I actually watched all of last Monday’s Inkontri chaired by a swivelling Joe Grima, he whose seat his body language shows no compunction to leave. Actually, he never wanted to leave his seat even when Duminku Mintoff came round to reason, way back in 1987. But then again Mintoff was heavy handed not plain heavy. So Joe had a bright idea to invite among others the eloquently obdurate Nationalist MP Dr Francis Zammit, PL lawyer Dr ‘Gavel’ Gulia, Dr Stefan Zrinzo (a gringo who met Zorro and got his gs slashed and now looks as harmless as Sargente Garcia), ix-xufier himself Joe, aka Peppi Azzopardi of Xarabank, a long-reigning king no doubt, now going round the bend and up the frigging wall, and Dr Wenzu Mintoff.

I listened, abeyed by the argument concerning the infernal ‘stabbilita’ as pronounced by PN and Dr Gavin Gulia, as opposed to ‘stabbilta’ by Joseph, and Franco maybe? I digress.

I must admit that Joe posited an important question, nay a smack with the glove to Gavin and Wenzu (Francis was token). Would he have done what Franco did in the circumstances? I would suggest that the key word is circumstances. E.g. in different circumstances Peppi never manages to come up with such gems of wisdom as when faced with PN officials on Xarabank, he confuses the hiss with the bus so to speak. But that night he threw down the gauntlet, what would Dr Gulia really do? Would he be the maverick and run roughshod over the Labour masses or would he be loyal to those who voted him in? Peppi’s question literally beggared an answer, as usual congruent with his PN leanings. Comparisons are odious possibly because they are close to the truth. We have a situation similar to Sant’s government in ’96. We have a hell raiser in Franco Debono, who is deaf to reason or plain deaf it seems. We will face an election if it’s the last thing we need, and very soon. And the incumbent will lose, it seems, Gatt non Arriva dicono i tesserati!

Another simile if I may − Dr Wenzu Mintoff.

Back in ’89 Wenzu Mintoff and Toni Abela decided they had had enough of Labourite thuggery and went their way. Shortly after, they met up with Joe/Peppi Azzopardi, Saviour Balzan, Arnold Cassola and together with a few other enthusiasts like myself organised a ‘rave party’ long before it became fashionable, way before any consuelo errati in loo bondage with Doll.Ce. Gabbana in kowtow, if you know what I mean.

We called it Alternattiva Demokratika. The MLP was deprived of a seat but luckily for them they had done their gerrymandering well and they could take a casualty. For the past 20 years, AD has been proposing most of what Franco Debono has been admired for.

AD had a seat in Parliament for the first time (and hopefully not the last). What did the PN do that time? It lauded Wenzu for his courage and conviction, never for once saying that he should have stayed loyal to his electors. Joe Azzopardi endorsed his shift as we all did. What’s the difference now? A small one I would suggest, actually a WE one, one that has catapulted him into the limelight lording over a forum for ignoramuses who believe that since they can spout their opinion they are heard.

And Peppi drives his old bus up the nation’s Khyber Pass and laughs all the way to the bank. Ghax fejn jidhol Peppi m’hemmx rispetti.