Government cannot prolong its problems – Frank Portelli

In an interview with Sunday newspaper Illum, former PN President Frank Portelli says that just like the tragedy of the Titanic, the PN needs to identify and assess the damaged area and repair it.

"I believe that the situation should be resolved in not more than a few weeks' time. I will not quantify the days or weeks, but it should definitely not take four months. This would be wrong," Portelli said.

With reference to the internal rift within the PN, Portelli insisted "Franco was the man who fronted the issue, but there are other people with him, not only from the backbench but also from within the party."

Portelli added that while he had worked hard to see Lawrence Gonzi as Prime Minister - as he believed that at the time Gonzi was the man the country needed to lead it during difficult times - he now admitted that he was "sorry and disappointed" to see rifts both within the PN and in government.

Read the full interview with Illum