My husband refuses to respond to Ms Valarie Borg’s letter (TMID Saturday 10 November). He claims he has no time for people who shoot from the hip.

Hence, woman to woman, I say to this MLP Valletta Councilor: “Dom Mintoff does not go down in history as the person who gave Maltese women the right to vote, but as the Prime Minister who played musical chairs with the Constitutional Court Judges and thus deprived us of having a functional Constitutional Court for a number of years”. In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony said: “The evil that man do lives after.” So, lets make it clear, Mintoff will be best remembered for hanging on to government even though the overall majority of the electorate demanded his resignation and requested Dr. Fenech Adami to form a government.

Ms Borg, please understand, that Mr Mintoff became Prime Minister for the first time in 1955, so he couldn’t have been the one who gave women the right to vote in 1947 as you stated. Sir Paul Boffa became Prime Minister in 1947 and women voted in that election, so it couldn’t have been him either. Yes, it is a fact. Sir Paul Boffa was in favour of universal suffrage and women’s right to vote. But then Sir Paul Boffa was a wise man; when in 1950 and 1953 he had the option of joining a coalition, he joined the Nationalist Party and not Mintoff’s Labour Party on both occasions. He knew what was right for the country. By Jupiter, Mintoff also voted against the MLP and thus gave the Nationalist Party the opportunity to be returned to government. As they say, “it’s never too late to learn” and sarcastically I profess that Mr Mintoff must have finally realized that nothing beats a Nationalist Government and that is why he kicked Labour to touch (as they say in rugby). I know what I’m taking about, South Africa are the Rugby World Champions and I’m proud of it. But I am by far prouder of being a Nationalist Party supporter. This great political party does not give crumbs to the poor, but creates opportunities for the nation to prosper.

Grace Saliba

Cape Town

South Africa