The Nationalist Party’s leadership race has reached its final lap. In a few days’ time the 900 odd councillors will have to take a very important decision. The election or confirmation of a party leader does not come about every year. It is a decision taken after every general election.

The party needs a leadership team rather than a leader and two acolytes in the form of a deputy leader and secretary general

Who is the right man for the job? This the question PN councillors are asking time and time again. During the last few weeks I had the opportunity to meet many councillors. Apart from introducing my candidacy to the executive committee, I have also had time to listen to their views about the leadership race. So I have a good idea what their concerns are and what they are looking for in the next party leader.

I am not a councillor so I will not be casting a vote.

But if I had a vote I would take my decision after a great deal of reflection. I would ask myself a few questions before taking my final decision. The man who will be leading the party from next week might be the next Prime Minister in five years’ time. Who would be the best man to lead our country?

Before setting a foot in Castille, the man leading the PN will have to, for the entire current legislature, serve as Leader of the Opposition. Who is the best man to face Joseph Muscat in Parliament? Who is the best man to lead a strong opposition? Who is best to unite the parliamentary group?

On a party level, I would ask myself which candidate knows best the party structures. Which candidate is able to build a strong administrative team around him to deal with the challenges ahead? Who is most appealing to the electorate? Which candidate is capable of bringing back the party’s lost sheep? Which candidate has the ability to change the party’s direction? Who has the best vision for our country and for the party?

If I have to be honest, I think that none of the four candidates possesses all these attributes. I dare say that no leader in the world possesses all such attributes.

I know three of the four candidates well. Simon Busuttil, Mario de Marco and Francis Zammit Dimech tick many of the boxes. As for Raymond Bugeja, I must say that in my 30 years militating in the PN I never met him, so I cannot pass judgement. I am sure however that he too possesses some or many good qualities.

So how could the PN find a formula to tick all the boxes?

The answer is very simple. The party cannot depend only on its leader to move forward. The party needs a leadership team rather than a leader and two acolytes in the form of a deputy leader and secretary general.

The party needs a charismatic strong leader who has a vision for our country and who can appeal to the electorate. But alongside him, he needs a strong deputy leader who knows the party well and who appeals to the party’s grass roots. The post of secretary general should be filled by a motivated person who is capable of organising the party structures, who has the courage and ability to change past wrong practices.

Saturday’s first round of the leadership election should therefore be considered only the first of three important elections. The councillors only elect the leader and his deputy.

The election of secretary general is held within the executive committee.

When casting their vote for the leader the councillors ought to ask themselves who is the best man to lead the leadership team?

In Saturday’s election there should be no losers. The ultimate winner should be the party. The four candidates vying for the leadership post offered their service to the party and the country. We ought to thank them. They are all valid persons and the three who fail to get elected can still be of service to the party.

This is a new dawn for the PN. Saturday’s election is just the beginning. We will be electing a new leader, a new deputy leader and a new administration. After the new team is in place we will roll up our sleeves and start working.

The PN has in the past years been taken up by the myriad challenges of governance with less time for the people. In opposition, we will forge back that connection that will make the PN the popular (but not populist) party in Malta. Our better days lie ahead of us and our new leaders will be, every day, closing the deficit suffered at the polls.

Let’s bring the PN back to its former glory. Our future starts today.