Franco Debono said this evening that he resigned from the Nationalist Party four months ago but his resignation was not accepted.

He was speaking on Bla Agenda on One TV.

Dr Debono made his statement even as the Prime Minister, speaking at the same time on Disett on PBS, said that in view of Dr Debono's declaration earlier today that he would serve under anyone except him (Dr Gonzi) this was a matter for the PN and it would be discussed within the party organs in the coming days.

Dr Gonzi said he was prepared to step down if that was in the interests of the country because all MPs were there to serve the country.

The issue, he said, had come up solely because Dr Debono was not made a minister. There was no other logical explanation.

He noted that he had spent hours on the phone with Dr Debono in the past few days. Dr Debono never asked for his resignation. But he did so for the first time yesterday, just minutes after the Cabinet reshuffle was announced, and he was not made a minister.

On Bla Agenda, Dr Debono called on the members of the Cabinet to refund the honaria they have been receiving since 2008 and said he agreed that Parliament should be reconvened with urgency in view of the current situation.

PN spokesman Frank Psaila said that Dr Debono submitted his resignation from the party more than once and then withdrew it.

He said that at this stage Dr Debono should publish all SMSs and e-mails sent by him to Prime Minister and party leader Lawrence Gonzi and General Secretary Paul Borg Olivier.

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