‘Nationalist clique must go’, says district heavyweight Robert Arrigo

Nationalist MP Robert Arrigo has called for the complete removal of the so called 'clique' within the Nationalist Party, insisting that the posts of party leader, deputy leader, and secretary-general, should be contested by new, fresh people.

He also went as far as to add that presidential posts in the party's executive committee and the administrative council should be similarly vacated and contested by new people.

Arrigo was speaking to MaltaToday following a no holds barred message he posted to his Facebook page, in which Arrigo told the public that "the klikka must go in its entirety."

"So far only Dr Gonzi and Dr Borg Oliver have shouldered responsibility," he noted. "Others should follow suit and not resort to excuses of coming here only recently," possibly referencing statements by Busuttil published in the Times, where he insisted that his participation in the PN's campaign did not improve the PN's odds.

"A clean and total change is the only remedy for such a disaster," Arrigo insisted.

In his address, Arrigo also took the PN to task over how he was neglected by its campaign machine which he said overlooked him in favour of other candidates.

"The party gave me the airtime that was allocated, across the board, to all PN candidates, but completely left me out of any other press conferences, NET TV programmes, radio, newspapers, and other TV stations. Other competing candidates had a field day, and were pushed by the party. Some had three to six media events in one day," Arrigo said.

Notably, Arrigo also insisted that other candidates had the luxury of being backed up by supporting staff to carry out their campaigns that were "paid by the taxpayer" and which were "transferred to a private apartment in Sliema to conduct a campaign from the taxpayers' money."

Contacted by MaltaToday to clarify who this clique might also refer to aside from Gonzi and Paul Borg Olivier, Arrigo held back from naming individuals directly, but reiterated the suggestion that Busuttil should follow Gonzi and Borg Olivier in not seeking reconfirmation for his post.

"Dr Gonzi and Dr Borg Olivier shouldered their responsibility. They were the number one and number three people in the party," he said, in an obvious hint to Simon Busuttil, the number two of the party.

However Arrigo also went further, calling on those within the party occupying various positions to similarly step down. "What about the rest, the visual people and the back room persons?"

He said that while these should not be cast out of the party, they should nevertheless resign from their posts to allow the party the opportunity to renew itself by bringing in fresh blood.

"I am not stating they should leave the PN. After all, despite my humiliation over the past five years, I did not leave. I strongly opine that they should leave their jobs/posts within the party forthwith, paving the way for total new blood."

Pressed on whether he was referring to PN strategists such as Austin Gatt, Joe Saliba, and Richard Cachia Caruana, Arrigo rather pointed to people occupying administrative and executive roles within the party.

"The posts of leader, vice leader, secretary general, and presidential posts of executive committee and the administrative council should be all contested by new, fresh people," he said.

"Responsibility should be shouldered. Anybody shying away from this is there for his/her ego trip only," he said.

Arrigo was reticent to elaborate regarding his revelation that one or more candidates benefited from tax-paid staff, simply saying that it was up to the media to investigate.