Repubblika on president’s ruling: Democracy weaker than ever

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2020-07-14T10:18:54+02:00Tue, 14th Jul '20, 10:18|

Statement by Repubblika issued earlier today: Repubblika is very concerned with the current situation in Parliament. Unfortunately, our Constitution seems to provide the opportunity to people in power to act outside basic rules of democracy and in defiance of common sense, ironically justifying their actions on the Constitution itself. We are disappointed that our Constitution [...]

GUEST POST: One big nightmare

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2020-07-14T07:26:44+02:00Tue, 14th Jul '20, 07:26|

The worst nightmare is the nightmare that continues even when you wake up! – Mehmet Murat Ildan Late last Monday evening, President George Vella issued a statement. In it he said that although he had evidence that the majority of Nationalist Member of Parliament declared that they do not have confidence in the Leader of [...]

GUEST POST: The good guys wore white hats

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2020-07-14T06:39:51+02:00Tue, 14th Jul '20, 06:39|

My grandfather was a great fan of cowboy movies and my siblings and I were regularly treated to matinee shows watching John Wayne, Alan Ladd, Robert Mitchum, James Stewart, Kirk Douglas and others outdrawing, outshooting and thrashing sundry villains like Eli Wallach, Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine. According to my grandfather, until Sergio Leone and [...]

We’re so badly equipped

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2020-07-13T17:40:42+02:00Mon, 13th Jul '20, 17:39|

The constitutional rules about what happens when a leader of the opposition no longer counts a majority of opposition MPs as his followers have been on our statute books since independence. They’ve never been used before now. They’re a bit like the fruit juicer your mother bought you when she thought you needed to change [...]

Daphne’s thousand days

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2020-07-12T08:46:02+02:00Sun, 12th Jul '20, 08:46|

A thousand days ago today Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed by car bomb just outside her Bidnija home. A formidable journalist trusted by sources who risked much to help her do her work and followed by thousands of people in a country that depended on her to know what its government was doing. She published [...]

INTERVIEW: Kenneth Rijock on financial crime in Malta

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2020-07-11T14:16:52+02:00Sat, 11th Jul '20, 14:16|

In this interview recorded earlier today, Kenneth Rijock speaks to me about the impact of Malta's passport-selling, money-laundering and corruption. He provides analysis on the outcome of the Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad case and why people in Malta - particularly corrupt politicians - should be anxious about travelling. Manuel Delia · Kenneth Rijock Interview

PODCAST: A test for the presidency

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2020-07-11T08:35:09+02:00Sat, 11th Jul '20, 08:35|

Manuel Delia · A Test For The Presidency Occasions when the president has to take decisions without instructions from the prime minister are rare. Our president acts in place of the Queen of England. And the Queen of England can only take initiatives on her own personal affairs and not without restrictions in that case [...]

Ali Sadr is a free man

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2020-07-11T07:20:47+02:00Sat, 11th Jul '20, 07:20|

A US district court judge has ordered the release of Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad ending restrictions on his movements in place since his arrest in February 2017. Ali Sadr’s travel restrictions and house arrest have been dropped and his bail bond of $38 million dollars has also been released. He will now be given back [...]

Standards czar: Nothing unethical when Azzopardi advised Repubblika on Easter Massacre investigation request

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2020-07-10T18:05:37+02:00Fri, 10th Jul '20, 18:02|

The Commissioner for Standards in Public Life threw out a complaint that alleged Jason Azzopardi behaved unethically when he acted as Repubblika’s lawyer when the NGO asked the police to investigate the death of migrants at sea over the Easter weekend. The complaint was filed by an anonymous individual who claimed he was the father [...]

GUEST POST: The tail that wagged the dog’s owner

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2020-07-10T16:06:19+02:00Fri, 10th Jul '20, 16:06|

90. (4) If, in the judgment of the President, a member of the House of Representatives other than the Leader of the Opposition, has become the Leader in the House of the opposition party having the greatest numerical strength in the House or, as the case may be, the Leader of the Opposition has ceased [...]

GUEST POST: FATFy Shades of Grey

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2020-07-10T15:59:29+02:00Fri, 10th Jul '20, 15:59|

What is FATF? The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was established in July 1989 by the Group of Seven (G-7) countries, that is, the World’s top economic countries which determine world economic policy. The initial motive of FATF was to examine and develop measures to combat money laundering. Since 1989, the objectives have progressively widened [...]

GUEST POST: This country is sickening sick

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2020-07-10T15:45:23+02:00Fri, 10th Jul '20, 15:44|

The country is sick. It is sick because corruption has become the order of the day. Every deal, every project, is tainted with corruption for the few to make millions. Corrupt businessmen found fertile land in Joseph Muscat’s government and with a little effort they managed to rope in ministers. They promised to make them [...]

Legal experts contradict Adrian Delia: the President should make Therese Comodini Cachia leader of opposition

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2020-07-10T16:35:07+02:00Fri, 10th Jul '20, 15:31|

Legal advice seen by this website and requested by a group of MPs who have asked the President to appoint Therese Comodini Cachia as opposition leader, confirms that the constitution requires the President to remove Adrian Delia immediately and replace him with their candidate for the post. Confusion arose yesterday when Adrian Delia said he [...]

Looking away from Ian Abdilla

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2020-07-10T15:29:28+02:00Fri, 10th Jul '20, 15:29|

The madness of the situation in the Nationalist Party with Adrian Delia strapped with explosives threatening to blow the whole thing up if he’s not allowed to blow the whole thing up, makes it almost tempting to look away from what else is happening in the country. Of course, that’s because Adrian Delia strapped himself [...]

PODCAST: A leader in name. Another in fact.

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2020-07-09T12:33:48+02:00Thu, 9th Jul '20, 12:33|

Emanuel Delia · A Leader In Name. Another In Fact. The vote of the PN parliamentary group two days ago could have happened a year ago, even two. It could have happened before Adrian Delia was elected party leader in September 2017. The day before that ballot, then party leader Simon Busuttil did his final [...]

LISTEN: The pilot episode of Mhux Xandir Malta

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2020-07-07T16:20:25+02:00Tue, 7th Jul '20, 11:41|

Mhux Xandir Malta · Mhux Xandir Malta Episode 1 Repubblika announced today the launch of MHUX XANDIR MALTA, a satirical and irreverent podcast, describing it as "a spindle up the butt of Malta’s ridiculous but not so funny political class". From Repubblika's Facebook page: "They say laughter is the best medicine. This podcast will not [...]

Repubblika brands judicial reform “a sick joke”

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2020-07-07T11:39:04+02:00Tue, 7th Jul '20, 11:39|

The government's bills to change the composition of the judicial appointments committee after pressure from the Venice Commission were meant to remove government control on choosing judges. But the new system gives that power to the President who is appointed by the government as well. A reform on the way the President is chosen makes [...]

GUEST POST: Malta’s institutions work, says who?

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2020-07-07T09:54:17+02:00Tue, 7th Jul '20, 09:54|

“Do not be negative. Our institutions are working.” That is the standard reply by the government, its trolls and apologists when one mentions or asks about corruption, money laundering and a host of other criminal activities by ministers, government officials and their friends we face every day. Outgoing Prime Minister Joseph Muscat used to insist [...]

GUEST POST: Of faith and politics, a heuristic approach

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2020-07-07T09:39:22+02:00Tue, 7th Jul '20, 09:39|

This is not an academic critique on the recently approved changes to the Partit Nazzjonalista statute; certainly not a reproachful exercise of an otherwise highly deliberate, researched and pragmatic political instrument focussing on party structure and rules of procedures. It is an attempt towards a dialogue on the relevance of faith in a post-modernist party. [...]

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