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The first PN executive meeting since the electoral defeat on June 12 was anointed by a ‘letter’ from an Italian Bishop. Medical practitioner Jean Pierre Farrugia opened the meeting by reading the Italian bishop’s letter to soothe the wounds of those present after the PN’s worst electoral disaster sine 1953.
At the end of the day - contrary to predictions - the bland PN meeting resulted in no finger pointing at the Pieta boys led by Joe Saliba. It did, however, raise the question of Edward Fenech Adami’s appointment as President of the Republic.
Saliba kicked off the meeting with a display of data on the electoral turnout. Despite his late calling in matters academic, Saliba’s panache and grip on statistics is extensive.
His statistical ‘performance’ was shot down by none other than the former Parliamentary Secretary responsible for the elderly, Antoine Mifsud Bonnici who said that what ‘they’ wanted to hear was the reasons for the defeat not numbers.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici attributed the main reason for the PN’s electoral flop to the appointment of Eddie Fenech Adami as President. “People, saw this as a party appointment.” He complained that the backbenchers were not even informed of the decision. Yet, many in the meeting read Mifsud Bonnici’s interpretation of the result as a way of getting back at Eddie for failing to reappoint him to the 2003 PN Cabinet.
The attack on Alternattiva prior to the MEP elections was also mentioned as premature and unnecessary; while others suggested there should have been a repeat of Eddie’s ploy of first making friends with Alternattiva and then reneging on the Greens in the last month as was done before the 2003 elections. Still others from the floor said that ploy gave Alternattiva the chance to regroup.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici also referred to what he described as ‘the unfortunate John Dalli incident.’
Others intervened and reminded the floor that the party was in government since 1987 and that last year the people’s anger was suspended because of the European elections.
Throughout the meeting the Prime Minister looked serious and sullen. Together with Tonio Fenech, he only added that the reasons for the defeat were a result of the difficult decisions and the restructuring. This led to an interjection from Edwin Vassallo who said that one should start using the term ‘necessary decisions’ not ‘difficult decisions.’
Tony Abela of the Solidarjeta Haddiema argued that the team of candidates for the MEP elections could have been better while Daniel Farrugia said that the PN was not respected in the South, more so after presenting no candidate from the region.
On the whole Cabinet ministers and MPs stayed away from controversy. Were they biding their time, or simply complacent?
At the end of the meeting Joe Saliba was relieved that no volley was launched at his position. And Lawrence Gonzi quietly closed what was yet another uneventful, more of the same, PN national executive meeting.
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