-an OD of Love-

Tuesday, 11th March 2008 - 18:10CET Gonzi makes triumphant return to Castille Lawrence Gonzi made a triumphant return to the Auberge de Castille this afternoon after having been sworn in for his second term as Prime Minister a few minutes earlier. He arrived outside the Office of the Prime Minister amid cheers by a large crowd which had been waiting in a cold wind as he walked slowly from the Palace, greeting hundreds of supporters who lined the street. Dr and Mrs Gonzi arrived at the top of the stairs outside Castille at 6 p.m. and stopped to take a picture with their family before entering the building. Waiting inside were the newly-elected Nationalist MPs and the staff of the Office of the Prime Minister. Dr Gonzi and Mrs Gonzi appeared in the building's central window within a few minutes, throwing the crowd into fresh cheers as they waved from a rostrum which enabled them to stand on the window in full view of the people who blared horns, waved...

Tuesday, 11th March 2008 - 16:45CET Gonzi sworn in as celebrations continue Lawrence Gonzi has been sworn in as Prime Minister by President Eddie Fenech Adami in the Palace, bringing to a close a five week process which started in the same building where Dr Gonzi advised the President to dissolve Parliament and call the general election. The short ceremony took place as a crowd of Nationalist Party supporters waited quietly outside, waving Maltese, EU and PN flags. The fact that the ceremony was delayed to today meant that the crowd was smaller than is usually the case, with many having returned to work after the "election weekend". The oath of office read: “I, Lawrence Gonzi, solemnly swear that I will faithfully and conscientiously perform my duties as Prime Minister in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of Malta, without fear or favour, So help me God.” Dr Gonzi then read the oath of allegiance: "I Lawrence Gonzi, solemnly swe...

Monday, 10th March 2008 - 13:10CET Gonzi calls for calm, good natured celebrations Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has made his first public appearance since the Nationalist Party declared its election victory yesterday. He appeared on the balcony of the newly-built PN headquarters to acknowledge the cheers and applause of hundreds of supporters who crammed the square in front of the headquarters. A banner hanging from the balcony carried Dr Gonzi’s picture and “Grazzi” (thank you). Dr Gonzi was accompanied by his wife Kate and their children, deputy leader Tonio Borg and general secretary Joe Saliba. Many supporters had earlier made their way to Valletta where they expected Dr Gonzi to be sworn in, but the ceremony was put off when it was decided that since the PN had not won an absolute majority of votes, the swearing-in ceremony should follow the completion of the vote-counting process. In a few comments, Dr Gonzi thanked the people, saying he especial...

Monday, 10th March 2008 - 13:49CET Gonzi reacts to Sant's resignation Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in a first reaction to Alfred Sant's resignation, has thanked the MLP leader for the energy he put into the service of the country. Speaking to reporters at PN headquarters, Dr Gonzi said Dr Sant and himself had a relationship of mutual respect, and he regarded Dr Sant as a worthy political adversary. He wished him well. Replying to questions, Dr Gonzi said it was too early for him to comment on the formation of the Cabinet, but the priorities of the new government would be to build on the success achieved over the past few years. An "exciting adventure" lay ahead for Malta, he said. Dr Gonzi made it a point to thank his parents. He said his father had suffered a cold but was now fine. (There had been speculation that he was in hospital).

Monday, 10th March 2008 - 11:23CET Alfred Sant resigns with immediate effect In a press conference , Alfred Sant has submitted his "irrevocable" resignation from MLP leader. Alfred Sant thanked all those who helped throughout the Labour campaign. He said Lawrence Gonzi has a big responsibility, since this is one country and nobody should be discriminated against. When asked his opinion about the electoral defeat, he said that the factor of 'power of incumbency' was present. Sant added that for the time being he will remain a Member of Parliament, until further discussions with the new Labour leader.

Monday, 10th March 2008 - 03:28 Labour concedes election defeat The Labour Party has conceded electoral defeat, PN general secretary Joe Saliba said. He said at the counting hall in Naxxar that after all figures were confirmed, the party had contacted him to concede the election. The difference between the parties was of 1,500 votes.

PN WINS jubilation, time to celebrate...

Posted 21:37: The PN has won by a relative majority and will be have more seat than the MLP which in fact won a majority of seats. Posted 21:25 : PN win election 2008 by slimmest of margins Joe Saliba announces that the PN won the election by 1,200 votes. Posted 21.12: First count votes 6th District Mlp Charles Mangion 3845 Posted: 21.10: F irst count votes: 8th District MLP John Buttigieg 22 5th District Silvio Izzi Savona 551 4th District Karl Chircop 4371 Posted 20:58: First count votes 5th District AD Patrick Attard 224 AN Anthorny Mercieca 96 MLP Joe Farrugia 821 MLP Farrugia Migneco Ancel 264 6th District Gavin Gulia 290 8th District AD Mario Mallia 75 AD Harry Vassallo 313 Posted 20:55: Roderick Galdes (MLP) obtained 1634 first-count votes on the Sixth Electoral District Posted 20:54: Speaking to journalists, PN deputy leader Tonio Borg urged caution. None of the parties will make an official declaration before the first count ends and the votes are counted. He said this urge ...

but the maltese people are still waiting and in the meantime I have become the unhappy uncle of three sheepish 'lion cubs'

and WAITING... and WAITING... and WAITING... and WAITING... and WAITING... and WAITING... and WAITING... and WAITING... for some news... for the last 14 hours... in the meantime, I’ve run out of fingernails to bite and I ate every chocolate bar in the house and drank gallons of coffee. My neighbour son is giving birth to 'lion cubs'(sheepish ones:)).

Thanks to Jacques Zammit the following is a poem by Antoine Cassar JUM IR-RIFLESSJONI Għada l-elezzjoni… Jiena, Malti ta’ barra u barrani ta’ ġewwa, wara nofs ħajja f’eżilju bl-addoċċ nissindika mill-bogħod, jirriżulta li għada se nixħet għall-ewwel darba l-vot. Jum ir-riflessjoni… Passiġġata fil-Belt, qassata, ir-rassa tan-nies, paqqa wara paqqa, nieqaf ħa nieħu nifs fejn it-teatru mwaqqa’ biex bilqiegħda il-kummiedja nosserva. Tant tgħallimt u tħawwadt mit-tagħjir u l-għajat bla għadd li ħsiebi rabba s-sura ta’ qrun iċ-ċerva… waqt li f’qorrigħat in-nies nissemma’ bejn il-partiti jissokta t-tpartit ta’ semm is-suppervja. Mur semma’ leħnek f’nofs dil-ħerba, frattarija u ċaqċiq! Għada nivvota nixtieq… Nivvota nixtieq, f’pajjiż fejn l-ilsna klubija ma jaħlux ta’ kuljum ir-riq isewdu t-triq bi mxija li minnha ħadd ma jfiq… Nivvota nixtieq, f’pajjiż fejn il-blu jfisser baħar u sema u xejn iżjed minn baħar u sema, fejn l-aħmar ma jfissirx dmija, fejn fil-kamra ta’ l-imtallgħa darba, darbtej...

thanks to Jacques Zammit

What can be held in a name? Name, a word of strangely combined letters it’s a call with the mysterious groups of letters. an allowance to rule our life. It yells out 'kill kill' the other guy, whose name is different It yells to 'separate' the other guy, don’t we have the same red blood But those letters were always the same... Always the same as the blood in our nerves But the order was somehow strange... as strange as the letters that make our names. We always failed to look in depth, to see the same letters everywhere but we are only seeing the differences and we are still quarrelling for some simple stupid orders . . .

Dear nationalist party candidate for the 1 st district, I still feel disappointed after 15 years and 4 general elections and one of the thing that let me down most is that no one ever took the time to hear my story and since this is free press here is my contemplation of the so many times that I was stupid enough to keep voting you even if your party kept cheating me. I always held tourism at heart and I still do so when I got my qualifications I looked forward to join what those days was the 4 year full time Diploma in Higher Hotel Management at the Institute of Tourism Studies, which had to lead to a degree at the Malta University. Funnily enough when your party went back to power this course change to a 2 year course leading to just a simple certificate. I worked in all departments of the catering business and I worked in positions where whenever I could I promote the Maltese islands, then again in 1996 I voted for you even if I had to register for the vat when I only used to try ...

It was not to be a normal campaign for the youngest and one of the most talented women in Maltese parliament. She is not only one of the few women in parliament, but she is also Gozitan, young, as well as a married practicing lawyer, added to all that, she was eight months pregnant when the Prime Minister decided to call it a day on the previous legislature and kick off an electoral campaign. “It was different than five years ago when I first contested elections. This time round I was weighing 72 kilos, which is some 22 kilos over my normal weight, so one of the first problems was a mobility issue. I had to slow down even though I did not want to stop home visits and seeing clients. But there were moments when it had to be baby first,” says Justyne, when asked about her experience during the electoral campaign. Baby Josephine was born on 15 February, bang in the middle of the campaign. “It was a very important moment for me, yet difficult. It took me another week to recover and at that...

Interesting article written by Matthew Xuereb in the Times of Malta Students side with Gonzi in rowdy debate

Time flies for everyone and if it wasn’t for some billboards popping up for the next election I wouldn’t have believed that the leader of the opposition has been sitting on the other side of the house of parliament for the last 16 years ,except for the 22months that he served as a Prime Minister in 1996. Sixteen years at the wheel of a party is a very long time and it must be very frustrating to have spent only 22 months in government. The coming general election will be crucial for Alfred Sant. Successive opinion polls and surveys carried out by independent newspapers have confirmed, time and again, that the huge majority of those questioned have little or no faith in Alfred Sant as Prime Minister. This may very well be his last days as leader of the Malta Labour Party after 16 long years on top, or he may go on to win the election meaning that he will carry on for practically another decade. He surely must be taking this election very seriously. You can’t blame him; his future is at ...

Former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff "may" contest the general election as an independent candidate, PBS reported tonight. It said the 91-year-old former MLP leader would not confirm or deny the possibility. Mr Mintoff successfully contested 14 elections since 1945 and was a member of parliament until 1998 when he did not stand for the general election of that year. He also did not stand in 2003. Josie Muscat, leader of Azzjoni Nazzjonalim said that Mr Mintoff would not stand with Azzjoni Nazzjonali, although he confirmed having had meetings with him, finding him to be 'energetic.' Mr Mintoff's last foray in political life was to oppose EU membership. Dear Josie, you should know well enough that Mintoff never plans to run into a defeat for anyone. This chap never stops from surprising and leaving everyone guessing is part of his game...

I was reading a very interesting article lately in the Times of Malta and I couldn’t help but thinking in what a shocking state the two main political parties are now that the pre election fever is starting to be felt and both parties try to outbid one another when it comes to making electoral promises, something which after all, all parties in all democratic countries do. Just like most of the other countries in Europe, in Malta the two main political parties tend to get themselves in a tangle over issues that at best leave most people smiling at the politicians tricks and, at worst, upset at the way they dare expect the electorate to believe everything they say. When the Opposition Leader Dr.Alfred Sant recovers and re-enters the political fray by the end of this month, that will be the time when the political campaigning starts in full swing, Labour's election proposals to halve the surcharge on fuel and to exempt overtime earnings from income tax will surely top the political ...