Turbulence within the PN does not worry Gonzi

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has leapt to the defence of Nationalist Party general secretary Joe Saliba, saying he is in no way to blame for the recent local council election results.

In an interview with The Times, Dr Gonzi argues that in spite of recent electoral results the mechanism within the party operated well during this campaign given all the circumstances.

Certain figures within the party, including John Dalli, a former finance and foreign minister, are saying the PN strategists "must change" in the wake of recent electoral defeats.

However, the Prime Minister said: "The electorate has expressed a judgment either on what the government is doing or what the local councils are doing; it has not expressed an opinion on the way the Nationalist Party operates or the way the general secretary operates or anything of the sort - at least my interpretation is that".

Dr Gonzi also disagrees that Mr Saliba has a dictatorial style: "Since the general secretary will have to face an election in the coming weeks, how can someone describe him as dictatorial?"

The Prime Minister said he was not concerned about the current turbulence within the PN, arguing there were "currents" in every party which helped keep people on their toes. "It's a healthy way of doing things really, so I have no problem with that."

In the interview, Dr Gonzi also argues that the tough decisions taken are already bearing fruit and he pledged the government would be doing even more to stamp out abuse.

The full text of the interview will be published in The Times on Monday.