The Nationalist Party has again called for the resignation of Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri, and will be seeking an urgent parliamentary debate following the theft of 200 kilos of cannabis resin from an Armed Forces of Malta base on Sunday.

Camilleri offered his resignation Sunday but the Prime Minister refused it.

During a press conference outside the Ministry for the Interior in Valletta, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, Security and Reforms Darren Carabott and Shadow Minister for Inclusion and NGOs Graziella Galea said that this is the second time in 20 days that the Partit Nazzjonalista has called for the Minister for the Interior to resign.

Twenty days ago, the PN said tabled a motion in Parliament regarding the Ombudsman's report, which found that the actions of Alex Dalli at Kordin Prison were appalling, cruel, and degrading to prisoners, to the extent that they could have led some to commit suicide.

These are not the only two scandals which happened under Camilleri, the PN noted, mentioning the scandal of fake ID cards and stolen addresses for votes, the scandal of the Moroccans who escaped from a plane, the Police Commissioner's inaction on the Pilatus case and the Vitals theft, the scandal of social benefits and driving licences being used to buy votes, the scandal of LESA fines

And now, a 200kg drug theft right under his nose. Yet Byron Camilleri remains untouchable, the PN said.

To get out of yet another scandal, Byron Camilleri appears to have agreed with the Prime Minister to submit his resignation under the condition that it would not be accepted. And for this latest farce, only his subordinates will pay the price, the PN said.

Abela does not want to keep losing those close to him, which is why he refused Camilleri's resignation, even though he should have dismissed him long ago.

Today, we know that another 200kg of drugs are circulating on our streets. Drugs that have once again ended up in the hands of drug dealers in Malta and Gozo, continuing to have a devastating impact on victims and their families.

The drug problem and its related issues are continually growing in our country, the PN said.

Recent studies show an increasing problem of cocaine and cannabis use in Malta. Studies are also showing that the number of people seeking help for cannabis addiction has increased significantly following the new law introduced by the Government.

It is unacceptable that instead of combating the drug problem, the Minister has become part of the problem, the PN said.

Our country needs an Interior Minister who fights against drug circulation, not one who stands idly by while it is stolen from right under his nose.

The political responsibility for all this falls squarely on Byron Camilleri, who is responsible for the Army, yet under his watch, 200kg of drugs were stolen from the Armed Forces' custody. The only other person who can bear responsibility for this - if not Camilleri - is Robert Abela.

However, by refusing to accept Byron Camilleri's resignation, Abela has sent a clear message that no Minister in his Government is required to take political responsibility, as mandated by the Constitution. That no Minister is truly accountable for anything in this country, and that, regardless of what happens, responsibility will always fall on subordinates, who will have to bear the consequences alone.

This country is now governed by a "free-for-all" administration, the PN said.

Under Abela's leadership, Ministers have been reduced to mere figureheads, cutting ribbons and smiling for cameras.

And if you fall victim to something under a Minister's responsibility, Robert Abela and his colleagues are passing laws to ensure you are denied justice while the Minister remains untouchable, the PN said.

This Prime Minister not only wants to take away your right to request a magisterial inquiry, but he also wants to strip you of the right to hold Ministers accountable for the actions of their subordinates.

This is not a Government that works for you - it is a Government that works against you.

On behalf of the entire population, the PN said it will today demand that the recent events be urgently discussed in Parliament. For the PN, the safety of the Maltese people is a priority. One hopes that, at the very least, Robert Abela's Government agrees with the Partit Nazzjonalista on this matter, the PN said.