Away from the cameras there is very little friendliness in the Nationalist Party deputy leadership contest, which sources say is too close to call as it enters its crucial final stage.
Simon Busuttil will emerge as a redefined character, whatever the outcome
MEP Simon Busuttil entered the contest as a clear frontrunner when he submitted his candidature before anyone else.
However, with practically the entire Cabinet as well as officials from the Office of the Prime Minister backing his rival candidate, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech has a number of PN councillors pledging their support for him.
As things stand, no party official is prepared to make clear predictions for Friday’s vote, even if party insiders say surveys show Dr Busuttil clearly emerges the favourite in popular polls.
Over the past weeks, Mr Fenech has received high profile endorsements during strong lobbying in party clubs events from the likes of Austin Gatt, Mario de Marco and Beppe Fenech Adami, who pledged their vote to the Finance Minister and lobbied councillors to do the same. In Gozo, he has PN stalwarts Giovanna Debono and Chris Said rooting for him.
Dr Busuttil has his own key supporters, including former PN general secretary Joe Saliba, who enjoys respect among councillors on account of his electoral record at the helm of the PN machine.
The MEP’s camp is also leveraging heavily on Dr Busuttil’s electability.
“The argument is that our chances at the polls would be better with him as deputy leader. That argument carries weight with the councillors,” one source said.
Mr Fenech is making it a point to rebut this argument with the grassroots with the message that this is not a contest for the leadership and it is the leader who wins the election for the party.
The Fenech camp is also riding on the wave of a subtle annoyance with Dr Busuttil.
“The backing of the Cabinet is driven mostly by this irritation with the fact that while ministers stood on the front line taking the flak during the past legislature, Simon Busuttil turned down the Prime Minister’s offer to become general secretary in 2008 and has now come back to take on a leadership without having to fight.”
But one councillor said Dr Busuttil was simply the victim of the envy of individuals seething over the fact he was handpicked as the Prime Minister’s special delegate.
Another councillor campaigning for the MEP said it was enough to see the way the Labour media was indirectly rooting for Mr Fenech to realise the potential inroads Dr Busuttil could make into opposition territory.
A Nationalist official said some councillors might very well vote for Mr Fenech to give Dr Busuttil a run for his money.
“But if there are a substantial number of councillors thinking this way, Tonio Fenech will win,” one source said, pointing out that the vote will be a secret ballot.
A factor that plays in favour of the Finance Minister is that the vote will take place two days after the Budget, which will be delivered by Mr Fenech on Wednesday. This happens to be a particular Budget that is tied intimately to the election.
“The Budget could very well turn out to be the Nationalist Party’s strongest electoral card, particularly with Labour having already declared that it will be supporting its incentives. That is all wind in Tonio’s sails,” a party official said.
A senior source said some ministers were publicly lambasting Dr Busuttil’s decision to meet party dissenters, a move which one MEP supporter described as “grossly misinterpreted”.
The number of variables affecting this election also partly explains why the outcome is unclear. However, it mostly boils down to who they feel will help steer the party best at the election and the perception about Dr Busuttil remains very strong within the party in this department.
“I am no Simon cheerleader but when all is said and done, there is still this buzz in the air which says that Simon Busuttil will take it. That is my gut feeling and it is based on the fact that the bottom line for the councillors is the general election,” one source said.
“Simon Busuttil will emerge as a redefined character, whatever the outcome. So far, he has always found rather favourable circumstances throughout his political career. That changed with this contest.”