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Matthew Vella and Kurt Sansone
Minister Francis Zammit Dimech will not sack a member of his secretariat who publicly associated himself with the extremist and xenophobic views of the Alleanza Nazzjonali Republikana.
For the minister, the case involving PN councillor Kurt Guillaumier, who is also a member of Zammit Dimech’s secretariat, is “closed”.
Contacted yesterday the minister said that this week he called Guillaumier into his office and asked for an explanation of the comments the latter made during a TV programme that discussed illegal immigration.
“Kurt Guillaumier told me that he disassociates himself from all forms of xenophobia. He also explained to me that the comments he passed during the Xarabank TV show were made purely out of concern for the financial situation the country is in. Kurt Guillaumier also committed himself not to participate in any public activities in the future, without prior consultation with me,” Zammit Dimech told MaltaToday.
Asked whether he was satisfied with this explanation, the minister said that for him “the case is closed.”
Meanwhile, the Nationalist party’s administrative council will not be meeting before two weeks to discuss whether it will actually convene councillor Kurt Guillaumier, to answer for his presence at an anti-immigration rally and for confronting PN junior minister Tony Abela live on Xarabank on PBS.
Last week, PN director of information Gordon Pisani said there was a conflict with Guillaumier’s position and the PN’s beliefs. “The PN is clearly against racism and xenophobia. There is no doubt about it,” Pisani said.
Secretary-general Joe Saliba has now said the issue in question is not one of discipline. “The administrative council will be listening to his version first. We’re not taking any action before that stage, otherwise we would acting just like Labour,” Saliba said.
The 17-person administrative council, which includes party leader Lawrence Gonzi, will take a decision on whether it will convene Guillaumier in its next meeting, but not before two weeks, Saliba said. “We will decide the gravity of the issue then.”
There has been no form of official communication with Guillaumier, Saliba said.
Asked whether the PN is still taking seriously the San Gwann councillor’s public confrontation with Tony Abela, the parliamentary secretary responsible for the army, over the subject of immigration, as well as his presence at the Alleanza Nazzjonali Repubblikana’s anti-immigration rally, Saliba said the party has to respect procedure.
“We are taking it seriously, but we have to follow procedure. The process to discuss the issue will take place according to procedure.”
Guillaumier earned the rebuke of many PN insiders, prompting telephone calls to minister Francis Zammit Dimech.
The minister last week disassociated himself “absolutely and categorically” from Guillaumier’s comments. It seems that Guillaumier’s “satisfactory” explanation was enough for the minister to absolve his underling.
mvella@mediatoday.com.mt
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