Nationalist MP Franco Debono yesterday promised to support the government for the rest of this legislature but stood by his claim that the Prime Minister was not against his contesting the election.
“Now that I have said what I had to say, did what I had to do, things have started to change. People have resigned, we have embarked on reforms which were being blocked. So now I will support the government for the rest of the legislature,” Dr Debono said.
“I gave my word to the Prime Minister and I will stand by it.”
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi on Monday denied wanting Dr Debono as a Nationalist Party electoral candidate.
However, Dr Debono said that, when he had asked Dr Gonzi what his reaction would be, he replied that he was in favour and that the backbencher should do home visits.
“The Prime Minister told me I should criticise the Labour Party since I had criticised my party on certain issues,” Dr Debono said, pointing out that various Nationalist MPs were in favour of his continuing contribution within the party.
A PN spokesman insisted that MPs who voted with the opposition in Parliament had to face “consequences”.
Dr Debono last month effectively ousted Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici by voting for an opposition censure motion that also called for Dr Mifsud Bonnici’s resignation.
The backbencher, who has since supported the government on two votes, pointed out that, should he decide to contest the next election, this would be subject to the approval of the party’s executive committee.
Last week, the committee condemned Dr Debono for the way he voted against Dr Mifsud Bonnici but Dr Debono is contesting the declaration on “procedural grounds”. He said he would “bow” to the executive committee’s final decision.
He asked, however, whether the executive committee would also condemn those responsible for bringing for debate in Parliament Labour’s motion on justice and home affairs before his “positive proposals” even though his own motion was presented a month earlier.
Dr Debono pointed out that his motion was heading for “unanimous approval” in the House.