Focus on renewal in PN council meeting

The Nationalist Party this evening convened a meeting of its general council which, in the words of deputy leader Tonio Borg, will set it on its way to renewal.

Dr Borg, who was concluding the first session said the process of renewal would make the party stronger and ensure it remained relevant to modern society..

He referred to the March 8 general election and said that while Opposition leader Alfred Sant in a March 11 speech had sought to shift the blame for the MLP defeat, the MLP analysis report showed a different picture, blaming internal divisions and cliques.

Turning to his party, he said that even PN had lessons to derive from the election result, stressing that a careful analysis should be made in the coming months. He said that the party was at a juncture where it had to allow new faces to take over leading roles, accompanied by the more experienced officials in the party.

He likened the situation to 1987, shortly after the party won that historic election, and after which a number of young members – including himself – found their way in the party’s structures as a result of a clause which said that no party official, except for the Prime Minister and his deputy should hold positions in the party.

Dr Borg said the current MLP election contest was very different from the process which had seen the election of Lawrence Gonzi to head the PN.

The Nationalist Party, he said, would continue to grow and serve the Maltese people while continuing to uphold its Christian Democratic principles.

The PN councillors are voting to elect the 13-member executive, from whom the new general secretary to succeed Joe Saliba will be elected. The meeting closes with an address by Dr Gonzi on Sunday.