PN to have witness list tomorrow
Joe Saliba ‘key to PN unity’
Joe Saliba, former PN General Secretary.
Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando will tomorrow present his party with a list of witnesses, which he claims will “corroborate” his allegations against Malta’s outgoing EU Ambassador Richard Cachia Caruana.
This move coincides with Mr Cachia Caruana’s last day as Malta’s permanent representative in Brussels, following an Opposition motion calling for his resignation approved by Parliament with Dr Pullicino Orlando’s backing.
Mr Cachia Caruana was accused of bypassing Parliament on Malta’s reactivation of Partnership for Peace membership.
However, Dr Pullicino Orlando then claimed that Mr Cachia Caruana colluded with high-ranking officials from the 1996-1998 Labour government to “feather his nest” and cause harm to PN officials.
Mr Cachia Caruana has dismissed the allegations – which Dr Pullicino Orlando believes should result in his expulsion from the party – as “ridiculous”.
Though Dr Pullicino Orlando will be presenting his list of witnesses tomorrow, they will not testify at the PN executive meeting to be held on Thursday, but at a later date.
Dr Pullicino Orlando told The Times he had discussed the matter with executive president Marthese Portelli, PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier and deputy leader Tonio Borg.
“Dr Portelli assured me my motion regarding Mr Cachia Caruana’s expulsion will not be discussed on Thursday but that we will simply be agreeing on the procedure to be followed at a meeting scheduled for July 19, when my motion will be discussed.”
Meanwhile, Thursday’s meeting, which has been described by the Prime Minister as one where “important decisions” will be taken, is expected to escalate the PN’s condemnation of Dr Pullicino Orlando and two other Nationalist MPs who disobeyed the party whip in recent weeks.
Dr Pullicino Orlando, who says he will be attending Thursday’s meeting to defend his actions, has questioned how any democratic political party could ever “presume to interfere” with an MP’s parliamentary work.
“The fact that I was censured by the executive for exercising my democratic rights in line with what I have been saying internally for the past four years, was already ultra vires. You would only expect this kind of situation in a totalitarian state in which party and Parliament are one.”
MUGLIETT AWAITS AGENDA
Meanwhile, Nationalist MP Jesmond Mugliett, who abstained on the Opposition motion against Mr Cachia Caruana, said he was waiting for the agenda of Thursday’s meeting before he decided whether or not to attend.
“If there is something that involves a discussion about me I would probably attend,” he said.
On the other hand, Nationalist MP Franco Debono, who voted with the Opposition to oust Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici, hopes to be given a chance to defend his stance during Thursday’s meeting.
Dr Debono wrote to the PN executive to contest his condemnation, mostly on procedural grounds: the fact that he was not given a chance to defend himself.
He will also question the merits and the timing of the condemnation, which was issued three weeks after he voted the minister out and the Prime Minister said the issue was a “closed chapter”.
Dr Debono also plans to ask his party why the government did not present his motion on justice and home affairs to Parliament before the one presented by the Opposition even though it was filed earlier.
FRANCO DEBONO IN CONCILIATORY MODE
However, Dr Debono struck a conciliatory tone when contacted yesterday.
“It is sad to see the party in this state. This is the result of bad decisions and mismanagement. But instead of pointing fingers at each other, we need to acknowledge our own mistakes, including my own, and move forward.
“I believe there is a person who can stop this haemorrhage and his name is (former general secretary) Joe Saliba. He is very down to earth and clear thinking. And I think if he is involved even more, he could be the key,” Dr Debono said.
According to a PN spokesman, both requests by Dr Pullicino Orlando and Dr Debono will be treated as correspondence.
“This basically means the items will be discussed in substance at another meeting the date of which has yet to be established,” the PN said, adding that no similar request had been filed by Mr Mugliett.
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Alfred Farrugia
Jul 11th 2012, 03:11
What official position did Mr. Joe Saliba occupy when the problems between the Hon. Prime Minister and the Hon. Mr. John Dalli started? Why were these problems solved on the eve of the elections and not before? What is Hon. Dr. Franco Debono’s opinion of the current General Secretary of the Party?
Francis Saliba M.D.
Jul 10th 2012, 17:42
JPO has only made promises to provide evidence of wrong doing by RCC because he had colluded with the Labour Party against the interests of the Nationalist Party. We are still at the stage of a promise to produce a list of people. This list proves absolutely nothing until we hear what these people have to say.
The ancient Romans stated the obvious: "Quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur" meaning "If an accuser has given no proof to substantiate his assertion, then there is no need for the accused to produce evidence to reject it"
M Grima
Jul 10th 2012, 16:39
Komplu dahqu in-nies bikhom.
Mr J Xerri
Jul 10th 2012, 14:32
"This move coincides with Mr Cachia Caruana’s last day as Malta’s permanent representative in Brussels," and also the beginning of Parliament summer recess... "X'kumbinazzjoni !!!" we say in Maltese.
Joseph Cauchi Senior
Jul 10th 2012, 14:20
It is becoming more evident by the minute, if ever more proof was needed, that Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando’s mission is to inflict as much damage as possible to the Nationalist Party!
JPO is in continuous collusion with the Malta Labour Party, as things are clearly unravelling themselves!
This is a grave and serious matter and utterly unethical!
Can somebody kindly put some sense in his mind, or does it matter?
One question to Jeffrey Pullicino, why do you persist on this vendetta; you had your pound of flesh, you have ruined your political life, you brought misery to thousands of Maltese and now you want to bring down the PN with you too?
JPO, there is only one thing left for you – JUST CROSS THE FLOOR! – (and finally you will satisfy Joseph Muscat and his ilk) – and let’s go for elections!
JC.
Mr Clayton Mangion
Jul 10th 2012, 13:09
Wounder why Joe Saliba Steped Down From His Position ? Gonzinu maybe !
A Trapani
Jul 10th 2012, 14:56
keep woundering mate
Victor Vella
Jul 10th 2012, 13:05
Mr Cachia Caruana has dismissed the allegations – which Dr Pullicino Orlando believes should result in his expulsion from the party – as “ridiculous”. It seems that for RCC the word ridiculous is very common in his vocab. But up till now he tried to ridicule others while in actual fact he was ridiculed as he had to resign from EU ambassador and in the long run from the PN party.
George Cutajar
Jul 10th 2012, 12:57
For the past four years these three musketeers have been attempting to lay down Parliament's agenda to achieve their own ends. In some cases they succeeded as in the divorce issue and the bringing down of CMB and RCC and on other matters they did not. It is now clear that they are attempting to set the PN's agenda at a time when the Party needs serenity to go for the up coming election.
My personal view and that of many others is that for these three MP's it is 'Game Over'. They did not have the decency to resign and the only way forward is their immediate expulsion from the Party. It is amply clear that JPOS simply wants to inflict maximum damage on the PN through his motion against RCC. It is simply a matter of personal vendetta which has now stooped to limits never seen before. All this talk of collusion and feathering one's nest is JPOS' way of keeping people guessing and instilling doubts in people's minds and in all this he is being very well aided and abetted by JM and his Labour friends.
In Debono's case he is now trying to be conciliatory in his tone but the way he has acted throughout these four years will take much much more than such a tone to be forgotten. As for Mugliette he does not give a hoot and knows that his political career is now over and hence his attitude.
This is the time for the PN to grab the bull by horns, expel these mavericks and go for the election with a united front. The polls published last week leave a lot to interpretation. It is doable but the PN needs to act and act decisively.
George Calleja
Jul 10th 2012, 12:52
Dawn it-tliet deputati, wiehed iktar mill-iehor, kull ma qed jaghmlu hu biex ipaxxu l-egoizmu taghhom u isimhom jissemma bi prominenza fuq il-midja laburista. Infatti hafna mill-ahbarijiet ta ONE huma x'qed jaghmel JPO, Franco u Mugliette. Jien nghid li l-Partit Nazzjonalista ssaportikom iz-zejjed u messu ilu li qaccatkom il-barra. B'li qed jaghmel qed ipaxxi lil Laburisti, u xejn iktar!!! JPO, Franco u Jesmond ghamiltu ghajb lil isimkom l-ewwel u wara lil partit. Itilqu llum qabel ghada!!!!
m. borg (slm)
Jul 10th 2012, 12:17
“It is sad to see the party in this state............." (Franco)
I guess it is even sadder seeing the state you are in Franco, from an earth shaker becoming an ice-cream enthusiast.
I used to have a chiuaua that made a lot of noise when it heard the door bell but scuried away with its tail between its legs as soon as the door opened.
George Azzopardi
Jul 10th 2012, 12:08
Nixtieq naf x'inhu jaghmel Paulu Borg Olivier (PN. suppost Segretary)!!!
O Kassar
Jul 10th 2012, 12:07
The List of witnesses which will be presented by JPO may consist of:
- Labour activitists from the time of Alfred Sant who are now friends of JPO;
- Public officials with labour sympathies who consider this as an opportunity to get some kind of revenge or as a means to get glorified if labour returns to power;
- Opportunistic ex-nationalists who had to leave the party because they brought shame on the party;
- some already know dissenter who is in minority.
So where is credibility in all this? It is becoming obvious that this is another "monatura" with action played behind the scenes. I'm getting doubts if it is RCC or JPO who has actually colluded with the PL. It's not RCC that the PN should get rid of but those sangisugi whose personal agenda has exceeded the limit. The party should remove the cancer and not try to heal it, whatever happens. It cannot be held at ransom by the few.
John Cole Smith
Jul 10th 2012, 13:25
You see these Labour Officials are trustable witnesses.
But didn't JPO in 1996, ,1998 elections, always told us to be aware who to trust, especially the MLP?
So , today the MLP can be trusted?
Henry Mifsud
Jul 10th 2012, 11:29
So now we can rest assured that Joe Saliba is not part of the Oligarchy (sic !?!)
Alfred Attard
Jul 10th 2012, 11:22
I do really agree with Dr Debono that Joe Saliba is the key to unite the party. From now on there should only be a way forward, based on an electoral programm which all members should approve and adhere to, without any personal interests and any private motions unless being priorly discussed within the party structures.
Joseph Cauchi Senior
Jul 10th 2012, 10:29
“Dr Pullicino Orlando, who says he will be attending Thursday’s meeting to defend his actions, has questioned how any democratic political party could ever “presume to interfere” with an MP’s parliamentary work”.
Simple, Mr. JPO; you are NOT doing parliamentary work but executing PERSONAL VENDETTAS!
If executing personal vendettas is parliamentary work for JPO, then I do not know what is!
JC.
Mr Ernest Vella
Jul 10th 2012, 09:57
JPO, ahjar jara x'jaghmel hu...l-inkonsistenza hija ta JPO li jghid mod qabel l-elezzjoni u jaghmel mod iehor wara...biex tiskongra trid tkun pur....imbaghad insaqsi l-akkuzi ta Alfred Sant dwar il-Mistra x'sar minnhom?...jew forsi ghax mhux ta gwadan politiku, il-PL jew Alfred Sant hallewha tmut fuq ruh ommha...Nesa jew kienet recta, il-bikja li beka JPO meta qal li kien ccapsu Alfred Sant x'sar minnha...U tridu tghidu li din hija politika...jekk inhija hekk sewwa jaghmlu n-nies ma jinteressahomx mill-politika. Gabuna fi stat li ma tistax tafda l-vot ma hadd, ghax l-irgulija saret rari fost il-politici tal-lum.
Li zgur naf, dan JPO lili personalment dahhak biha, u zgur u qatt mhu ser nerga nafdah...(dwar l-issue tad-divorzju) JPO giddieb darba giddieb dejjem.
Paul@ Micallef
Jul 10th 2012, 10:28
Ernest dak li ntqal mill-PL dwar JPO u l-Mistra ghadu l-istess. Li inbidel hu dak li ghamel il-PN. Qabel l-elezzjoni ghamel show li JPO huwa innocenti u li Sant kwazi ghamillu frame-up, u wara l-elezzjoni meta rebah, ried ikeccieh mill-partit fuq l-istess akkuzi. Ghalhekk il-PN ma ghadux iktar kredibbli, mhux mal-laburisti imma man-nazzjonalisti stess.
Dennis Zammit
Jul 10th 2012, 09:48
How many PN Executive meeting and PN Administrative meetings have these 3 MPs attended?
I doubt if they even attended 1 in the past 4 years!! So now they want to use this platform for their own personal agenda?
Please choose the reason of your report below: