Frank Psaila dismisses rumours he is after PN secretary-general post

Frank Psaila has denied that he is being pushed forward by Adrian Delia for the role of PN secretary-general, emphasising that he is not interested in any role whatsoever within the party.

Psaila, who was an MEP candidate for the Nationalist Party in last May’s European elections, had been said by sources within the PN to have been Delia’s favourite candidate to take over the role of secretary general, which is currently being occupied for an interim period by veteran Francis Zammit Dimech.

In an interview today with sister newspaper Illum, however, Psaila dismissed claims he was after the role and said that meetings he had held with Delia had been for the purpose of advice-giving and to share ideas.

Sources told the newspaper that during an executive committee meeting on Tuesday, Delia had at first insisted that Clyde Puli remain interim secretary-general until the reform being spearheaded by Louis Galea is ready and elections take place for the highest positions within the party.

The majority of the executive disagreed with the proposal, however, instead suggesting Zammit Dimech for the role of interim secretary-general.

Zammit Dimech was later elected for the post with 56 votes in favour, six against, and 11 absentions, including those of Delia and Puli, the newspaper said. This despite the fact that Delia had asked for three days time to come forward with alternative proposals for who could occupy the role, with the sources saying he likely wanted to persuade Psaila to take it up.

But Psaila categorially denied Delia or anybody else within the PN had been encouraging him to take up the position.

He said that he had decided after his unsuccessful bid for the European Parliament to spend more time with his family and doing personal work, but that this didn’t mean he had completely left the PN, and that he still occasionally meets Delia to discuss ideas, mostly related to the party media.

“I am not after the post,” Psaila stressed, adding that he was happy for Zammit Dimech for being appointed to the role.