and for the president to walk the talk”.

The Throne Room at the President’s Palace in Valletta. Photo: Shutterstock.com

Readers will excuse my perhaps wrong impression that our presidents have in fact shown no real executive action when we’ve had serious political or rule of law problems. 

Secondly, we do not really follow the Westminster model, because the UK monarch is politically independent while our president is a former politician.

Perhaps one constitutional reform should be that politicians are not eligible for the presidency – politics in Malta is too partisan and riddled with nepotism for an ex-politician president to have a truly independent mentality that executively favours the common good above political party loyalty. Because the presidency is hobbled by its political baggage, in serious governance crisis it tends to do nothing.

Albert Cilia-Vincenti – Attard

A real-life off-Broadway star

Having read and re-read the story about Jean Claude Micallef multiple times, I came to the inescapable conclusion that the “maligned” Micallef, is a newspaper character, written in the journalistic style of the famous journalist Damon Runyon.

Examples of style:

1 “Everyone will pay for what they tried to do to me.

2. “Instead of pulling the same rope to move ahead, they tried to cast me in the bad light.

3. “Micallef implied that he was being framed.

4. “Instead of using their talents to do good, some of my colleagues in the media contribute to sour grapes. I will not be subject to ridicule.”

While most in Malta have no idea who the late Runyon was, safe to say he was the ultimate journalistic character out of New York City.

Sportswriter, racing aficionado, friend of Broadway stars and shady characters, he knew them all, and wrote about them in the same way that Micallef describes those out to get him. His style was earthy, evoking the common man and woman, colourful language and all.

Here are a few of his memorable lines; and you will see why I made the connection.

“Life is tough, and really tough when you are stupid.”

“The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that’s the way to bet.”

“I came to the conclusion long ago that all life is six to five against.”

“Always try to rub up against money, for if you rub up against money long enough, some of it may rub off on you.”

“Damon Runyon. A day-coach boy in a parlour seat.”

OK Times of Malta, fess up to it!

Alan Zelt – Naxxar

Artful dodgers

The prime minister’s and his fellow Labour MPs’ evasive responses remind me of a scene in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

The politician Polonius, who has declared that “Brevity is the soul of wit”, continues to enlarge upon Hamlet’s supposed madness.

The impatient queen dryly demands: “More matter with less art”.

John Guillaumier – St Julian’s