Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/286290
MATTHEW VELLA THE bizarre ending to yesterday's hastily convened Cabinet reshuff le was a snapshot posted on the prime minister's Twitter feed – 'having a chat with Godfrey Farrugia' – after a day spent informing his ministers with new, onerous portfolios. Unlike his predecessor, Joseph Muscat did not make his Cabinet reshuff le announcement at Castille, whet- ting journalists' appetite for explanations on his choices but more importantly, about the resignation of health minister Godfrey Farrugia. Unlike Lawrence Gonzi did back in 2012, Muscat re- fused to open himself up to probing questions on his boasts only twelve months ago that his would be "the best Cabinet ever"; on whether he had made the wrong choice in appointing the untested Godfrey Farrugia to health minister and the equally unprepared Franco Mercieca to parliamentary secretary; on whether he was wrong to give him a 'waiver' on the code of ethics so that the ophthalmological surgeon could carry on with his practice. The event came and went by means of a Facebook status updated posted by Farrugia's partner Marlene Farrugia, also a Labour MEP, at 10 am; and finally by Muscat's tweet at 5:24pm: an entire day of important political changes and unanswered ques- tions on the state of Malta's national healthcare service relegated to tweets and live-blogs, played out on the social media as it were just a game. Even the names of Muscat's appointments: Karmenu Vella as EU Commissioner, pro- motions for Owen Bonnici (justice and culture minister), Chris Agius (parliamentary secretary), Michael Farrugia (social policy minister), Justyne Caruana (parliamentary secretary), Konrad Mizzi (health and energy) and Chris Fearne as parliamentary secretary, and Michael Falzon for planning parliamen- tary secretary; all these were fed to the media machine and announced in a trickle of social media announce- ments. Observers will dissect the appointments: energy and health are a super-ministry for the young Mizzi; putting Falzon – who is drafting the fireworks factory develop- ment policy for MEPA at the political head of MEPA – is in itself controversial; Bonnici as culture and justice minister will be welcomed. And new faces inside the Cabinet as parliamentary secretaries are sure to add new energy to the current crop. JURGEN BALZAN AFTER weeks of speculation on the looming Cabinet reshuffle, former health minister Godfrey Farrugia jumped the gun and forced the Prime Minister's hand in moving his announcement forward by a few days. Yesterday morning, in an un- expected twist, the Zebbug family doctor's resignation was announced on his partner's – Labour MP Marlene Farrugia – Facebook page. It was a day for social media – with reporters announcing the Cabinet line-up in tweets, and no official statement from the Department of Infor- mation even a n nou nc i ng F a r r u g i a ' s resignation. In a letter sent to Prime Minister Joseph Mus- cat, Farrugia said that he was resigning because he did not feel comfortable occupying the min- istry vacated by Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, who this Friday becomes President. In the letter posted on Face- book, the popular family doctor thanked Muscat for offering him the post of "minister for social policy and family affairs and an- other ministry." "However, I inform you that I do not wish to occupy this portfolio and therefore I am tendering my resignation," Farrugia wrote in what read like somewhat bitter letter. Muscat cancelled a 1pm visit to the University of Malta, and in- stead headed to Girgenti to start his Cabinet reshuffle. YOUR FIRST READ AND FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT Newspaper post maltatoday SUNDAY • 30 MARCH 2014 • ISSUE 751 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY €1.20 LARA DIMITRIJEVIC INTERVIEWED PGS 12-13 It's summertime. The clocks have moved one hour forward! xxxxx The minister resigned, and the Prime Minister tweeted CONTINUES ON PAGE 3 CONTINUES ON PAGES 4-5 Hunters want to catch 2.6 million finches in two months Muscat panders to hunters in plan to reintroduce fi nch trapping in collision course with Brussels SEE PAGE 6 PAGE 18 'Resignations and reshuffles demand explanations, not evading the press.' Saviour Balzan Godfrey Farrugia resigns from health minister, Muscat reshuffl es Cabinet, appoints Karmenu Vella as European Commissioner - no press conference, no explanations, just a tweet from his phone Health minister tenders resignation after one year