 |
|
|
|
News •
March 7 2004 |
Kurt Sansone and Karl Schembri
With the decision to appoint a new cabinet staring Lawrence Gonzi in the face, the new PN leader remains noncommittal on the future of failed leadership contenders John Dalli and Louis Galea. It appears that both John Dalli and Louis Galea will not be standing for the post of deputy leader.
Only two weeks ago in an interview with MaltaToday Gonzi said he had “no difficulty, if elected Prime Minister, to have them (Dalli and Galea) in my (his) cabinet.”
Twice in the space of 48 hours, on Friday and Saturday Gonzi would not commit himself on whether Dalli and Galea will feature in the new Cabinet he is expected to appoint following Eddie Fenech Adami’s departure from Castille, probably 22 March. It is expected that Dr Fenech Adami will take the post of President.
On Friday, during TV programme Xarabank Gonzi chose to skirt a question put to him by MaltaToday and said he would take the decision on the new Cabinet when the time was right.
This newspaper asked Gonzi whether John Dalli, Louis Galea, Tony Abela and Edwin Vassallo would feature in the new line-up.
The fate of Dalli supporters, parliamentary secretaries Tony Abela and Edwin Vassallo also hangs in the balance MaltaToday was told by PN activists. Both avidly supported Dalli’s leadership bid and Edwin Vassallo went as far as appearing on Xarabank to defend Dalli and accuse the central party administration of being alienated from the grass roots.
Asked on Friday about Edwin Vassallo’s statement that the party structures required a “radical change” because the grassroots were feeling left out, Gonzi said Vassallo was “not aware” of the internal debate in the administration on ways and means to strengthen the contact with the party faithful.
“Strengthening the contact with our grassroots is an ongoing process and not one that comes to the fore because of a leadership race,” Gonzi said by way of defence.
And once again, Gonzi failed to commit himself yesterday during a televised press conference on NET TV when asked by MaltaToday whether John Dalli would remain finance minister in a Gonzi cabinet.
“The head of cabinet is sitting beside me,” he said yesterday, referring to outgoing Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami. “We still have to see how things are going to develop.”
The Prime Minister has publicly stated he intends resigning once the PN deputy leadership contest is over. The first deputy leadership election is to be held on 19 March and the process is expected to come to a close the day after. If that is the case Eddie Fenech Adami could very well resign on 22 March just in time to be appointed President of the Republic after Guido de Marco’s term in office comes to an end on 5 April.
The Constitution states that upon the resignation of the Prime Minister the cabinet would have to resign as well. It would then be up to Prime Minister Gonzi to appoint a new cabinet and the swearing in ceremony could very well be conducted by President Fenech Adami.
|
|
