JPO motion: RCC calls on EFA to defend him

PN sources have revealed to maltastar.com how the core group within the party plans to deal with the latest internal crisis hitting the party.

The first step was to decide to hold the Executive Committee meeting on Thursday 12 July 2012, the day after parliament goes into its summer recess to ensure that whatever happens in the meeting will not have any immediate repercussions on the one seat majority of the government. Thursday is also the day after Richard Cachia Caruana is expected to leave his post as Malta’s EU Permanent representative after government was defeated in parliamentary vote on a motion calling for his resignation.

The core group of the PN has decided not to treat MP Franco Debono, MP Jesmond Mugliett and MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando in the same way. Although Debono is deemed to have gone against the party by voting against Carm Mifsud Bonnici in the parliamentary motion that led to his resignation as Home Affairs Minister, it is being argued that Debono always said he would do so. While the Executive Committee will not withdraw its condemnation of him it will issue a press release that will be conciliatory towards Debono.

The core group wants Franco Debono to keep on thinking that the PN will allow him to contest the coming election its ticket. The core group wants to postpone a new flare up between Debono and MP Beppe Fenech Adami who is lobbying his colleagues not to allow Debono to remain a PN candidate for the coming election. While a group in the party wants Debono to be a PN candidate on the 5th District to stem the hemorrhage of votes that the PN is having in that district, another group does not want Debono as a PN candidate.

The core group wants the party to come down hard on MPs Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Jesmond Mugliett as they took the party by surprise by not declaring their voting intentions beforehand.

To appear firm, after two Sundays ago he said that further steps will be taken against the two MPs, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi is expected to recommend to the Executive Committee not to allow Pullicino Orlando and Mugliett to contest the coming election on the party ticket.

While appearing tough, Gonzi’s stand will make the members of the Executive Committee smile as both Pullicino Orlando and Mugliett have already said they have decided not to contest the coming election. Pullicino Orlando has even said that he does not intend to vote.

While the general public and the media are expecting the motion calling for the expulsion of Richard Cachia Caruana from the PN to be discussed on Thursday. The motion will be discussed the following week. Lawrence Gonzi is preparing to take a strong stand in favour of Richard Cachia Caruana during the debate on the motion. But Cachia Caruana thinks it is not enough and has asked Dr Eddie Fenech Adami to turn up and defend him in the motion presented by MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando calling for his expulsion from the party as he accuses him of colluding with Labour Party officials for his personal interest.