Jason Azzopardi will not contest deputy leadership election
Jason Azzopardi
Small Businesses Minister Jason Azzopardi has confirmed he will not be contesting the election for deputy leader of the Nationalist Party.
The post has become vacant following the resignation of EU Commissioner-designate Tonio Borg.
Dr Azzopardi told timesofmalta.com that a number of people including PN councillors had urged him to seek the post, and he had considered it.
"That is a prestigious post," he said. He added that although he was more than willing to serve, contesting an election would mean an intensive period of lobbying which would distract him from his ministerial duties, which he did not wish to do.
"The ministry has a higher priority than myself, there are many things I wish to conclude ahead of the Budget, and my sense of duty dictates that I should put the ministry first.
"Therefore, at this moment, I cannot contest the post of deputy leader," he said.
The PN kicks off the deputy leader election process tomorrow. Other potential candidates being mentioned are Mario de Marco, Tonio Fenech, Chris Said, Beppe Fenech Adami and MEP Simon Busuttil.
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j brincat
Oct 29th 2012, 07:59
@Malcolm Seychell
"Whoever voted against the will of the people in the referendum should not even be in parliament"
Let alone be the chosen candidate to replace John Dalli.
(jb)
Jessica Williams
Oct 29th 2012, 07:24
Predictions - are these sequence of events in correct order?
1. NP succeed in appointing appoint Dr Tonio Borg commissioner
2. NP succeed in appointing Dr Simon Busuttil to Deputy Leader
3. NP succeed in presenting Goodie Budget for 2013+ avoiding no confidence motion....
4. NP succeed in disrupting our Christmas holidays
5. NP failure at the General Election
Simon Scerri
Oct 29th 2012, 07:58
PN in these last years more than 25 if you include 1982!! won the great battle cause only pN is credible!!!!!!
Mark Cassar
Oct 29th 2012, 08:29
@point no.5 don't count the chickens before they are hatched...
Paul Caruana
Oct 29th 2012, 07:15
Looks like some have started to strategically position themselves for 2013, in view of the expected election result.
John Attard
Oct 29th 2012, 06:30
Small explanation required. If Simon BusuttilIssa is chosen in what manner can he legally be co opted to Parliament. Feedback appreciated
Wenzu Fsadni
Oct 29th 2012, 07:33
Considering that Tonio Borg's vacancy will be filled by bi-election, another MP would need to resign his post. for Simon Busuttil to enter parliament. Frankly I do not see why this should happen so close to an election.
Simon Scerri
Oct 29th 2012, 07:52
How was Joseph Muscat legally co opted to Parliament??? Do not be ridiculous John with all respect.
Malcolm Seychell
Oct 28th 2012, 21:44
Whoever voted against the will of the people in the referendum should not even be in parliament.
Simon Scerri
Oct 29th 2012, 07:54
I suppose all Labour then should not be in parliament, cause they did not admit Referendum for Europe Full Members was won!!! Get good arguments!!!
Mark Cassar
Oct 29th 2012, 08:41
what about the PL who voted en-mass against the WILL of the people in the EU referendum? Back then wasn't it important to vote IN FAVOUR of the will of the people?!
m. borg (slm)
Oct 28th 2012, 20:54
What do you guys think if Austin Gatt resigns his ministry and slips into the deputy leader seat with foreign affairs as his new ministry?
That would be a nuclear bomb dropped on Malta.
Charles Massa
Oct 28th 2012, 20:31
Forsi qieghed jaspira li jsir kap wara l elezzjoni!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
vincent Lia
Oct 28th 2012, 19:17
@Saviour Fenech Ma hemx ghal fejn tkun kandidat fl elezjoni biex tkun membru tal parlament staqsi lil leader tal oppozizjoni.
Gordon Swain
Oct 28th 2012, 18:29
stajt tipprova ghax kulhadd jaf li ghalxejn... wiehed biss ghandu ghalfejn ikun hemm S.Busutill. persuna b'karizma u li poplu malti ghandu ammirazjoni lejh. pero haga wahda ma nixtieqx li jaghmel bhal m'ghamel l-onorevoli primministru ghax dak iz-zmien li kien qed jiggieled ghal kariga kulhadd haseb li ha jkun ta gid ghal-pajjiz sfortunatament kif qal hu stess, niggudikah fuq dak li ghamel
ANTHONY PAVIA
Oct 28th 2012, 17:48
Simon Busuttil's anointment will do him a world of damage.
Peter Murray
Oct 28th 2012, 17:21
Realistically Austin Gatt would have more of a chance of success.
Emanuel. Vella.
Oct 28th 2012, 20:45
ezatt,kif kellu bhala ministru.
Mark Cassar
Oct 29th 2012, 08:48
@Emanuel Vella....ezatt Sur Vella. Thobbu jew tobghodu Austin Gatt wiehed mill-ministri li l-hafna bullies li kellna mas-saqajn (bhax-xufiera cow-boys li kellna) waqfilhom u ma bezax minnhom.....u dak success. Success jidher mhux wara sena imma wara tul ta' zmien...u iz-zmien jaghtik parir sew dwar dak li sehh dan l-ahhar grazzi ghal A.Gatt!
victor caruana
Oct 28th 2012, 15:53
Your way is one way.....out!
j brincat
Oct 28th 2012, 15:38
@J Martinelli
"The subject story is about the NP election process not the Lejber Party's."
BUT isn't this obvious?
The subject is the PN which is in the sorriest state of affairs since its inception!
(jb)
GL Calleja
Oct 28th 2012, 15:34
Oooooooops you left out Austin Gatt. He will be out of a job very soon. let us cut to the chase and get real. The only two worthy candidates are Mep Simon Busuttil and Mario de Marco. The rest is hogwash.
Mark Cassar
Oct 28th 2012, 15:14
The important three words are: 'at this moment'. A week in politics is a long time.
j farrugia
Oct 28th 2012, 15:02
as if we dont know who will be the deputy leader...........just watch who they are pushing and you got the answer
Anthony Mizzi
Oct 28th 2012, 14:45
Dare one ask the question to a Member of the Back-Bench, maybe even to Dr. Franco Debono?
Jean-Pierre Farrugia
Oct 28th 2012, 14:40
Make no mistake – in a democratic people’s Party like the PN (not populist), restructuring if necessary, occurs after having considered the electorate’s assessment. Before then, PN leaning voters, rather than shying away, have the opportunity to determine such outcomes by choosing amongst its candidates.
Mr J Xerri
Oct 28th 2012, 14:20
So Jason Azzopardi has set the balling rolling in the required direction!!
A.Felex Busuttil
Oct 28th 2012, 13:50
good !!!!!!!!!!! no one will contest surely only Simon will be there. I pity him because he is a goody type guy but he is going to finish part of the loosing team.
B. Cachia
Oct 28th 2012, 13:14
Haha, good idea, those who attempt to challenge the established succession plan within the party end up without a career.
J Martinelli
Oct 28th 2012, 13:55
So what you're saying, all those who will contest the deputy leader's position within the NP risk ending like Debono, JPO and Mugliett?
The subject story is about the NP election process not the Lejber Party's.
Eddy Privitera
Oct 28th 2012, 17:59
J.Martnelli. why do you write " lejber pary " ? Don't you realize it shows your ingrained prejudice ?
B. Cachia
Oct 28th 2012, 20:43
@ J Martinelli: Yes, I don't think it would have been a good career move for Jason Azzopardi or anyone else to contest. The inner circle has shown in the past that it treats any competitors as enemies.
As for Labour, I'm not aware that there's a permanent inner circle similar to the 1977 'Young Turks' of the PN and their successors
Mark Cassar
Oct 29th 2012, 08:43
@ Eddy Privitera
why don't you search deep inside you for the "ingrained prejudice"? Haven't you realised that all your comments & letters in The Times are full of this "ingrained prejudice" against anything which even barely brushes in favour of the PN or the government?
twanny borg
Oct 28th 2012, 12:49
Politiku kapaci hasra li mhux se jikkontesta. Hatra ta'vici kap tista' tkun ta'dannu qrib l-elezzjoni.
VV Bartolo
Oct 28th 2012, 16:02
as if he can! don't we all know that the post has already been allocated to MEP SImon Busutill?!
Alfred Falzon
Oct 28th 2012, 12:32
Good for the Hon Jason Azzopardi. He has achieved his goal of becoming MInister and is doing a good job. Well done Hon Minister. No need to make internal enemies.
joseph mifsud
Oct 28th 2012, 12:07
mhux ovja lanqas li ma tiderx cara jien nahseb li simon bussutil ha jtellaq wahdu.
Emanuel. Vella.
Oct 28th 2012, 20:47
ezatt,kif tellaq LG.
Ivan Falzon
Oct 28th 2012, 12:04
Dr Azzopardi says he does not want to abandon his ministry for 15 days. This is to commended.
Pity his leader has abandoned his country for so long now.
Mary Ann Borg
Oct 28th 2012, 11:36
One of the new faces in PN that keeps updating itself. No Louise Galea, Ninu Zammit etc and yet Lejber are still running with Karmenu Vella, Alex Scheberras Trigona, Joe Debono Grech and the likes.
Willie Grech
Oct 28th 2012, 13:54
@ Mary Ann Borg
Why not mention Gonzi, Tonio Borg and Austin Gatt? They were already there in the first PN government. On the PL ticket why mention KV, AST and JDG and fail to mention Manwel Mallia, Deborah Schembri, Clifton Grima, Sandro Craus, Ian Borg, Sylvio Schembri, etc. In all truth, both parties have their old guard and other new ones. So what's your point really?
Saviour Fenech
Oct 28th 2012, 16:27
@ Willie Grech
Zbaljat ghall-ahhar siehbi. La Lawrence Gonzi, la Tonio Borg u lanqas Austin Gatt ma kkontestaw l-elezzjoni tal-1987, ahseb u ara kemm kien membri fil-parlament. Kollha gew wara.
Willie Grech
Oct 28th 2012, 16:59
@ Saviour Fenech.
Jien qatt ma ghedt li dawn it-tlieta kienu fil-parlament izda zgur taqbel mieghi li dawn l-istess tlieta kienu diga attivi sew u parti ntegrali mill-PN. Izda l-punt kollu ta' l-argument tieghi ma kienx l-ismijiet tan-nies imsemmija izda l-fatt li f'kull elezzjoni, kull partit politiku jkollu n-nies 'antiki' tieghu u ohrajn godda. Dak hu parti mit-tigdid ta' kull partit.
Eddy Privitera
Oct 28th 2012, 18:01
Mary Ann Borg: Why do you keep mentioning Dr. Alex Sceberras trigona when you know he isn't a candidadte. Still He is worth a 100 Paul Borg Olivier !
mark borg
Oct 28th 2012, 18:47
x ghandu x jaqsam ?? mela ghax godda bilofors jiswew xi haga ?? dan tieghek argument bazwi (aktar min tas solitu jhekk hu possibbli) din x mentalita hi li nivutaw ghal xi hadd sempliciment ghax gdid ?
Mark Cassar
Oct 29th 2012, 08:39
@Willie Grech
the difference is that the "old guard" as you say it, within the PN is adorned with people who brought positive changes, whereas the "old guard" within the PL (and the list is endless) brought a change as well...but for the worse, if it was in the 80's the tarnishing of democracy, and if it was in the mini govt of A.Sant in the maltese economy & in international affairs!
Please choose the reason of your report below: