Let’s move on, urge PN MPs
But Pullicino Orlando should have resigned
The Nationalist Parliamentary group appears to agree that the party should continue to serve a full term, despite one of its members now assuming an independent role.Pullicino Orlando’s letter clearly states he will support the PN programme. That means the party can continue its legislative programme in Parliament
At the same time, many agreed that Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando should have also given up his seat in Parliament because he was elected on the party’s list.
For Beppe Fenech Adami – one of the most outspoken MPs – the developing political situation is not easy. However, he said that if Dr Pullicino Orlando’s words were to be taken seriously, the government still commanded a working majority in Parliament.
“Dr Pullicino Orlando’s letter clearly states he will support the PN programme. That means the party can still continue its legislative programme in Parliament.”
Former Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici, who was ousted from his Cabinet post a few weeks ago after Nationalist MP Franco Debono voted with a Labour motion, also feels that the government should move on.
“I recognise this is a unique situation and we have to see how it develops.
“However, from Jeffrey’s written declaration so far, the government still enjoys his support on the electoral programme chosen by the electorate at the last election,” he said.
“Dr Pullicino Orlando’s actions are a result of the simple fact that the government has just a one-seat majority. This gives individual MPs much more leverage than before.
“However, other MPs have already done similar things very recently,” Dr Mifsud Bonnici added, not mentioning Franco Debono by name.
He said the latest development also showed Labour had not yet learned anything, despite being in opposition for almost three decades.
“By collaborating with disgruntled MPs, Labour is just playing partisan politics that may give results on the short-term. In the long-term, the electorate will see this will not work.
“Labour is still an inexperienced party with no vision,” he said.
Both Dr Fenech Adami and Dr Mifsud Bonnici said that while Dr Pullicino Orlando had a legal right to hold on to his seat in Parliament, they would have resigned altogether in similar circumstances.
Their position was shared by several other Nationalist MPs, who argued Dr Pullicino Orlando would have never got to Parliament had he not contested on the PN ticket.
“In politics, there are certain things that are just not done,” said Nationalist MP Jean Pierre Farrugia, who has had his fair share of disagreements with the administration during this legislature.
“I wasn’t very happy that Dr Pullicino Orlando discussed internal party matters with our political rivals because certain things are only discussed internally. Like all parliamentarians in Malta, I also meet regularly and privately MPs from the opposition but I don’t discuss internal party matters with them.
“It is not acceptable that our MPs are chummy with Labour,” he said.
The Floriana doctor said while he respected Dr Pullicino Orlando’s decision to keep his seat, “his position has long been prejudiced by the pre-2008 Mistra debacle”.
Former parliamentary secretary Edwin Vassallo was somewhat conciliatory towards Dr Pullicino Orlando’s actions.
“With just a one-seat majority, I could have done the same and even worse than Jeffrey.
“But I took a conscious decision to respect my electors and I am very satisfied with this decision. I would never have done what Jeffrey did,” the self-employed Mosta MP said.
“At the same time, let’s move forward. Dr Pullicino Orlando gave his word that he will continue to support the government and so we should continue to govern in the people’s interest.”
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