The choice of George Abela as the next president was a “challenging decision” for the Nationalist Party according to its general secretary Paul Borg Olivier.

In an interview with Kurt Sansone, Dr Borg Olivier defends the decision not to take a vote on Dr Abela’s nomination in the PN parliamentary group insisting that democracy is not just about voting but “about bringing different ideas to the table”.

Dr Borg Olivier says government is neither supporting nor opposing the project piloted by the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation to build an underground museum in Valletta.

He avoids answering whether the PN will give its MPs a free vote when the Opposition’s motion on the project is up for discussion in parliament on February 11.

However, Dr Borg Olivier insists the Opposition’s motion is dangerous because it interferes with the EU process of allotting funds.

“I am not saying whether the party should or should not give a free vote on the project. This motion is dangerous and it should be defeated on this premise,” he says.

Read the entire interview in today's edition of The Sunday Times: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090208/interview/the-engagement-party