Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has insisted that nobody can threaten him on any issue, though he admits that he is concerned that certain Nationalist MPs are openly expressing disgruntlement.
In an interview with The Sunday Times and timesofmalta.com, Dr Gonzi also says he will contest the next election as the Nationalist Party's leader and that he is "absolutely not" thinking of stepping down despite talk of a successor.
The Prime Minister defends PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier, saying he has full confidence in him, but adds that he does "not interfere at all in decisions taken by individuals" that may wish to contest the post in future.
The Prime Minister also says his decision to go for a smaller Cabinet has positives and negatives, though he wants to give it more time before reviewing the situation.
Asked about the Bahrija controversy, Dr Gonzi said that apparently the permit was validly issued. The Mepa chairman and auditor had now been asked to verify it. If there was something irregular, he would be the first to ask not just for the withdrawal of the permit, but also the resignation of the person concerned, Dr Gonzi said.
Read the interview in The Sunday Times today.