PN general council kicks off

The Nationalist Party general council kicked off yesterday with the aim of "fleshing out", as the Prime Minister put it, the party's vision for 2015.

In a brief address at the start of the council, Lawrence Gonzi listed his government's achievements over the past three-and-a-half years, since he took over as party leader, echoing the speech he gave at the Granaries for the recent Independence Day celebrations.

Despite having to swim against the strong currents of a volatile international economic situation, with rising prices of oil and now a similar hike in the price of cereals, Dr Gonzi said, his government managed to place the country on a solid foundation from which it can leap confidently into the future.

Despite laying emphasis on the tough challenge that his premiership has been, he threaded carefully, however, when stressing the challenges faced by his administration in the post-EU accession era, emphasising that "the sun had not risen" with this administration.

"There were a lot of politicians who have given their contribution before but let me mention in particular those who have worked for Nationalist governments," he said, making special mention of John Dalli, who has proven to be an uncomfortable critic from within the party's fold, ever since he resigned as Foreign Affairs Minister.

"I invite these people to continue giving their contribution because the country needs them," he said.

The vision the party had for the future and which the councillors had convened to debate rests on the three pillars (Education, Environment and Economy) which have formed part of his government's strategy from the start, he said.

Those three pillars branch out into six priority areas (ICT, the financial sector, tourism, manufacturing services, the education sector and health services) around which the party's vision for 2015 needs to be developed.

The council will run till tomorrow when it will come to a close following a number of workshops which will largely take place today.