PN fields its first candidates

The announcement of the Nationalist Party's first group of general election candidates should not be taken as signalling an early election, PN secretary general Joe Saliba said yesterday.

Contacted by The Times after the party published the names of its first batch of 58 candidates, Mr Saliba said Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had just made it clear that the government did not intend holding an early election and that it intended to see out the "five full years".

"The last date on which a general election can be held is August 2008 and there are a lot of reasons not to hold an early election.

"The government has embarked on very important reforms, the economy is doing well, unemployment is down and we want to ensure that the country reaps the fruits of our reforms.

"Neither should one forget the 800 million in EU funds that have to be allocated to various projects. We still have a full year and nine months of hard work ahead," he said.

Pressed on why the party was fielding candidates so early when usually this was done only a few months before a general election, Mr Saliba said the party will be gearing up slowly. Candidates will be trained in how to make door-to-door visits.

"This time we have decided to start early as our target is to have our candidates tour all households. The PN should win the next election and we want to be in a coalition with the people. We need to have candidates touring people's homes," he said.

"The initial list contains the obvious ones," Mr Saliba added. He said the party planned to have around 90 in all.

This first set of candidates will be presented during the PN's mass meeting at the Granaries on Wednesday, on the eve of Independence Day.

The list so far includes five women. There are also 10 new candidates: Manwel Agius, John Bonello, Josianne Cardona Gatt, Ian Castaldi Paris, Beppe Fenech Adami, Noel Galea, Karl Gouder, Peter Micallef, Charles Selvaggi and Mark Anthony Spiteri.

The addition of another 30 or so candidates on 13 districts will mean there will be tough competition on most districts. Coupled with changes to electoral boundaries, even established MPs could have a hard time being re-elected.

All the Cabinet members and Nationalist members of Parliament are on the list, save for MP Antoine Mifsud Bonnici.

Several of those on the list have contested earlier elections, such as Victor Scerri, Paula Mifsud Bonnici and Chris Said.

Speaker Anton Tabone is not yet listed. Georg Sapiano, who had declared his intention to run for a seat in Parliament, does not yet feature.

A look at the professions practised by the listed candidates shows there are 19 lawyers, seven architects, six doctors, a surgeon, a psychiatrist, several managers and teachers, a number of notaries, a nurse, a hotelier, an archivist and an auctioneer.

"We chase prospective candidates till the very end to find the best possible. A number of others will be approached by the Prime Minister and myself with the aim of building up a good team. We still have ample time for that," said Mr Saliba.

Unless the issue of electoral districts is resolved before the election is called, candidates contesting the 12th district will have the unusual task of having to lobby for votes in both Malta and Gozo. The Electoral Commission had hived off Ghajnsielem, with its 2,020 voters, from the 13th district of Gozo - whose voting population has exceeded the threshold - and linked it to the 12th, which consists of Mellieha, Naxxar and St Paul's Bay.

Although both parties agree that Gozo should remain undivided, they have not yet agreed on the necessary amendments to the Constitution.