Gonzi refuses to set political benchmark

Nationalist Party leader Lawrence Gonzi will need the support of two-thirds of his party’s councillors tomorrow to reach the threshold set by the statute and be confirmed leader.

Dr Gonzi is in the race alone as nobody stepped forward to contest him when he put his leadership on the line in January after Nationalist MP Franco Debono abstained in a vote of no confidence in Parliament.

It is expected that Dr Gonzi will surpass the statutory threshold but when asked about the matter yesterday he refrained from setting a threshold that would be politically acceptable to him.

“I have refrained from answering that question not to put any pressure on the councillors,” Dr Gonzi said.

He insisted that every councillor had the right to exercise his vote freely and setting a benchmark would have caused undue pressure.“This is a secret vote and I wanted it to be that way because the statute gave me another option to seek confirmation by acclamation as happens after every election. But I want councillors to decide in absolute liberty.”

There are more than 800 PN councillors who will cast their vote tomorrow.

The result will be out in the evening and if Dr Gonzi surpasses the two-thirds threshold, he will address councillors in a special session of the national council on Sunday.

If the threshold is not reached a new round of elections is held. A simple majority on the second round will suffice.

In the first round of the 2004 leadership contest, Dr Gonzi had obtained 508 votes (59.3 per cent), John Dalli polled 219 votes (25.3 per cent) and Louis Galea 133 (15.4 per cent). Four votes were dec-lared invalid.

Dr Galea was eliminated after placing third and Mr Dalli withdrew his candidature, leaving Dr Gonzi to face the second round of voting alone.

Dr Gonzi was elected leader, obtaining 808 of the 859 votes cast by councillors and securing 94.1 per cent of the vote.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com