Updated | Borg Olivier reiterates stand on Debono ban, MP – comment is ‘out of point, out of context’

Updated at 12:53pm with comment from Paul Borg Olivier, PN secretary-general.

Franco Debono's adversarial image inside the Nationalist Party appears to have allowed Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil to project an image of a peacemaker in the run-up to a deputy leadership election, although the PN's central office is adamant to portray itself as unflinching in its decision to ban Debono from the electoral list of candidates.

In less than 24 hours, Busuttil's olive branch to Debono was followed by a comment from the PN to The Times that the party "was not for turning" on the MP's banning from next year's PN ticket, and a comment by independent MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando on his Facebook profile that the MEP had been "obviously overruled by Austin Gatt and RCC [Richard Cachia Caruana]".

PN secretary-general Paul Borg Olivier today said Austin Gatt's and Cachia Caruana's roles in the party was no different to other roles inside the party, when asked during a press conference today about their influential hold on the party. "I agree that the PN is a party of reconciliation... but the position of the PN is what it is, and it will stay the way it was when we took our decision on Franco Debono."

Before the start of the 12:30pm press conference, Debono was seen entering the PN's headquarters and speaking to the receptionist, but he left almost immediately in visibly a huff. One of the journalists present who managed to ask Debono present, asked: "Have you come for reconciliation?" to which Debono brushed off: "What reconciliation?"

It is also clear that Debono, who has claimed that he was "approached" by well-wishers to contest the deputy leadership, is not being considered welcome by the party machinery to test its limits by submitting an outsider candidature.

Debono, who was banned for voting in favour of the Opposition motion that brought about the resignation of home affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici, today said on his blog that the PN's comment had been "out of point and out of context".

"Simon did not mention election bans and details. He just said that everyone must acknowledge his responsibilities but this can be done in unity. He was very generic in his message about responsibilities, unity and reconciliation," Debono said of Busuttil's interview on Nationalist radio 101.

"[It] doesn't make any sense to be honest, but it does not even respect the fact that a new deputy leader could have a different view of things in general. Otherwise all this deputy leadership affair is useless. Why did the statement mention election bans and what not when Simon mentioned nothing of the sort?"

If the PN's strong statement appeared as some mise-en-scène to shore up Busuttil's image as a conciliatory deputy leader candidate, independent MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando suggests otherwise:

"Even though Simon wishes there would be reconciliation with Franco, those who are leading the PN today - Austin Gatt and Richard Cachia Caruana - prefer otherwise," Pullicino Orlando told MaltaToday.

"I have no need to believe that Simon wasn't being genuine in his statement," he said, but added that this could be the case of "the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing".

Pullicino Orlando said the same situation had taken place in the €12.4 million lease-and-buy deal of the St Philip's Hospital. "At one point, Health Minister Joe Cassar said government will not sign the deal before it is discussed in Cabinet. Soon after, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech issued a statement saying government would plough ahead with the deal."

Simon Busuttil, a favourite touted for the deputy leadership, yesterday said Debono had "taken responsibility for his actions" and that in a recent "amicable" meeting in Valletta he had found the MP "very conciliatory".

"I say that if there is a possibility for reconciliation and unity, not just with Franco but with everybody who is hurt, we must take that step. The people want it," Busuttil said on Radio 101 in response to a caller who had 'observed' a softening in Debono's threats to vote against the government.

On his part, Debono has not relented on his sniping at transport minister Austin Gatt, against whom he has failed a motion of no confidence which so far is not scheduled for debate.

"90% of all PN troubles erupted when Austin Gatt did not resign after BWSC and Arriva last November," Debono said of the public transport reform hiccups and controversy over the diesel engine turbines provided by the Danish firm.

"Austin Gatt is NOT the PN. I appreciate Simon Busuttil's reconciliatory stand in regards to Nationalists who have left the party in recent years... The party must admit where it made mistakes and where it went wrong, and others would do the same too. But for heaven's sake, do you think Austin Gatt can ever form part of this equation? Will he ever admit his great failures and mistakes? That is why there can be no real reconciliation as long as Austin Gatt is around and dictating PN statements."