Karol Aquilina backtracks on freemasonry and PN jibe

The president of the PN Administrative Council, Karol Aquilina, insisted that he was not referring to any person in particular yesterday when he wrote on Facebook that the Nationalist Party will not be taken over by freemasons.

Dr Aquilina, who is also an MP, wrote a very short status which reads – ‘L-agħar ħaġa li tista’ tiġrilu partit politiku f’Malta hija li jiġi maħkum mill-mażunerija’ (The worst thing that can happen to a political party is to be taken over by freemasonry).

His post, ‘Liked’ by people who were outspokenly against Adrian Delia’s candidacy, sparked a barrage of comments, with many asking Aquilina to be more specific and that as a person occupying an important position in the party as well as being an MP he should be more responsible on what he writes in public.

This is more so because his post comes just two days after the party councillors selected Adrian Delia and Chris Said as the two candidates who will contest the election for party leader on 16 September. Many interpreted his post as having a specific target, considering the circumstances the party is experiencing.

This newspaper reached Karol Aquilina for a comment, in particular to explain who that post was referring to. “I was only referring to what the PN believes,” he said. Asked if he was referring to Adrian Delia, Aquilina insisted that he had no-one in particular in mind.

“In its principles, the Nationalist Party does not believe in freemasonry. Freemasonry cannot be part of the PN.” Aquilina said that he never endorsed or supported any candidate of the four original contenders. “I have refrained from commenting or to endorsing anyone. The party knows this, the candidates know this.”

But Dr Aquilina was in the eye of a political storm last week when the administrative committee he heads suggested that Adrian Delia should withdraw his candidacy following a report drawn up by the Ethics Committee. Delia stood his ground and said that the Ethics Committee had found nothing untoward in his regard and that it was the administrative committee, which he described as part of the establishment, that took it upon itself to call for him to back down from the leadership race.

Delia ended up being the candidate who obtained the highest number of votes in the first part of the election, in which only councillors voted. The second part of the election, in which party members will be asked to give their preference, will be held on 16 September.

One particular comment which was posted under Aquilina’s statement was that the PN was already surrounded by freemasons. When asked about this, Aquilina reiterated that the PN is against this practice and wants to keep freemasons out, not work to get them in.

Many commenting on the post said that such generic posts are doing nothing but harm to the party.

One of the people commenting on the post was fellow PN MP Edwin Vassallo, who urged Aquilina to speak up. “You are the president of the administrative committee; if you had or have information speak up clearly. If this is just a thought then say so. We cannot continue to create victims. There was always speculation and there always will be, but when it is the president of the administrative committee who speaks it’s a different story.