MP turns down role

Nationalist MP Jean-Pierre Farrugia said yesterday evening that he declined to accept an invitation by the Prime Minister to serve as a parliamentary rapporteur twinned to a ministry.

He said when contacted by The Times that he had responsibilities which he feared would be lost if he accepted the invitation.

"In fact the Prime Minister anticipated I will not take the offer as he understood that he (Dr Farrugia) will find difficulty to accept the job as this did not fit in his role," Dr Farrugia said.

He felt the job of rapporteur did not fit in his role as MP as it limited ones, role in the House. It was rather meant for junior politicians.

Dr Farrugia spoke about the matter when he was replying to questions on Super One programme Inkontri saying that the House of Commons, where similar appointments existed, had rules which restricted people appointed to such posts from openly criticising the government. He did not wish to be put in that position.

Dr Farrugia stressed, however, that this was a stable government and he would not vote against it. Talk of instability was harmful to the country.

Informed sources told timesof malta.com yesterday morning that Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Franco Debono are expected to be named rapporteurs at the Office of the Prime Minister.

Charlo' Bonnici will work in the Ministry of the Infrastructure under minister Austin Gatt while Philip Mifsud will work with minister George Pullicino in the Resources Ministry.

According to the sources Beppe Fenech Adami will serve as rapporteur at the Ministry of Home Affairs and Robert Arrigo with Tonio Fenech in the Ministry of Finance.

Stephen Spiteri is expected to serve at the Ministry of Education, although he had been linked with the Ministry of Health.