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Matthew Vella
A Nationalist party councillor and former Mayor who endorsed anti-immigration lobby group Alleanza Nazzjonali Repubblikana on last Friday’s edition of Xarabank, is expected to be the subject of disciplinary measures from his party, which have deplored his comments as “unacceptable”.
Kurt Guillaumier’s confrontation against Nationalist parliament secretary Tony Abela and MaltaToday editor Saviour Balzan, earned the rebuke of many PN insiders yesterday, prompting telephone calls to minister Francis Zammit Dimech, with whose secretariat he is employed.
Yesterday the PN’s director of information Gordon Pisani told MaltaToday that Kurt Guillaumier’s statements on immigration and his presence at the anti-immigration rally organised by the ANR, will be discussed on a political level within the PN’s administrative council.
“The PN is clearly against racism and xenophobia. There is no doubt about it. And as regards his position and what he did and said, there is a conflict with the PN’s beliefs,” Gordon Pisani said.
The 17-person administrative council, which includes party leader Lawrence Gonzi, will be discussing what action will be taken with the former San Gwann mayor and councillor.
“On a personal level, what was said on Friday was in clear conflict with the PN’s beliefs, and that is why it is unacceptable,” Pisani said.
Tourism and Culture minister Francis Zammit Dimech, with whom Kurt Guillaumier works as a member of his secretariat, said he disassociated himself “absolutely and categorically” from Guillaumier’s participation in the ANR activity and his comments on Xarabank.
“Although I haven’t heard his comments since I had other business to attend to, I had telephone calls from my secretariat indicating to me the content of what he said. These comments are his own and said in his own personal capacity. It is unacceptable that he says these type of comments in public, and I will tell him that he cannot be in the private secretariat and say such comments in public.”
Attempts to contact Guillaumier yesterday proved futile.
mvella@mediatoday.com.mt
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