Last updated - 8.45pm -
The Nationalist Party’s Executive will meet again on Saturday to discuss who the party will co-opt to fill David Stellini's seat in parliament after Jean-Pierre Debono, who was controversially nominated last week, turned down the offer.
It was also announced on Thursday that the PN parliamentary group will be meeting on Monday afternoon, the first time since April 15.
Opposition Whip Robert Cutajar confirmed the parliamentary group meeting in reply to questions sent by Times of Malta earlier this week when it was reported that the group had not met for almost two months.
In his comments, Mr Cutajar declined to say what was on the agenda. “This is never sent in advance and has been the practice under different leaderships,” he said.
He denied reports that this meeting was being held upon the request of a number of a number of MPs. “No such request has been ever made,” he noted as he insisted that the group was not convened this week due to the tight parliamentary schedule, and in view of the fact that some PN MPs were indisposed.
“A number of MPs had written to me saying they would be abroad, and consequently requested not to convene the group until their return,” he added.
Asked about the fact that the group had not met in almost two months, the Opposition whip said that the Easter break and the government’s decision to adjourn Parliament for two weeks, meant that there were no pressing parliamentary issues to debate.
The PN statute says that the group must meet at least once a month.
Executive to meet on Saturday
Meanwhile the PN executive committee will be meeting on Saturday morning to decide who will be co-opted in Parliament to fill the seat vacated last week by David Stellini, who is returning to an old job in Brussels.
The agenda also includes a presentation on the result of the European and council elections held last month in which the party suffered historic defeats; and the setting up of an electoral commission to fill in the vacant seats in both the executive committee and the administrative council.
The notice of the meeting says that anybody unable to attend must inform the party’s political coordinator Jean Pierre Debono.
Mr Debono has been in the eye of a storm after the Executive by a majority of two, originally decided that he should be co-opted to fill Mr Stellini's seat, despite protests from many who argued that the seat should be taken by Kevin Cutajar as the next best-placed candidate in Gozo, from where Mr Stellini had been elected.
It then resulted that two of those who voted in the Executive were not entitled to do so, and the list of voters. It was claimed that it was Mr Debono himself who compiled the list of voters. Mr Debono denied the claim but subsequently declared he would not take up the seat in parliament.
Kevin Cutajar said on Thursday that progress has been registered in the Nationalist Party regarding the seat vacated by David Stellini.
Candidate Joseph Ellis backs Cutajar
In the evening, PN election candidate Joe Ellis published a letter he had sent PN general secretary Clyde Puli. He thanked him for having invited him to declare whether he had an interest in Mr Stellini's seat, but said he felt the seat should go to Dr Cutajar, who was eminently qualified for it.
