However, he now risks damaging the image that he built for himself, and the party. He himself praises party discipline, but does not seem to be practicing it much.

Yes, it is fair for me as a member of the public to read through John Dalli’s public comments that he may be preparing a campaign to inflict damage on Lawrence Gonzi.

Should John Dalli adopt that approach, he may not only engineer a defeat for Gonzi and PN in 2013, but he will be positioning himself post-2013 in the case of a defeat for PN.

He will surely be in the position to say “told you so” and will be able to garner support should he then run for leadership.

However, should this be the case, Dalli could only become, at best, the leader of the opposition – but his age will work against him. In that case, in his position, I would very much prefer to remain a Minister of Europe.

However, there surely must be reconciliatory capability within the party, and Pierre Portelli’s comments above point in that direction.
Any political manouvres should be done behind close doors.

This year Claudette Abela Baldacchino got a STEPS scholarship. So much for the MLP’s anti-EU agenda, with Abela Baldacchino first being proposed as a potential MEP, and then benefiting from a scholarship which is 85% funded from the EU’s social fund.

While I stand by what I said in this article I need to clarify one point where a sentence was totally fabricated by the reporter in question. Following is the email I have just sent her with the previous correspondence below:

Julia,

As per correspondence below and attached I had specifically insisted that you remove a sentence in your article which you attributed to me but which I had never said.

Attached is the transcript with track changes as sent by me and acknowledged by you.

I cannot understand the reason behind your insistence to put words in my mouth which I never said and which you could have easily checked with your tape-recorder.

It’s as though an invisible hand is making you cast a rift in public between Mr. Dalli and myself. You knew I never said the words: “John Dalli is now out of the political scene and definitely not in touch as I am with the party core.”

Over and above I pointed it out to you in my edited attachment, yet you ignored it. Had I wanted to insult Mr. Dalli, as you tried to portray me doing, I could have easily done so myself but that wasn’t my intention and I told you so on the phone when you called asking for a comment.

Incidentally, or not, today’s L-Orizzont picked up on that sentence fabricated by you and made a front page story to try and embarrass Mr. Dalli.

This is very unfair and if you’re a worthy journalist, I expect you to rectify your mistake and directly apologize to Commissioner Dalli and your readers in the next edition.

I am here copying Commissioner Dalli with the attached article including my track changes.

Pierre Portelli
=====================================

will be using this version.

thanks so much Pierre.

Julia
———

On Tue, Sep 28, 2010 at 4:36 PM, Pierre Portelli wrote:

Julia,

Following your telecom interview I’ve edited the attached comments to reflect what I said and the context in which I’ve said it.

Kindly make sure to publish my version not the one you sent me earlier. Should you want to send me the final draft I’d be happier.

Regards

Pierre

Strangely enough you have omitted the part about Former Transport Minister Jesmond Mugliett (current PN backbencher) urging the Office of the Prime Minister to come clean on this saga. Is he also an “ex-girlfriend in the room” who must be told where to “shove his rabid ambition”?

[Daphne – I am not interested in that part of the saga, but only in John Dalli’s behaviour. There is nothing for the prime minister to come clean about. However, I think there is plenty for Jesmond Mugliett and Dalli to come clean about and yes, Mugliett may not be an ex-girlfriend in the room, but he certainly is a spurned boyfriend, somebody else who didn’t get what he wants. Perhaps he should compete with the kids for yet another STEPS scholarship – he got one already, last year – and buzz off somewhere to read for an MBA.]