Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in a statement today said he deplored the manner in which a US Embassy cable was being spun by certain elements within the media.
Dr Gonzi was reacting to the publication by Wikileaks of a US embassy cable where he is reported to have lamented to the US Ambassador that the elected Nationalist MPs offered "a limited talent pool" from which to select ministers that were matched well with their competencies.
The comment was made before the last election.
According to the cable, Dr Gonzi wished it was possible to draw ministers from business or academia, something that is not possible in Malta.
In the statement today, the Office of the Prime Minister said: "It is clear from the Embassy cable that the Prime Minister was not in any way discussing individuals but that he was explaining Malta's Constitutional provisions on the appointment of Ministers. Contrary to the United States where the President can nominate any citizen to such a post, the Prime Minister in Malta can only appoint Ministers from among Members of Parliament. Thus, in the Maltese system, although certain persons may be very competent to serve as Ministers, they cannot be appointed."
The comment by Dr Gonzi was made to then Ambassador Molly Bordonaro.
The cable also reveals the Ambassador's own assessment of some members of the Cabinet after the election.
She welcomed the appointment of Tonio Borg as Foreign Minister, saying he had a 'fondness for the United States.'
Tonio Fenech's promotion to Minister of Finance, Economy and Investment was also 'very welcome news.'
"Fenech is seen as a rising star in the Nationalist Party, perhaps even a future Prime Minister," the Ambassador said.
Minister for Justice and Home Affairs (MJHA) Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici was said to be 'more of an unknown'.
"The embassy's infrequent contacts with him at MJHA (Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs) left the impression that he was not especially competent or engaged and unaware of most issues on which the Embassy worked with MJHA, though that may have been partially a function of the job he was in."
On Austin Gatt, the Ambassador wrote: "Gatt is sharp and ambitious, a
minister we can do business with (despite an abrasive streak that rankles with some European ambassadors, we find his frankness and straightforwardness refreshing.)"