The marked difference in the treatment of the recent incursion comes into sharp focus when one compares that Gibraltar's Commissioner of Police released the Guardia Civiles so quickly against the revelation from the Commander British Forces that they would have come under live fire from guns had they turned in the opposite direction.
They were quickly released without charge when, even after their release, the Chief Minister was describing the incident as having been a very serious incident made substantially worse by Spain's sovereignty claim. He went on to boast that the Spanish Interior Minister had phoned him and not the the UK Minister or Governor or the British Ambassador in Madrid. A crucial factor in their release, one wonders?
We now hear that the UK Government has delivered a note verbale to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Could they have reminded them that external affairs, defence and internal security are still constitutionally the responsibility of the Governor, so what was the Spanish Interior Minister doing phoning the Chief Minister directly on this incident? Or is the Spanish Government specifically bypassing the UK Government and exerting its direct influence over our Chief Minister ... Spanish sovereignty by the back door?
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Sunday, 27 December 2009
"No hay otro"
As elections approach, the oft repeated remark of electors is who can we vote for other than the GSD y Caruana "no hay otro ". Were this remark to be true, it would be an abject and absolute testament to the failure of democracy in Gibraltar. If indeed there is no one else that one can vote for then an election becomes otiose.
Simply because there are elections, there is choice. In an essentially two party system, the choices are more limited, but there exist two alternatives in Gibraltar today. A change in electoral law (promised by all including the GSD but never implemented by any) would result in more representative and wider consensus government; a debate better left for another day.
The decision to vote of each elector, if he is not happy with those who govern at present, is to vote for an alternative to the incumbent government. Change of government is invariably a catalyst for advancement and new ideas. Change can be feared but that fear is attenuated by very existence in our democracy of another election every four years that provides further opportunities to make changes, as necessary.
Even were Gibraltar to go back to the very same government that it voted out previously, those same persons will have learnt that they cannot run roughshod over the electorate without repercussion: a salutary cleansing event that results in improved and better government. Change of governments is a constant theme and occurrence in well developed democracies.
Think about what you want to achieve with your vote. If it is improved democracy that you want, then "no hay otro" is a mantra that is diametrically opposed to that objective. Make a change and see what that brings to Gibraltar. You may be surprised at the outcome. It may not be good in the short term but certainly it will bring improvement in a not very distant future, when you return to the polls.
It may even throw up better alternatives as has happened in the past, remember how the change from GSLP to GSD promised and for a while gave Gibraltar better times? Are they not disappearing fast now due to the ego of just one man? Gibraltar is bigger than one individual. It has more people that can offer good government than just one individual, who thinks he has grown bigger than Gibraltar. perhaps that individual will come back to earth and carry on his good works after a short sharp lesson!
Simply because there are elections, there is choice. In an essentially two party system, the choices are more limited, but there exist two alternatives in Gibraltar today. A change in electoral law (promised by all including the GSD but never implemented by any) would result in more representative and wider consensus government; a debate better left for another day.
The decision to vote of each elector, if he is not happy with those who govern at present, is to vote for an alternative to the incumbent government. Change of government is invariably a catalyst for advancement and new ideas. Change can be feared but that fear is attenuated by very existence in our democracy of another election every four years that provides further opportunities to make changes, as necessary.
Even were Gibraltar to go back to the very same government that it voted out previously, those same persons will have learnt that they cannot run roughshod over the electorate without repercussion: a salutary cleansing event that results in improved and better government. Change of governments is a constant theme and occurrence in well developed democracies.
Think about what you want to achieve with your vote. If it is improved democracy that you want, then "no hay otro" is a mantra that is diametrically opposed to that objective. Make a change and see what that brings to Gibraltar. You may be surprised at the outcome. It may not be good in the short term but certainly it will bring improvement in a not very distant future, when you return to the polls.
It may even throw up better alternatives as has happened in the past, remember how the change from GSLP to GSD promised and for a while gave Gibraltar better times? Are they not disappearing fast now due to the ego of just one man? Gibraltar is bigger than one individual. It has more people that can offer good government than just one individual, who thinks he has grown bigger than Gibraltar. perhaps that individual will come back to earth and carry on his good works after a short sharp lesson!
Friday, 25 December 2009
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
Correct Police Procedures
In his recent reply to Robert Vasquez's letter to the Gibraltar Chronicle, the chairman of the Police Authority said that proper police procedures had been followed in the decision to release the Guardia Civiles who unlawfully landed in Gibraltar. I wonder what these procedures were?
In the short time that elapsed between the incident and the release of the Guardia Civiles, how many persons were identified as witnesses by the police? How many names of witnesses were taken by the police? How many eye witness statements did they take? Who carefully considered the evidence to enable that person to decide that it was all one awful mistake and so the Guardia Civiles should not be arrested or charged but instead should be released?
Time for a full enquiry? surely it must be.
In the short time that elapsed between the incident and the release of the Guardia Civiles, how many persons were identified as witnesses by the police? How many names of witnesses were taken by the police? How many eye witness statements did they take? Who carefully considered the evidence to enable that person to decide that it was all one awful mistake and so the Guardia Civiles should not be arrested or charged but instead should be released?
Time for a full enquiry? surely it must be.
Monday, 21 December 2009
llanito World Starts to Blog
For a while now I have seen the need for a new forum to let off steam.
Letters to the Gibraltar Chronicle are fine but there is a limit to how much one can abuse of their hospitality and there is so much to write about every day, in this the era of Caruana. Caruana, the man who replaced Bossano with the promise of a Gibraltar free of government centralised in one man. Where has that promise disappeared to?
Certainly as events unfold it becomes more and more obvious that his tentacles are spreading far and wide. Was it too soon to name Sir Joshua Hassan "El Pulpo" or is it just that now we have "El Pulpaso". Time will tell...
Bueno bastante para el primer dia ... si no voy a empesar con el cuento de la buena pipita. Pero this is nada a lo ke is coming soon. Stay tuned in cos its going to be a really good ride from now to the elections.
Letters to the Gibraltar Chronicle are fine but there is a limit to how much one can abuse of their hospitality and there is so much to write about every day, in this the era of Caruana. Caruana, the man who replaced Bossano with the promise of a Gibraltar free of government centralised in one man. Where has that promise disappeared to?
Certainly as events unfold it becomes more and more obvious that his tentacles are spreading far and wide. Was it too soon to name Sir Joshua Hassan "El Pulpo" or is it just that now we have "El Pulpaso". Time will tell...
Bueno bastante para el primer dia ... si no voy a empesar con el cuento de la buena pipita. Pero this is nada a lo ke is coming soon. Stay tuned in cos its going to be a really good ride from now to the elections.
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