President's daughter-in-law becomes PL secretary

So the labour party has another secretary of the executive.... to be honest i would like to know what her role would be. She says she is going to contribute to this progressive and moderate movement... BUT HOW? EVERYTHING CONTINUES TO BE VAGUE AT THE LABOUR PARTY.MY FEELING IS YOU LOT ARE NOT BEING UNDERSTOOD BY PEOPLE OUT THERE. THE NOTION IS THAT WE HAVE A WEAK OPPOSITION. FOR ME IT IS CERTAINLY STILL A VAGUE ONE. I DOUBT THAT THE LABOUR PARTY WILL WIN THE ELECTION IF IT IS CALLED NOW, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE PN IS PASSING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES. PEOPLE ARE JUST NOT UNDERSTANDING YOU.

@Carmel Cilia.
My friend, mhux wahdek ghextom il 50s,u is 60s. Il punt tieghi hu li l interdett kien zball. Zball ghaliex holoq speci ta martri,li dawn kienu responsabli, in the 70s, ghal incidenti gravi li kienu ser iwasslu ghal gwerra civili. Il haga li jien, u il poplu kollu ma nistghux nifmu huwa, ghaliex il PL dejjem jiproponi misuri li huma ta hsara ghas socjeta maltija, bhad divorzju. Ghalekk dejjem ammirajt u qbilt lil partit nazjonalista,ghax mhux biss bill motto biss jixhed (Pater Et Religio), izda anke b ghemilu, dejjem issalvagwardja il valuri tradizjonali insara maltin. Ma nafx ghaliex il PL irid igibna bhal Olanda,jew bhal ma qeda issir Spanja. Nemmen li il poplu kollu huwa ghaqli bizzejjed biex jerga jghid iva bil qalb ghal partit nazjonalista, dak il partit li tant stinka ghad demokrazija, xoghol, gustizja , u ghat tradizjoni nisranija. Dan l istess partit li huwa il vera fundatur tas servizzi socjali. Ghalhekk iz zaghzah tallum ghandom jitghallmu sew dwar il valuri li jsawru lil Malta, u hemm ikun il punt fejn jindunaw li hu biss il partit nazjonalista li hu il partit ideali, il partit tal valuri purament maltin, li ghandom potenzjali biex ikollna Malta ahjar.

James Grima jidher mahruq wahda mhux hazin.U bilhaqq ma tisthux issemmu il 50 u 60. Ma nafx xi tridu tghidulhom liz zaghzagh fuq f'dawk iz-zminijiet li ghixt jien.Taf x'hemm ittimbrat go mohhi l-eluf ta hutna Maltin itturrufnati' bil Banda jekk ma tridx' kontra qalbhom min pajjizna. U illum veru l-investiment gej Bl-eluf:: Afrikani imorru jsarfu ic cekkijiet bil gzuz fil Banek tal Belt. Jixorbu it-taxxi taghna biex imbaghad man sibux flus ghal-istudenti zaghzagh taghna. Isthu jekk tafu kef.

Helwa hux!

Once again the GonziPN Apologists are out again trying their guts out to create yet another SPIN about this very normal case, and thus hopefuly creating a `mountain out of a mole hill...!! However it is very obvious that this is turning out to be very unsuccessful as it is having a hell of a `boomerang` effect on all of them...

Welcome Aboard Dr. Lydia Abela and wishing you lots of success..

Well Done Dr. Muscat and Keep Up The Good Work.. You Are On The Right Track....

@Roderick
We've done more than that...we have LGBT Labour now

Well done Dr Abela! Welcome on board!

@ james Grima I hope you are joking....

@J.Grima
And can you please let us know what exactly labour did during the 50 years you mentioned? But please do not be seletive and check some history books to see the good and the bad. But also check what the PN was doing to malta in those same 50 years. I bet you will be surprised.

Roderick, to each his own and why not...really.

As Berluconi would have said if he was the PL leader ,"All the beautiful ladies are on our side." Joking apart,why all the fuss?. The lady is free to choose isn't she? And she chose Labour.

Beauty and Brains. the PN apologists are lost in a sea of jealousy.

PL placed a woman as a secretary to show that PL gives same opportunities to women........ now PL lets appoint a publically know gay/lesbian/transgender in a prominent position in your party to show that PL is giving equal opportunites................... also its a good way to harvest votes.

Finally Labour is again showing the way. Joseph Muscat has a chance to reach the rarified heights that Mintoff and E.F.A. reached and throws the rest of the men who held the top job since to the rubbish bin of history

qedin taraw kif fiz zewgt partiti il kbar hemm il hbieb tal hbieb!!!!!!

@ James Grima
I am not sure if you were joking or not. If you were not, then it amazes me how naive and gullible one can be.

If your claim is taken seriously, then your party in government has a real problem. Alfred Sant's government lasted until 1998, and the PN have been in government for 12 years since then. Then the PN should really be ashamed that it has not 'repaired' any of the 'damage' the PL has done.

Please, for your own well-being, take those blue blinkers from your eyes. That is why our nation is going to the dogs, because one can still find supporters of both parties that do not think with their own mind, but what the party's media feeds them.

It is a pity for our lovely Islands.

To jeremy j camilleri..

You dont need to enlighten us that you read the news very often...infact the day mlp or pl or whatever name lost the referendum the red media was celebrating a victory and im sure you were in marsa celebrating without having the heck of a clue of the result of the count...you just need to be enlightened that news isnt just red or blue...it has a wider meaning...it means NEWS not STORIES...if j muscat doesnt win the next election by default...that will be a really curious day for all the 'new' members of the new progressive movement sponsored by toni abela (new & progressive) and anglu farrugia(the moderate)...very nice trio indeed THE NEW(MUSCAT...JUST ANOTHER EX ONE JOURNALIST) THE PROGRESSIVE(ABELA?????) AND THE MODERATE(FARRUGIA.....????)

Jeremy J. Camilleri. Sorry, you lost me. I don't know what you 're babbling on about.

@J cAUCHI. Dear Mr Cauchi, all she has to say Dr Lydia is, that her father in-law is the President of Malta, appointed by the Nationalist Govt. and thats what we call DEMOCRACY. If You wish that you have the courage to do such a move one day!!!

For me and all Maltese PL=Failure. Just look at its history and see. And yes I'm proud of our Prime minister. You say debt right? Look what Alfred Sant and friends left in his 22 months in government. If you make a deep study you will see that our economy is still suffering repercussions of those horrible horrible 22 months. And the PN has to repare all the damage caused.

Radio 101 today reports "Il-Partit laburista f'paniku". Thanks dear radio101/net news room it was the best piece of rubbish I have ever heard.

James Grima---I dont know what you mean by the word "failure". I call a 400 million and 3,000,000,000 euros in debt failures. I call ruining our environment a failure. I call building on all ODZ's and bending the MEP to suit political needs failure. I call breaking one promise after another failure. I call 15% of people in Malta (56,000) on the poverty line Failure. I call 4 out of every ten falling out of school a failure. I call using a power station with HFO ignoring everone's pleas a failure. I would call all those hopes and dreams we were promised once we join the EU which never came true failures. need i go on? Ha jhallilhom pajjiz b'sahhtu Gonzi tieghek ee!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tatkhom tbaqbiqa di ta Lydia....ma jimpurtax il-Kbir gjhadu gej!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the PN apologists what is good for the goose is only good for the gander when it suits them.

Congratulations Dr Abela for this new role.

@Pat Muscat
You are making a mountain out of a mole hill ta! Do you think that with these small cosmetic modifications we are going to forget what the "PL" stands for? Are we going to forget what the PL did to our beloved Maltese society in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s? No ta. Least we forget, and lets help the newer generations realise what they stand for, before doing fatal errors.

out of all the points mentioned, no one did hit the nail. This was only done so that Jason, the ex PL secretary who was demoted from the post, is now being replaced by a close family member of the Abela family, after attacking Dr.Abela prior the elections live on Xarabank. what I cannot understand is that Jason pushed Joseph to hit the leader post. Am I missing something?

@Muscat Pat. - i very much doubt it !!!!!! I do not have to vote lejber...... i just don't trust the guy..... and the ppl around him : TA , AF , AST etc etc, He has only one ambition and that is..........!!!

@Jesmond Abela.
Ivvota Lejber u tara kif hekk se jaghmel!

Jekk Dr. Abela hija kapaci u tista tkun ta ghajnuna lil PL .... so what !!!! Irrelevanti min minn tigi u min hija. Li hu fic cert li gejja minn familja Laburista. Nispera li JM ghazila mhux ghax hi il mara ta tifel tal President, imma ghax hija denja u kapaci fil pozzizjoni il gdida. Il PM Nazzjonalista ghazel lil Dr G abela (Laburist)...... dik ZGUR hija ghazla ta kuragg fil politika.... Issa naraw jekk xi darba PL ikun fil gvern jghazilx President background Nazzjonalista.

@ Ian Galea,

Actually 5 women contestants were elected on the MLP executive: Maria Camilleri, Nikita Zammit Alamango, Alison Zerafa, Guza Cassar, and Krista Caruana.

Very clearly the die-hard Nationalists are not happy at all and are shooting from the hip left, right and centre. Infact if you had to squeeze their comments you'd get something like this "Superficjali, ohtha Laburista, hammget il-President bla bla bla..." and yet no one of them has had the decency to say why she shouldn't have been chosen. Wouldn't be surprised if a search has already started to see what part of her private life we're going to use against her by those who pose to be catholics. If ever there was a place to read Nationalist desperados here is the place. But what do you expect from a party in tatters?

Alfred Camilleri, .... I did a simple cut and paste....'he knew he was appointing a labourite for the post and now even the President's daughter in law has become active within the PN!'

Perhaps you should have read his comments BEFORE They were edited

I respect him enough to expect him to be able to answer for himself...You obviously don't!

And, not only that. Intelligence and good looks.

X'riha ta hruq hawn? Jaqaw qed tinharaq xi haga f'tal-Pieta? Imma x'wicc ghandkhom..... Taf x'naf inghid li bir-rabja kollha li qeghdin turu ghadu ma giex bravu wiehed li hu wiehed jghid ghala Dr>Lydia Abela mhix ghazla tajba! Dazgur ghax m'ghandkhomx xi tghidu. Marisa Micallef....Manwel mallia....Lydia Abela u il-lista titwal u titwal......xi hruq! Qeghdin ixxomuha?

finally some beauty in the local political scene!

Nothing new under the sun; Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, Beppe Fenech Adami, Michael Fenech Adami were either MPs or mayors during their respective father's presidency ? Why is this appointment creating some much huffing and puffing?
Note : Those who post using block letters shoud note that this is bade tase in netiquette !

This morning was watching Net News and they said that Joseph Muscat is going to announce the name of Dr Rachel Tua Fenech Adami for the post of 'Equal Opportunities' Officer ... she is remotely related in some way or another to the Fenech Adami family...HEKK JAHDEM JOSEPH MUSCAT L-AQWA LI GHANDHA KUNJOMA FENECH ADAMI HALLI ISSA JAGHTI L-IMPRESSJONI LI ANKE EDDIE SAR PARTI MILL-MOVIMENT TAL-PROGRESSIVI! WHAT A CHILD!

@jcamilleri
OMG what a reaction! - I really think you're in need of some good "afer sun" creams.... :-)...-take it easy Mr Camilleri because the night is young and as we say in Maltese "Il-kbir ghadu gej"! Your reaction is too early to have and I sincerely believe that it's not good for your health.
Well done Labour & congrats Dr. Muscat & Dr. Abela...the future is all yours!!

Kif qatt ma qam dan il-paroli kollu meta Presidenti differenti kellhom it-tfal involuti fil-politika.
Dr Ugo Mifsud Bonnici (1994-1999) President
Dr Carm Mifsud Bonnici MP(1998-)

Dr Guido Demarco(1999-2004)President
Dr Mario Demarco MP (2003-)

Dr Edward Fenech Adami (2004-2009) President
Dr Beppe Fenech Adami MP(2008-)
Michael Fenech Adami Sindku (2006-)

This morning I met a Nationalist Party supporter who was fuming saying what ingratitude President George Abela has shown after Dr Gonzi appointed him President, he who comes from a Labour background...he said that Dr Abela should have adviced Lydia not to for it as long as he is President..he said that this goes to show how wrong Dr Gonzi was in appointing George Abela...

BUT i beg to disagree..if anything it goes to show who is the most progressive and the prize goes to Lawrence Gonzi because he had the guts to appoint a staunch labourite for the post of President even though many PN supporters were against the appointment...

On the other hand I think that George Abela should have adviced Lydia not to go for this post because George Abela has now managed to gain the support of all the people regardless of their political background. With Lydia's appointment his Presidency has been tarnished..

BUT for sure Joseph Muscat did nothing remarkable.. he appointed a Labourite to the post, whose sister is already on the PL executive and is the labour deputy mayor of bormla...

@ Peppino Micallef

"The end of your party in government is nigh. Start preparing for the day of doom"

Could not have pictured the moderate and progressive party any better! As they say......Skond iz-zokk il-fergha!

So....?...Why is this news.....good luck to her wherever she comes from!

@.r.Dimech
How very conveniently forgetful you can all become my friend. You were astonished because the daughter in law of the president has become secretary of the P.L. executive. What about an outgoing prime minister being nominated by his nomineee to the premiership as president. Voldieri an open case of 'hokli dahri ha nhoklok dahrek". Hemm ukoll kien statesman kbirGonzi?. Kif ma tafux tisthu? Veru kas tal Q___a milli jkolla ittik. Issa dardartu pajjiz gbin.

I do not believe Dr Abela should have abstained from being in the new post, an Niether do I believe that His Excelcie's image has been tarnished.
I strongly believe that he is such an upright person that this move will not in the least effect his relationship with the people or his judgment.
To those who are allready seeing a new labour goverment come next election I would say, that had they not kept clinging to Alfred Sant they would have been in goverment right now , and who knows maybe have a nice cosy goverment job allready.I believe that a lot of people would be disilusioned come election time , I know a lot of labour supporters who still believe that with a Labour goverment in power they and thier families would immediately qualify for positions for which the only qualification they have is a PL Membership card.They are in for a surprise, believe me folks a BIG surprise.

What a slick chess master, hats off to Joseph Muscat. I'm impressed! He elected the daughter in law of a once-fierce-adversary.

Well done Lydia!! I'm sure you're going to do your best. Congrats...

I cherish news items such as this, they really bring out some people's true colours. "The Presidency is tainted" said some here. But when Beppe fenech Adami campaigned on the PN ticket and when his father Eddie as a president emeritus went to the stamperija among claps of Eddie Eddie that was not tainting the Presidency!! Hypocrisy galore.

Prosit Joseph welcome Lydia

Mr Debono.......since when being a relative of the president will automatically disqualify you from being promoted .........very democratic if I may say!!!

Awguri, Lydia!!

Inhossni kburi u onorat li jien kont wiehed minn dawk li vvutajt favur in-nominazzjoni tieghek fl-Ezekuttiv Nazzjonali biex int ukoll tkun parti mit-tim li se jwassal lill-PL fil-gvern.

Flimkien maghna, int se tkun fuq quddiem f'dan iz-zmien storiku ghal pajjizna - zmien fejn twieled u qed jikber il-Moviment Gdid li tant hawn bzonnu f'pajjizna.

Konvinti mill-kapacitajiet tieghek!

@ H. Debono - Mr. Debono, I just pity such closed mentalities like yours!!

Jeremy J. Camilleri I think you are the one who is confused and don't know what you are saying. Where does F. Cassar state that the President's daughter-in-law has become active in the PN? Probably the last part of Cassar's comment got you in a twist and confused you. Read Cassar's comment again and correct yourself.
R. Dimech. My thoughts exactly.
Peter Bonnici. The only difference, a very important one, is that the MPs you mentioned were elected by the people, whereas Dr L. Abela's appointment to a party post could very well embarass the President. It is amazing that every appointment to a PL post is always greeted by the PL elves as a stroke of genius by Joseph Muscat. For them, he could never get it wrong.

"Dr Muscat said at a press conference said the PL was showing that women had an important role within the Labour Party."
Not just Labour of course! Sure some groups accept the "issue" badly, but with a strong will anything is possible!
Best of luck to a young politician, may reason and logic guide you in this world of double-faces, maybe in due time we fix what's been broken in ages!

Cheers.

@ Peppino Micallef

To me YOU sound more like the prophet of doom yourself.... LOL

I wonder how one person just a few years into their career can be specialized in marital, civil, industrial and maritime law - this when there are entire law firms dedicated to just one of the above (sometimes even narrower subdivisions of the law). Impressive indeed, if true - maybe 'specialized' means different things to different people. In my world you need to be perceived as an expert recognized by your peers in the field as such - maybe elsewhere it suffices to have a post-grad that touched on the subjects ....

Anyhow, we can soon add politics and maybe shorthand to the list ... still please try to keep the resume to a business standard 1 page

well done Dr Abela

Within a few hours after the closing of a successful 10-day annual general conference, another achievement for Dr Muscat and the new Movement he is leading.

@ H Debono: May I remind you that President Mifsud Bonnici, President De Marco and President Fenech Adami all had children who were actively involved in politics and were, and still are, Members of Parliament?

Joseph Muscat: Kollox Hu. Dak moviment! Kollox kif jghid hu u lil min irid hu. U kulhadd jaqbel. Veru progressiv!

Inclusion means Esclusion...for there are more important things than civil rights...which is huamn dignity and morality...lets bet we will have everything lawful in five years time, in name of minorities...PL will win the nect election for economic incompetity and for arrogance but PL will loss its soul...a movement which denies Malta's identity its not worth to vote....therefore I will have to vote to one of the minor parties...if values are maintained...abstance from vote...or at least vote by person and not by party.

Come on F Cassar don't you know why your beloved Gonzi appointed George Abela as President? There was only reason which is visible to everyone except those who do no want to say it for obvious reasons: it was a clever (or not so clever) move to test PL. Gonzi had assumed the PL would be divided as to whether to approve the decision or not. Alas finally the PL is getting serious and did not fall for such a trap.

As for your comment J Busuttil on the PN electors, frankly not even if 100 George Abela's were appointed as PL leaders, would someone like you be convinced. So please respect our intelligence. WHOEVER IS ELECTED AS PL LEADER IS BOUND TO RECEIVE THE SAME CRITICISM WHATSOEVER!! So boring!

Congrats Dr. Abela wellcome on board and once again well done Dr. Muscat for the right choice!
@ Ian Galea. Were you joking my friend when you said that we forgot women when we elected the executive comittee! Maybe you should take a look at the elected members on the list and you`ll find that 5 out of 12 which means nearly half of them are women who were all elected WITHOUT THE USE OF WOMEN`S QUOTA! So pls next time inform yourself before you comment here!

@ pn apologists

Your comments are rather confusing if not also amusing.
You are full of praise because Dr.Gonzi chose Dr.Abela as President of Malta, and I say rightly so, yet all hell broke loose cause Joseph and the PL chose Dr.Abela daughter-in-law as secretary of the party executive.
Welcome aboard Dr.Lydia Abela.

excellent choice!

@H.Debono
What do you mean by 'tainted'??
What does Dr. George Abela has to do with all this??
Our president is doing a fine job. After all Dr.Eddie Fench Adami had two sons involved with PN during his presidency and he still performed his duties well.

MOVIMENT LI QED JISSAHHAH MA' KULL GURNATA LI TGHADDI.

HATRIET LI QEGHDIN JISSORPRENDU LIL KULHADD BHAL DIK TA' MARISA MICALLEF LEYSON BHALA KONSULENTA TAL-KAP TAL-OPPOZIZZJONI.

KUNTRARJU GHAL DAN, IL-GVERN TA' GONZI QED JAQA' BICCIET... BICCA LLUM, BICCA GHADA, BICCA PITGHADA, BICCA IL-GIMGHA D-DIEHLA U DAQT NGHIDU LI WAQA' KOLLU!!

EJJEW NIBQGHU MAGHQUDIN FLIMKIEN BIEX NAGHTU LIL DAN IL-PAJJIZ GVERN SERJU U ACCOUNTABLE... NINSAB CERT LI B'JOSEPH MUSCAT FIT-TMUN TA' MALTA, IRRIDU NIBDEW NGHIXU ZMINIJIET GODDA!! AWGURI GHALL-FUTUR!

mela lil George Abela ma ridtuhx ghall-mexxej taghkom u issa hadtu bicca mill-familja tieghu. Kemm tifilhu tkunu ipokriti. Issa tridu ccapcpulu lil President Abela? Insejtuh it-tghajjir ewlieni fosthom kien dak li tajjartuh minn Segretarju Generali tal-MLP Jason Micallef? Insejtuh it-tghajjir li ma ridtuhx jikkompeti specjalment il-mexxej ta' qablu Alfred Sant? Insejtuhom l-iottri anonimi qabel il-konferneza generali ghall-hatra ta' mexxej gdid? Ahna ma ninsewx.

@ P Bonnici and G Xuereb. True. That was in bad taste as well. In my opinion, the President of the Republic should be someone who is (ideally) indipendent of partisan politics in order to garner the respect of ALL Maltese, whatever their colour and represent everyone. Dr George Abela came very close to that. For the first time in our Republic's history. The drawback to that ideal is that His Excellency and his immediate family should appear to be above party politics. My comment should be seen in that context. We had moved a long way forward but this partisan political internal appointment has tarished the presidency's image.

@R.Caruana---Yeah so members of Lydia Abela's family are labourites...so?? Since when has having labourite members in your family precluded you from holding a post within the country's structures or within the PL itself? Since when has it become mandatory for you to be redder than a tomato just because your sister waves the Labour flag? Is this your best argument..possibly?

Jbusuttil--Really?? Nationalists would have voted Labour if G.Abela became leader? Do you think that Net TV and the Gonzi coterie would have given him the power they have on a silver platter? Do you think that the martinellis and the demartinos and the bloggers (and I mean bloggers not people who post comments!!) of this world would have all of a sudden gone red coz Abela was the Pl Leader....hallina tridx...this is politics not charity!!

G.Cassar---Min qallek li din ha tkun qed tikteb il-minuti? Mill liema sors gibtha ezatt?

Joe Vella---ma niftakrekx tghid li il-Kandidatura ta Beppe Fenech Adami kienet ha timpingi fuq il-Kariga tal-President Edward Fenech Adami!!!

@ H Debono.

Ever heard of Dr Beppe Fenech Adami?

To all Pn Bloggers- Ara veru tirragunaw kif jaqbel dejjem lilkom ta!!! mela jekk jigi elett xi hadd li jkunu ilu zmien fil partit tghidu li dejjem bl-istess ucuh...Issa ghax Dr Abela gejja minn familja laburista qed tgergru wkoll ghax qed jintaghzlu n nies minn gewwa...The truth is that J Muscat has re-united a party that was left in shatters by his predecessor and through his charisma is attracting new people within the fold......Congratulations to Dr L Abela

Joseph Muscat is a great strategist, he is giving a hard time to PN. You are all focusing your attention on Dr. Abela while Dr. Rachel T FA I guess was appointed on Gender Equality. I think she is realted to EFA and for sure will shock the PN voters. hahahahahaha. come on EFA fought so much in the 80's for freedom, we are approaching a communist state not even China, having criminal law on what people dress in carnival, university students to court due to an article, the Bishop of Gozo expressing his views against divorce. Sew taghmlu spread your wings and leave this mediocre island. We want progress, and only Jospeh Muscat can give it to us. As ever vote labour ............

The Presidency HAS NOT been tainted. I'm 100% sure that President Abela will still manage to retain his non-partisan image.

Good Luck Dr Abela. More thumbs ups for the PL.

George Abela's non-partisan image has been tainted by this appointment... he had managed to win the hearts of all people whatever their political creed but now he has lost everything... Muscat wanted to score a political goal and in the short term he managed... but the Presidency has been tainted

Her post within the PL will well be forgotten when the next general elections arrive. As if the PN electors are going to vote PL because of Dr. Lydia Abela's appointment. BUT they could not vote PL because of the people around her. They would have voted PL if her father in law was leader of the MLP BUT they missed the bus. All in all Dr.Lydia I wish you all the best of luck.

@ R Dimech My friend, I'm sure you are not suffering from loss of memory....Don't you know that EFA sons Bebbe and Michael were and are still involved in Party politics while their father was President of the Republic? Bad taste indeed! I suspect it's a question of sour grapes.Another FIRST for LABOUR!

Pity that she will only be responsible for writing the minuti of the ezekuttiv! Kienet tkun ideali minflok xi Toni Abela jew Anglu Farrugia! She hails from a staunch labourite background but am sure she would have been much better than someone like Toni ABela!

@ Charles J. Buttigieg You and the Gloom and Crowd must know something on the subject of "Falsa Stikk" so I would not take you on the subject matter. After all, the PL have become the consummate expert in such matter. The only thing I would add in regards to Dr. Abela's appointment is that she might have compromised President Abela. Once again, Dr. Abela, is a member of the First Family of Malta.

tant ghogbukhom dawn iz-zewg buzzwords, li 'nbidel l-isem tal-partit biex jghamel spazju ghalihom. @ R Dimech. To be fair, Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, Mario Demarco and Beppe Fenech Adami were all serving MP's when their fathers were serving Presidents.

Best wishes to Lydia Abela but I don't get it. Why is her appointment a "progressive" move by Joseph Muscat? It's not as if Joseph Muscat has appointed a Nationalist or someone from AD to the post? The only people getting excited or all hot and bothered by this news are those "iffissati" from the PN and MLP with nothing better to do.

@Peppino Micallef (47 minutes ago) @ F.Cassar The end of your party in government is nigh. Start preparing for the day of doom. I totally disagree with the latter part of your statement. A new government is needed and will not be anybody's day of doom!

Bad taste, in my view, as long as her father in law is President of the Republic. She should have abstained from partisan politics for the duration.

@F.Cassar You're so right. Ignore whoever speaks behind red tinted glasses. Gonzi and George Abela have been pals since university days and it took a lot of a maturity by the PN Prime Minister to nominate a Labourite to this position. Maturity that I hope Joseph Muscat would get through the Movement of moderates and Progressives. What next???Conservatives and Radicals?!?!?!?!

Congrats to Dr. Abela and I am sure she will do great in her new position. I am saying this because i was lucky to work with her. Dr. Abela is a very intelligent women with great qualities and really capable in her work. The PL made a great choice well done !!! Now it's time to see Dr. Robert .Abela as a PL candidate for the next election. Brian Vella M'Scala.

@ F Cassar Jien nahseb li falza stikka kienet to Gonzi mhux sinjal ta Statemanship.

F.Cassar----For Pete's sake get over it!! The only reason Dr.Gonzi chose Dr.George Abela as President was to suck out the one politician he thought was the most politically risky within the PL. Risky for the Pn ,obviously, not the country! Lydia Abela's post as a new PL secretary is, if anything, a clear sign that Joseph Muscat is not the "stupidu" and the inexperienced baby some had wished him to be. The more Muscat is underestimated the better for the PL and for this country I'd say!!

That said I congratulate Dr.Abela for her new role in the PL....she's young and new in politics which is a definite asset for her and the party she forms part of.

@Marianne Zarb
Do you honestly think the PN supporters care who is elected to what internal PL positions? As a PN supporter I honestly do not give two hoots who the PL elect to which position - just as long as you hang onto the two goons in the deputy leader positions!

A big a sincere congratulations to Dr. Lydia Abela for the new role within a New and Progressive Party! The right person for such a position! The Future of Malta needs a new mentality, approach and attitude. The answer is a positive thinking new government. With the negative and dividing mentality that reigns within the ruling party ranks, no wonder we're such a political and economic tsunami!

@E Cachia
Being 'progressive' doesn't have anything to do with choosing a suitable person for a post in your party. Why are you surprised? If you were the labour party leader would you choose a Nationalist as secretary of the party executive? Please be realistic in your critcism. You may also appreciate that the post of President doesn't carry any effective political power in a republic such as Malta. In Italy the President is leftist and the Prime Minister is Berlusconi - a right-winger.

@Peppino Micallef
You are SO right - it will be a day of doom if the mega publicity stunt works and Jo Muscat becomes PM with no policies - hot air and nothing of any substance. It will be the end of our progress as a nation!

Congratulations Dr Abela ! Nice to have chance to work with you within the Party.

@ Mr F. Cassar
An other step forward in consensus building! Compare this to the mythological figure head of Medusa-as painted by Caravaggio- and you'll see its replica in Gonzi's Government- a head without directions as controlled by an incredible numbr of small heads; each vying for attention!

@ Peppino Micallef

Your argument is so progressive!! LOL

Well done Dr Abela and well done Dr Gonzi because you showed that the national interest comes first when you appointed George Abela, a Labourite, as President after he was thrown out of the Labour Party...

When Lawrence Gonzi appointed George Abela as President many Nationalists were against it and now i guess many will say that Lydia as Pl official proves that Gonzi was wrong...but this would be a wrong approach and not a progressive one when Gonzi was very progressive when he appointed Abela

Obviously Muscat wanted to score a political goal with this appointment and he managed but then Muscat e' sempre Muscat!

"Dr Muscat said at a press conference the PL was showing that women had an important role within the Labour Party." ... Pity they forgot all about them when they were electing the executive committee!!

Dr Lydia Abela nee' Zerafa is the sister of Darleen Zerafa (ex MLP Deputy Mayor in Bormla and now office assistant at the Office of the President) and also sister to the present MLP Deputy Mayor of Bormla Alison Zerafa. So this is no big news.

Please do not count your chickens before they hatch, and yes I agree with you, it would be really a day of doom if we had to have Joseph Muscat and the PL (or what its name now) heading us - but not for the Pn but for all of us Maltese!

F CAssar...you sound very confused... 'he knew he was appointing a labourite for the post and now even the President's daughter in law has become active within the PN!' Do you know what you are saying? I didn't know the President's daughter in law has become active within the PN? Enlighten us... The hallowed initials 'Pn' must really weigh heavy on your mind .... Regarding Dr. Muscat, one of the moves by Josph Muscat which was heavily criticised by the blue media was his welcoming a well known PN coloumnist, Ms. Marisa Micallef within the folds of the Labour movement. Dear Cassar, you really do need to read the news more often...

Dr. Lydia Abela hija wkoll, oht il-Vici Sindku ta' Bormla ALison Zerafa u li hi wkoll prezentatrici tal-Partit Laburista. Xejn Gdid... ghazel wahda minn ta' gewwa... Jekk Joseph progressiv ghax ghazel wahda minn gewwa...Gozni, bl-ghazla ta' George Abela - President ...X'kien ???

Yet another good move by Dr Joseph Muscat. My sincere congratulations to Dr Lydia Abela, a new face in the Labour Party and I'm sure she'll do well in the post assigned to her.

Not only a hearty congrats to Mrs.Lydia Abela but also to her father-in-law President Dr.George Abela who must be a very proud man seeing his family following his own footsteps in the Party he and his family always worked for...The PL!! I wonder what the apologists will say now! Since there is too little, if anything to criticise.

@ F.Cassar The end of your party in government is nigh. Start preparing for the day of doom.

It goes to show what a statesman like decision Lawrence Gonzi made when he chose George Abela as President...he knew he was appointing a labourite for the post and now even the President's daughter in law has become politically active! Imagine Joseph Muscat Prime Minister and he appoints a Nationalist President and then the President's daughter becomes a Nationalist Party official! .... dream on...Muscat would never do that he is not that progressive after all!

congrats Dr Abela. we wish you all the best not only cos you are a woman but also thanks to you the party will get even stronger!!

THE NEW MOVEMENT IS GETTING BIGGER AND STRONGER.

Welcome on board Dr. Abela . We would now like to see Dr. Robert,your hubby, to join our list of prospective candidates for the next election. Kurag Robert .

Congratulations on your appointment !! Let us all work together in the interest of the Maltese people and the Labour Party.

Congratulations Dr Abela. The PL is growing stronger and stronger by the minute.

Congratulations ..............................good luck wish you well......

well done Dr Abela we are 100 %behind you

Congratulations and wish her all the best !!!