The whip of the Nationalist Parliamentary group, David Agius, said this afternoon that the group was not telling Franco Debono that he could not criticise the government, but it was unacceptable that he was threatening to bring down the government.

He was reacting to a comment by Dr Debono this morning, where he told timesofmalta.com that it was ironic that people made serious mistakes but were allowed to stay on, whereas he was being asked to go because he had disagreed with the party leader, even though he remained loyal to the party's principles and values.

“This is not what the PN Parliamentary Group decided yesterday,” Mr Agius said in a statement.

“Nobody is telling Franco Debono that he cannot criticize the Government let alone that he cannot disagree with the Prime Minister. He is free to work to correct, or change, what he thinks needs correcting or changing in either the government or the party.

“However, the Parliamentary Group said that it was not acceptable for Franco Debono, whilst doing this, to threaten to bring down the government,” Mr Agius said.

In his comments, Dr Debono also said that it was  'evil', when somebody was unjustly blamed for speaking out against injustices or mistakes, while no action was taken against those who actually committed those mistakes or injustices.  

"It seems that the only wrong one can do in this country is to be in disagreement with Lawrence Gonzi. Everything else goes, but that seems  the great supreme rule which one should never contravene."

He noted that John Dalli had also been forced to resign, even though he had done no wrong.

"I have not spoken to John Dalli for months or years, but it is unfair and unjust  that people go through such useless suffering capriciously."

Dr Debono insisted that ministers had to be accountable for their actions. "In the last years the prime minister did not ask for anyone's resignation and when one was submitted (a reference to Austin Gatt) he refused it.

"It is ironic that he is now asking for the resignation of someone simply because he is in disagreement on matters which Dr Gonzi himself has realised that he was at fault.

"It is a very clear case of two weights and two measures and this does not reflect very well on the essentials of democracy."

Dr Debono said that while some of his constituents were disagreeing with him, he had had a flood of messages of support. They appreciated the fact that he had spoken in their interests regarding the extension of the power station, the extension of the freeport, the fuel dump in Birzebbugia, the failure of the bus service and the rebuilding of Valletta Road, he said.

He had also spoken in their interests when he called for stronger democracy and better functioning courts.

"That is where my loyalty lies," Dr Debono said.

"Party leaders come and go but the core beliefs make a party.

"I hope the members of the parliamentary group are sounding well the sentiment of their constituets and their interests, of which the most important are the fundamentals of democracy. If not, they might well be betraying their constituents themselves. Democracy is above any political party and that is why it is very important for politial parties not to remain the most unregulated bodies at Maltese law." That was why, he said, he had drafted the law on political parties and party financing.

PERSONAL ATTACKS

Dr Debono also referred to reports that the prime minister had spoken out yesterday against personal attacks made against him (Dr Debono) on the internet.

“First of all this dissociation is not appreciated by me and I will  not consider it. The prime minister cannot dissociate himself, and I consider him to be an accomplice because he failed to enact adequate libel laws which would protect the dignity and reputation of individuals while respecting freedom of expression, as well as for other reasons” 

Dr Debono also disclosed that he has been having problems with his mobile phone in the past few months and had reported the matter to his service provider and other people, because he suspected tampering. He is also rarely using the gov.mt e-mail facility. 

Reacting to comments about his professionalism, Dr Debono recalled that in the Cyrus Engerer case, where he was legal counsel to Mr Engerer, he had not informed the party because that would have been a breach of professional ethics.