If the Nationalist Party were to lose the election, Lawrence Gonzi’s resignation as leader would depend on the circumstances, Beppe Fenech Adami said.

“He will make the best decision at the right time in the interest of the country and the party,” Dr Fenech Adami, Parliamentary Assistant at the Home Affairs Ministry, said.

During The Big Debate organised by The Times on Tuesday, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi replied “no” when asked whether he would step down if he lost the election.

When asked about this during a press conference on youths and the future yesterday, Dr Fenech Adami recalled the 1996 election, which the PN had lost. “It would have been irresponsible if, back then, Eddie Fenech Adami (his father) had left immediately, the day after the election,” he said. He recalled that the new Labour government had been defeated a mere 22 months later.

He noted that, in 2003, Alfred Sant had said he would step down as Labour leader if he lost the election but Joseph Muscat, the present PL leader, was one of those who had persuaded him to stay on for another term.

Dr Gonzi explained his “no” when he appeared on Bondì + on Thursday: “Yes or no questions put you in a bit of a tight spot. The truth is that my position depends always on the trust of the party councillors and, of course, on that of the electorate. If there is a clear message, I bow my head to that decision and step down to make way for someone else.”