Paul Borg Olivier spent the past five years “suffering in silence” and being used as a “punching bag”, he confessed yesterday.
TeamPN is only complete when we all unite behind the new leadership
He told his party’s general council he was proud of his term as PN general secretary because satisfaction was not measured by success alone but also in service itself.
“I felt I served according to my abilities... to serve means you must suffer in silence. I did so with loyalty. I was satisfied to be a buffer to internal dissent,” he said.
“I was also the punching bag. But with a punching bag, the more you hit it, the stronger it gets.”
Dr Borg Olivier said he was often at the receiving end of calls and SMSs at all hours of the day from dissident MPs who constantly threatened the collapse of the government.
His job was to keep things “contained” in the hope that Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi could focus on the national interest.
“We felt we had an obligation to bring the ship to harbour,” he said, adding that the government managed to survive the full length of a legislature.
Without mentioning former MP Franco Debono by name, Dr Borg Olivier said he recalled being at a meeting with a dissident MP and Dr Gonzi.
“This dissenter told me he would publicly say that the outcome of the meeting was thanks to me. But I told him it was thanks to the PN. I didn’t want to be a protagonist,” he said.
“TeamPN is only complete when we all unite behind the new leadership. The PN must be the protagonist, not us,” he added.
Dr Borg Olivier asked for forgiveness for any shortcomings, stressing that if he ever ignored people it was unintentional and only due to his other commitments.
The former general secretary – who has now been replaced by Chris Said – also said he accepted criticism but was proud of being able to say that he never used the position for personal gain.
In fact, he had relinquished his general election candidature to dedicate himself to the party.
Dr Borg Olivier thanked PN employees and said he was convinced the new leadership would overcome the party’s financial difficulties.
He also paid tribute to Dr Gonzi, describing him as a gentleman and a statesman who, like him, suffered in silence as he faced countless hurdles.