It was a bitter pill for Hermann Schiavone to swallow when the PN executive stopped him from contesting the general election.

The decision came on the back of an incident involving former PN MP Franco Debono, who claimed Dr Schiavone had linked him to an anonymous letter in 2003.

In the 2003 election Dr Schiavone was forced to withdraw his candidature on the fifth electoral district – the same one contested by Dr Debono – after an anonymous letter alleged he was involved in some wrongdoing.

But Dr Schiavone harbours no resentment and today he will be one of 43 candidates vying for a post on the same executive that stopped his election candidature in its tracks. When asked whether he felt it strange that he was gunning for such a post, Dr Schiavone said the party did not ban him but merely prevented him from contesting the general election.

“It is common knowledge that I was a victim of the circumstances at the time.

“I did not deserve being stopped but although I disagreed with the decision, I accepted it out of loyalty to the party,” he said.

Dr Schiavone added that during the campaign he openly supported other candidates on the fifth district and urged supporters to vote.

“Today even top exponents in the PN say that the decision in my regard was not right.”