JPO hits out at PN executive for omitting RCC expulsion request

Nationalist backbencher Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando has hit out at the PN executive committee President Marthese Portelli, who has so far indicated that the party's executive will "only be discussing" the letter he sent asking for Richard Cachia Caruana's expulsion as "mere correspondence" in the forthcoming 12 July meeting.

Speaking to MaltaToday, Pullicino Orlando - who voted with the Opposition on 19 June and led to Cachia Caruana's resignation as Malta's Permanent Representative to the EU - said that "the issue will not be included in the agenda of the meeting to be held on 12 July".

Pullicino Orlando reiterated: "I have up to five witnesses who will corroborate what I said with regards to Cachia Caruana."

Asked as to whether he would continue to back government in the wake of speculation about moves within the party to have him expelled together with fellow MPs Franco Debono and Jesmond Mugliett, the Zebbug MP replied: "I have already indicated that I will continue to support the government till the end of the present legislature in my speech in Parliament."

However, Pullicino Orlando hit back as his critics, insisting that it is unheard of for democratic parties to censure their MPs for exercising their democratic rights in Parliament in any way they deem to be correct, even if that may be perceived by some as being against the party line.

"Imagine if that were to happen in Britain or in Italy, where politicians in both countries regularly vote with opposing parties on certain issues," he said.

Meanwhile, government whip David Agius has defended MPs who did not toe the party line in recent parliamentary votes.

Interviewed on TodayNews Focus, Agius says that he would not condemn any MP who did not vote with government.

"They are free to believe whatever they wish, but should also be conscious of the consequences. However, we must not rush to judge anybody," Agius said, adding that as long as the MP commits to back government, then nobody should bar the MP from contesting the forthcoming election.

While Pullicino Orlando and Mugliett have already indicated that they will not seek re-election, Debono insists that he still intends to run.

"As I said, as long as the MP commits to backing government and will seek to bring issues before internal structures, then I will back that MP to contest the next election on the PN ticket," Agius said.

He warned however that he could not back an MP who would obstinately show dissent towards the party leadership or government policies.

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech has said that whoever doesn't toe the party line must accept the fact that there are consequences, and that the party has the right to exercise disciplinary action.

Interviewed in Illum, Fenech expresses his frustration at the fact that a divided party "cannot go serenely before the electorate".

Describing the legislature led by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi as "the most difficult since the 70s," Fenech admitted that the problems within the PN parliamentary group are "internal issues which are blotting the success achieved by government, despite the crises which are depleting the European economies and beyond".

Fenech acknowledged that every recent survey showed that the Labour Party was ahead of the PN by 12 percentage points. "It is true that the PN has been in government for a number of years, but this doesn't mean anything, because these are the results that count.

"I feel frustrated when I see that the good work being done by government is being blotted by internal disputes," Fenech says, adding that despite having new faces in Cabinet when compared with those on the opposition benches, "we still end up delivering a distorted message to the electorate of political fatigue, when this is truly not the case".

Former minister Censu Galea said that he had recommended calling an election quite a long time ago.

"I said this internally and I say it again. In the wake of such dissent which has caused severe damage to the PN's image in government, an election should have been called earlier," Galea said.

Other MPs shied from expressing themselves on whether Franco Debono should be allowed to re-candidate himself with the PN in the forthcoming elections.

Mosta MP Edwin Vassallo replied: "that is my business, and not yours. I consider your questions to be sickening and typical of political journalists who have nothing better to do than ask my opinion on whether an MP should be allowed to stand for the PN or not."

Sliema MP Karl Gouder was more eloquent in his response to our questions, explaining that he would wait for the PN executive committee to meet and discuss matters, and that is where he would express his opinion.