Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said today that he was serene when the vote of no confidence was taken in parliament yesterday, and he remained serene because he had prepared himself for every eventuality.

Interviewed on Bondi+ the former minister of home affairs said he was serene also in the knowledge that he had done everything he could for the Maltese people.

He said he would continue to serve in this legislature as a backbencher and intended to be a candidate for the next general election, if the PN accepted him.

Replying to questions by Lou Bondi, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said: "As a minister, I could not do more for the people."

Every minster knew that the prime minister could ask him at any day to step down, he said, and in the past four years every morning he told himself that this could be his last day in office and he therefore worked hard to ensure that every day, he did a good job for the country.

He was not surprised by Dr Franco Debono's vote, he said, because of his attitude and public declarations.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said he felt that he had upheld the family honour because he sought to be honest, humble and in the service of the people. He did not think that his grandfather Carmelo (Il-Gross, a PN minister of education, the police and finance) and his father Ugo (a former minister of education, and later president) would  have anything to criticise in his behaviour and his ministerial work.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said that whereas in a court of law, a person was presumed innocent until proven guilty, he had found himself in a political situation where everyone had decided how he would vote and then tried to find the evidence to back that decision.

He said that it was his wish to continue to be of service to the people. He would serve as a backbencher, as he had done in his five years as an MP (1998-2003) and would be a candidate in the next election 'if the PN accepts me' he said.