The Malta Independent on Sunday
Pullicino Orlando ‘asked to contest’ election, bizarre press briefing called on ‘socio political developments'
In a bizarre press conference held yesterday morning by Malta Council for Science and Technology chairman Jeffery Pullicino Orlando and Education Minister Evarist Bartolo on how the Nationalist Party is trying to bring in ‘libertarian’ (ultra-liberal) candidates, it was revealed that the former has been asked to contest the next general election on the Labour Party ticket.
The MCST chairman said he was asked “in a credible way”, but that, for the time being, he is not considering it.
Dr Pullicino Orlando and Mr Bartolo began the press conference by discussing the successful divorce campaign which brought a new wave of liberalism to Maltese society, and saying that this change was a wake-up call for the ultra conservative PN core base.
Former PN MP Dr Pullicino Orlando and then Labour Party MP Evarist Bartolo had teamed up in 2011 to co-sign a private members’ bill to introduce divorce. This resulted in a national referendum which eventually led to divorce being passed into Maltese law.
Mr Bartolo referred to how the Church and the PN had embarked on an aggressive campaign against divorce, but maintained that he has always believed that everybody has the right to their opinion.
He praised the Maltese bishops for drawing up a new set of guidelines, which advise offering assistance to couples whose marriage has broken down, and have not excluded that separated and divorced couples could be allowed to participate in the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.
The press conference took a strange turn when Mr Pullicino Orlando began discussing PN tactics it is using to widen its voter base by bringing in libertarian candidates, such as Salvu Mallia, who he said was on the verge of being anarchic, to respond to changes within local society. He went on to say that this is being done with the scope of removing ultra conservatives within the Opposition, as can be illustrated, according to him, by “PN spokesperson’s Daphne Caruana Galizia’s” attacks on PN deputy leader Mario de Marco. He is referring to recent critiques made by blogger and The Malta Independent columnist Mrs Caruana Galizia, who is not an official spokesperson for the PN, on Dr de Marco being away from the public sphere due to health reasons.
Dr Pullicino Orlando said that after he broke ties with the PN, Dr Busuttil approached him, saying that he wished to see him back within the party.
“I said no, it is my personal opinion that the modus operandi (within the PN) is still active,” Dr Pullicino Orlando said.
He added that the approach taken by former PN Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi is very different to the one taken by Dr Busuttil today.
“The leader of a party would want to see his party get elected. Simon Busuttil is trying to widen his electoral base with people who do not share the same principles of the PN’s hardcore. The PN has now gone outside of their core base because they are trying to bring in libertarian persons. Take a look at Salvu Mallia, who is in favour of abortion. I am personally against it and believe that the absolute majority in Malta are also against it,” Dr Pullicino Orlando said.
When asked, more than once, what the objective behind the press conference was, neither Dr Pullicino Orlando nor Mr Bartolo were capable of giving a forthright reply.
For example, when the press asked Dr Pullicino Orlando the aim behind the press conference, he said that “we do not appreciate how we take for granted changing society,” and then went on to speak about gay politicians and how under the previous PN administration having a gay politician on the ticket was viewed unfavourably. He then repeated that he has great respect for Dr de Marco and condemns attacks against him.
When Mr Bartolo was asked whether this conference was called to deflect attention from the current scandal in which he is embroiled in connection with the Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools, he was quick to mention the number of activities organised by the education sector, such as EU presidency sessions, asking if those were also being held as a distraction tactic. He called the allegations against him a “dishonest” attack and said he would answer all questions in court following the libel proceedings he instituted against the Times of Malta.
PN statement
In response to the press conference, the Nationalist Party issued a particularly curt statement that read: “pathetic”.