The Prime Minister's mini-reshuffle prompted an acrimonious exchange of e-mails among a handful of Nationalist backbenchers, leaked copies obtained by The Sunday Times show.

Lawrence Gonzi's decision to retain a lean Cabinet with no new faces following John Dalli's departure displeased some MPs who felt it was time for change.

An e-mail sent by Jean Pierre Farrugia to Dr Gonzi on Tuesday morning, just hours before the announcement, was prompted by a story in The Times which said no new faces were expected in Cabinet. "If today's The Times is anything to go by, there is only one conclusion from my end - the more things change the more they stay the same," wrote Dr Farrugia, who was returned to parliament in March 2008 after an absence of five years.

He urged the Prime Minister to take a look at the polls, which he said, reflected the PN's unprecedented lack of popularity.

"Now it all depends on whether you are being advised to focus on truly alleviating people's concerns or postponing decisions simply to create a feel good factor come election time. "As I see it, the latter is simply power politics, in which case I would not like to be considered at all." Dr Farrugia said: "In 14 years I very much doubt if you ever lent me an ear. Never mind - but this time round, I'm afraid you have to listen to me. The opposition is weak.

Losing heavily at the polls in three years could result in serious infighting, leaving the PN in shambles. This happened in Italy and as I see it there is nothing to stop it from happening to us."

His parting shot was: "Your responsibility does not stop at the State, not at this generation. You need a stronger team around you to start picking up the pieces immediately."

The next morning, when Dr Gonzi confirmed there would be no newcomers to the backbench, Dr Farrugia copied his e-mail to all the other Nationalist MPs and informed them the Prime Minister had not replied to him.

Within hours, Michael Gonzi replied in defence of the Prime Minister, who is his brother.

"This is a disgusting attitude which spreads division and not unity. I am not impressed and neither will I get involved in strategies since I don't know, and don't deserve to know, what's in the party leader's mind," Dr M. Gonzi replied.

He urged fellow MPs to take note of the Greek crisis to realise the potential repercussions on Europe and Malta. Instead, "we are sticking daggers into our leadership" when the country is moving forward.

Dr M. Gonzi said he appreciated the fact that the PN parliamentary group was full of intelligent, energetic people who were raring to play a bigger role.

While reminding his colleagues that it was ultimately the pawns in a chess game that lead to victory, following a strategy of manoeuvres, the king was always king - and once he fell, the game was over. In ironic tone, Dr Farrugia said the monarchy style of leadership was intolerable.

He also reiterated his reservations over the recently-announced Health Care Act, this time, however, going one step further by adding that he would not vote for it in Parliament.

Backbencher Robert Arrigo leapt to the defence of Dr Farrugia and compared what he described as the politics of exclusion to a boomerang.

"What's the point of having a king and queen in a castle surrounded by a few people, without the support of the majority of citizens?" the former Sliema mayor said.

Mr Arrigo said he had advised the Prime Minister on the need to bring unity to the party because support had clearly waned.

In the aftermath of the reshuffle, backbenchers like Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Jesmond Mugliett had said the minor change was predictable.

Some MPs who spoke to The Sunday Times said the Prime Minister's decision to retain the same team in Cabinet was clearly compromised by fear of certain backbenchers whose actions were conditioning the government's delicate one-seat majority in Parliament.

But one backbencher said Dr Gonzi had once again "missed the bus" to make amends with some in the parliamentary group.

hgrech@timesofmalta.com