Cold shoulder from Edgar Galea Curmi kept Franco Debono from Castille

Nationalist MP Franco Debono has challenged Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi to question the worthiness of his closest advisor, hinting at a months-long issue with head of secretariat Edgar Galea Curmi which has kept him away from Castille for the past six months.

Debono – who last Friday shocked government by abstaining from voting against an Opposition motion that called for transport minister Austin Gatt’s resignation – expressed astonishment at Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s statement that [Debono’s] role as parliamentary assistant “is a matter that will be looked into in the coming months”.

“What should have been said is that I have not been to Castille for months, and the Prime Minister knows why,” the MP said, adding that the time will come when the reasons will be known.

It was here that Debono questioned the Prime Minister on his closest advisor.

While stressing on his excellent rapport with the Prime Minister’s secretariat, not quite the same could be said about Galea Curmi.

“It took me a whole year to finally get to meet with Edgar Galea Curmi since I was elected to parliament, who as chief advisor to the Prime Minister, should at least find the time to meet with government MPs,” he said.

He refused to go into the details of the underlying issues with the PM’s chief of staff, but went on to say that as a parliamentary assistant at OPM, he has worked, and seeks to continue to contribute to the country in every way possible.

Debono claims to be “satisfied and relieved” that he is not alone in his belief that the time has come for government and the PN leadership to recognise the urgency to address important democratic changes that are needed to match the aspiration of the modern Maltese.

He claims to have been privately approached by a number of MPs who have shown “exceptional warmth” towards him, expressing support for the issues he raised on the public transport reform fiasco, however also expressing themselves reluctant to insist for Austin Gatt’s resignation, and added that he has no issue with voting in favour of a vote of confidence in Lawrence Gonzi’s government.

“It was I who gave [Gonzi] the advice to call for a vote of confidence in the eventuality that I abstained on the Opposition’s motion on Austin Gatt,” he said.

Debono will face Gonzi Monday evening for the first time since his outburst in parliament last Friday, as the PN has summoned its parliamentary group ahead of Tuesday’s vote of confidence.

The meeting has been summoned on a proposal by the MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, who said that the meeting was necessary for the “air to be cleared”. In another development, the PN has also summoned its General Council to convene on 17 to 19 November.

This story appeared first on MaltaToday on Sunday.