Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil yesterday told Jesmond Mugliett that he intends to stand for the deputy leadership of the party, according to the rebel MP.

However, when contacted Dr Busuttil said he met with Mr Mugliett as well as MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando to “hear their views before taking a decision” on the whether to contest.

Simon Busuttil

The post was vacated by Foreign Minister Tonio Borg, who has been nominated as Malta’s European Commissioner in the wake of John Dalli’s resignation.

Mr Mugliett, who remains a Nationalist MP but whose relationship with the party has soured, described his one-on-one meeting with Dr Busuttil as “very cordial”.

“I felt very comfortable saying what I have to say,” he said.

However, the rebel MP said: “As a citizen I hope the party gets better leadership... but my days in politics and the Nationalist Party are numbered so the race does not interest me directly.”

Dr Pullicino Orlando, who in July left the PN to become an independent MP, confirmed he had met Dr Busuttil but refused to divulge any details of their conversation.

Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando

“What I can say is that if Simon decides to contest, it will be very strange to have a deputy leader who wants reconciliation when the party wants confrontation. It does not make sense.”

Dr Pullicino Orlando was referring to comments by Dr Busuttil on Thursday that he would favour reconciling with PN rebel MP Franco Debono as long as everyone assumed their responsibilities. Dr Debono, like Mr Mugliett and Dr Pullicino Orlando, was banned from contesting on the party ticket four months ago.

The PN reacted sharply to Dr Busuttil’s declaration on Thursday night by saying: “The position of the party executive regarding Franco Debono stands and the Nationalist Party is not for turning on this matter.”

PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier yesterday stood by the party’s statement, which he said was made in response to a request for the party’s stand to be clarified.

He added that Dr Busuttil had spoken in a wider context about the PN being the party of “national reconciliation”.

But while the party’s position also got the stamp of approval from Land Minister Jason Azzopardi (who recently said he decided not to run for the deputy leader position), Dr Pullicino Orlando said the PN had “humiliated” the well-meaning Dr Busuttil.

Asked by The Times if he was genuinely interested in reconciliation, Dr Pullicino Orlando said that he was hoping to rejoin the PN once Austin Gatt and Richard Cachia Caruana were no longer involved.

“There will definitely not be any reconciliation before the election, in the sense that I will remain an independent MP. The party today does not represent my feelings and those of many other Nationalists, as exemplified by the polls.”

Meanwhile Dr Debono, who was yesterday seen walking into the PN headquarters but quickly walked back out after speaking to a receptionist, said: “They want war? They will have it,” discarding the less confrontational tone he had begun to use in the past days.