The Nationalist Party said today that it has a signed declaration by 33 government MPs saying they never had any intention to vote for the Opposition's motion calling for the resignation of Richard Cachia Caruana.

In a statement, the party said that in view of this declaration, it was asking Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando to substantiate the claim he made in Parliament on Monday that there were up to 10 Nationalist MPs who had wished to back the Opposition's motion.

The PN listed the names of the MPs who signed its declaration - all MPs except Dr Pullicino Orlando and Jesmond Mugliett.. They include Franco Debono, who was condemned by the PN Executive yesterday for his vote on the motion against Carm Mifsud Bonnici in the same statement where Dr Pullicino Orlando and Mr Mugliett were condemned for their vote against Mr Cachia Caruana.

Mr Debono was himself a fierce critic of Mr Cachia Caruana, but when the vote against Dr Mifsud Bonnici was taken, he declared he would not vote against the government in the Cachia Caruana motion.

PULLICINO ORLANDO STANDS BY HIS STATEMENT

In a reaction Dr Pullicino Orlando said that he stood by his declaration that 10 government MPs wished to vote for the motion. He said the exchanges he had with the MPs would remain confidential despite this declaration, but he even had SMSs where some of them said as much. He had retained them but would not publish them.